Erin Hills

I played it a second time, and...

I wrote a review previously and wanted to expand as I played it a second time.

I admit I got caught up in the hype of a new course opening and booked 2 tee times the first day they took reservations. I thought it would be impossible to get a tee time in future so booked two.

My intial impression was the course layout and potential was a 5+ but was truly disappointed on the state of the course overall. The word on the street is the course opened too early as they needed the revenue.

As of the week of Aug 13th they still had some rudamentary score cards but they did have a photcopied booklet of hole layouts. (the putting green is still nowhere to be found and the club house is 1/2 sided)

This time around, I played much better since I knew were to hit the ball. I shot an 84 (with 3 lost balls) from the green tees.

If you play, study the hole/pin placements. The starter gives you a sheet. The greens are very tricky! (some of them are multi-tiered and one of the greens is 40-50 YARDS long....)

They are not afraid to put the pins in tight or overally challenge areas of the greens. You will need to think about your approaches or you might find yourself with a few 3-4 putts on your card.

The wind was alot stronger today then last time. Be prepared to club up 1 or 2 clubs into the wind. (especially with some of the elevated greens)

Get the course layout book from the starter. It gives you some guidelines on where to aim (or how to play the hole) as there are a few blind holes. The book saved me a stroke or two.

The back nine has some shorter par 4's which are scoring holes. (stay out of trouble by keeping your driver in the bag)

On hole 18 (par 5)...forget about going for the green in two. Take the landing area 50 or so yards to the right of the green.

Be prepared for a long day of golf. BO NOT WALK. You won't last nine holes. It is long...too many hiles. Both times I played it was slow. Not sure if there were too many hacks out there. Or people get to excited looking for lost balls in the 4 foot tall grass. (don't bother looking for balls if you spray them deep into the grass...you do nothing but hold the day up for the rest of us)

In conclusion, the course has a ways to go to live up to the hype.

One thing to note....it is a brown course. I guess a characterisitc of links style courses. You will not be in awe of the neatly manicurred bunkers or sand traps. You won't rave about the lucious grasses or the well groomed flower beds or landscapping.

It is...what it is. A links style course. A picquesce course with every fairway lined with brown fescue grass. Let me restate...a sea of brown fescue grass surrounding eskers, drumlins, rolling hills and all those big words we learned in 7th grade earth science class that the glaciers made.

I read somehwere that it always will be a brown course. They have limited irragation to keep with the links tradition. The course is rough in areas.

I have a feeling I will be in more awe of the course next year or the year after.

Overall Experience