It was moving day as we made our way from Minnesota to South Dakota and our final destination of North Dakota. The Always Time for 9 Golf Adventure – MN, SD, ND, +4: The Final Frontier – 50 in 75 was finally coming to fruition. Mayflower Golf Club in Fairfax, MN was a convenient stopping point as we made our way across Minnesota. We packed the van and moved our golf gear to the west. Get it? Moving – Mayflower?
Sorry, that one just conveniently fell in my lap. Hole #1 starts with a gently bending fairway to the right. There are large, mature trees lining both sides of the fairway and will only come into play with wildly sliced or hooked tee shots. Your approach shot on this 268 yard (gold tees) hole needs to find the left side of the green, because shots to the right may tumble down the slope. There are four sets of tees: Blue (3193 yards); White (3091); Gold (2604); and Red (2561).
Hole #2 is a 155 yard uphill par 3. If you are hitting from the back tees the third hole has a dogleg to the right. If you move to the forward, old man tees, it is a straight shot to the green. Of course, who hits a straight ball? One of our foursome (who will remain nameless), wanted to play from the trees that dot the right side of the fairway. Another dogleg to the right at Hole #4, perfectly fits the eye of the slicer in this group. It’s a blind shot from the tee box, so as first time visitors we have to believe the putting surface is somewhere over the trees to the right.
Hole #5 has a blind tee shot to start your uphill journey. The fairway wanders slightly to the left and once you’ve cleared the hill the green comes into view going back to the right. Much to the chagrin of “Woody”, we finally found a dogleg left at the par 4, 311 yard sixth hole. The blind (once again) tee shot must clear the rise in the fairway to have any chance of spotting the small green in the distance. As you exit the 6th green you take a relaxing walk through the woods and over a creek that runs through the course to get to the next hole. The creek’s presence does not really come into play on any hole, however, a very wild shot at #6 could find it. I would also suggest taking a cart for the walking challenged golfer.
Hole #7 is a par 3 with a bunker guarding the front right of the green. The eighth hole presents two distinct views (and distances) from the back and front tee boxes. From the back (485/473 yards), you will hit over Fort Ridgely Creek (I guess it might come into play here) to find the fairway. From the front (345 yards) you get quite an advantage, but still have a blind shot at this par 4 number one handicap hole. Hole #9 finishes with an interesting 90 degree dogleg to the right. Your drive has to find the end of the fairway to have any chance of finding the green with your second shot. Unless you can hit a drive very high and very long there is no way to cut this fairway, but I’m sure someone in this group will try!
Rating – Birdie (48 out of 60): This stop on our journey west to the Dakotas was a success. Mayflower GC is another found 9-hole gem. It was in excellent condition, the staff was nice, the pace was quick, the price was right, and at the end of the round, you can enjoy a quick bite and drink at the bar. For those of you who enjoy something adventurous, try their Golf Boards. These old men wanted to live to play another day! Playing this family-owned course is another great way to support small business.
46321 Co. Rd. 39, Fairfax, MN 55332; 507-426-9964; www.mayflowergolfclub.com
