If you got that Groupon email in your inbox this morning and saw the deal for Victory Links in Blaine, my advice to you is to not think that you’re going to use it this weekend.
The deal isn’t bad: $28 for 18 holes, range and 18 holes on the putting course. I haven’t played the golf course, but have heard decent things about the holes. It’s actually a place I wouldn’t mind playing at some point.
The good news about the deal is that it doesn’t expire until Sept. 4. The bad news is that the golf course is still recovering from a very, very, very difficult winter.
The front page of the course’s website talks about how they have opened two more greens. But there is only one green open on the front and six on the back. I’m not a math whiz, but that adds up to seven. Out of 18. I have to give the folks at Victory Links credit for being up front with what’s going on.
This isn’t meant to be any sort of indictment of the job that the staff at VL has done because it was a tough winter for some places. Several courses — including private courses — still have temporary greens. The cool spring hasn’t helped recovery either.
But if you want to put on good surfaces, you might want to buy the Groupon and put it to the side for the next month or six weeks.
Just trying to help the golf consumers out.
Only Golf Matters 
Jeff — Why not name the courses, instead of “one west metro private” and “a north metro private”?
I presume the west metro private is Golden Valley. (I thought it was three temporary greens.)
I can’t think of too many north metro privates? North Oaks? Blaine?
Dan, I’m happy to name courses if I have actually seen what is going on. But if I’m dealing with what I’ve heard from others, I’d rather just discuss the problem than the location. I’m trying to write for fun/entertainment/enjoyment. I’ve done the whole write things that irk people thing and that’s not what I want to do here.
I’ll name a course that is in just HORRIBLE condition, as of yesterday: Meadowbrook. Most of the greens look and putt like minefields (without the explosions). The fairways are rotten, too — but I can live with that.
And while I’m feeling like a rant: Does anyone have a chainsaw? That course is so amazingly overtreed, and getting worse by the year. I wonder how much chemistry is required to grow such thick rough under so many trees. The combination is absolutely ruinous to the idea of enjoying a round of golf.
I wonder who decided it was a good idea to plant Christmas trees right by the third green — reached by a completely blind iron shot. I hit a not-terrible iron over the hill yesterday, a little left of the green … and found it nowhere. Was probably hiding in one of those pines.
Or maybe it was in the foot-long grass between 3 green and 4 tee.
Whoever has made the agronomic decisions at that golf course over the years either (a) knows nothing about golf, or (b) hates golfers. Or possibly both.
Speaking of knowing nothing about golf … sometime I’ll tell you about the guys with whom Rose and I were paired.