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DAKOTA DUNES GOLF LINKS
Golfers everywhere know the "feeling".
Anticipation.
Such was the case on July 5 when we arranged to tee it up at Dakota Dunes Golf Links.
Located about 15 minutes (24km) south of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on the Whitecap Reservation, the highly touted links style golf course sits on rolling hills one might not expect to find on the prairies. As the development grows in the future, with talk of a casino on site, it is certain to become a major tourist attraction in the area.
We arrived in advance for our 8:07am tee off time with enough time to survey the grounds in and around the clubhouse. The current facilities are somewhat makeshift for now, yet functional and easy to navigate. Future plans include construction of more posh golf shop and clubhouse.
I approached the counter and announced to the young man there that I was scheduled to tee off at 8:07 and that my playing partner had checked-in previously. He advised me my playing partner had paid half of our fees, so I supplied my credit card to pay my portion which seemed reasonable at $52.00 for green fees and a shared power cart. He also advised we were "next" on the tee.
As we approached the first tee, there were seven or eight people milling around and hitting some putts on the ample putting green. Unfortunately, we were left in the all-too-often position of having to fend for ourselves as to the order of play as there was no announcement from the pro shop as to which group had the tee.
The first hole is a wide open par-4 off the tee, which will serve the golf course well in terms of getting the traffic moving efficiently. There is plenty of opportunity to see the group ahead of you as they make their way to the green. The second hole is a reachable par-5, but is also wide open enough for you to see where you’re going. With pace of play always a concern these days, these opening holes certainly make sense.
From the tips, the third hole will present some challenges for many players in form of a tough, forced carry par-3, measuring about 235 yards. The false front on the green seems out of place, almost overkill on the penal side, especially when the pin is located in the front third of the green.
At 480 yards, the par-4 fourth hole is dastardly difficult off the tee, especially for anyone who has never played the golf course before. Simply put, it is a guess as to where to hit a tee shot that absolutely must be hit a long way. Unless one hits their tee ball down the left side, which first time around might be by accident, the long approach shot to the green will be another guess, a blind shot. Isn’t the sheer length of the hole challenging enough?
The remainder of the front nine is pretty basic links golf, including a couple of doglegs and a good par three at the sixth. I found myself marveling at the surroundings, a brilliant use of the land by the course designers. There is a peacefulness at Dakota Dunes while on the golf course, yet so close to the urban sprawl of Saskatoon.
The back nine began with a lengthy, three-shot par-5, another great way to get the traffic moving. The 211-yard, par-3 11th was frustrating as it poses yet another blind shot from the tips. A sliver of the left side of the green is visible from the tee, yet there was no way to locate the pin.
The 12th hole appears right out of one of those "Golf Courses of the World" picture books, highlighting what we might see if we were teeing off in Ireland. A narrow landing area waits, although most shots will probably funnel back toward the middle of the fairway. Unfortunately, another unnecessary blind shot is next, from the corner of the dogleg to a green that slopes hard from left to right.
The 13th hole is absolutely baffling, out of place in my opinion, although some might suggest the risk/reward options make it somehow a brilliant piece of work. I elected the "risk", hitting driver over the expansive area of fescue and natural grasses, while my playing partner played safe and hit his tee shot solidly, about 200 yards down the middle of the fairway. For this, he was "rewarded" with a totally blind shot of approximately 145 yards, which required us to drive around the corner to obtain any hope of him establishing a target line.
The remainder of the back nine is slightly more manageable from the perspective of seeing where you have to go. The par-3, 15th hole is an awesome use of land, a redemption of sorts for a few of the questionable design decisions we encountered to that point. The elevated tee and two-tiered green is likely to result in this one becoming perhaps the Dakota Dunes signature hole.
Overall, it is easy to marvel at Graham Cooke’s use of the land in designing what will be an interesting play for many curious golfers. For the accomplished player, there is plenty of strategic thinking required, which is perhaps a convenient way to suggest you’ll have to cough up a green fee a few times to really get a feel for how to play certain shots.
For the recreational player, I shudder to think at how they will handle the constant array of uneven lies and penal rough. We were fortunate to play on a day virtually void of any wind, but those of us born and raised on the prairies know this not to be the norm. Simply put, bring "ammo"! I believe this golf course will eat golf balls!
If you can, when you play Dakota Dunes, consider trying to tee it up with someone who has had an opportunity to play the golf course a time or two. They’ll become a valuable tour guide of sorts, which is certain to be helpful throughout your day. And try to take the time to admire the beauty; a treat travelers might not expect to find if their perception of Saskatchewan is all about the "flat lands".
(Erickson is an Edmonton-based freelance writer.) ©2004
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