Pokegama Golf Course in Grand Rapids with Minnesota Rural Golf

Pokegama Golf Course in Grand Rapids with Minnesota Rural Golf
To travel to the north country can have many different
meanings to many different people in Minnesota. To me, the
north country is a great place to play golf. The north
country is home to many fine golf courses. Pokegama Golf
Course in Grand Rapids is just one of the hidden gems
waiting to be discovered by golfers from all across the
state of Minnesota.

Grand Rapids is located approximately 175 miles north of
the Twin Cities on U.S. Highway 169 or approximately 80
miles northwest of Duluth on U.S. Highway 2. Grand Rapids
is on the banks of the Mississippi River in Itasca County,
the land of tall timber and iron ore. Tourism is also a
major factor for the local economy with many recreational
opportunities including golf, fishing, water skiing, and
other water related activities on the area lakes. Other
activities include hunting, as well as enjoying ATV and
snowmobile trails in the area.

Pokegama Golf Course is located on the shores of beautiful
Pokegama Lake. Pokegama Golf Course has a mixture of mature
hardwoods and evergreens lining its fairways. The trees
along the fairways are not so densely populated that an
errant tee shot is automatically deemed a lost cause. The
golf course is tough but still fair to the player who is
patient and keeps the ball in play. The greens roll true
and have undulation that tests the putting skills of every
player. You will not find a flat green on this golf course,
not even the practice green is flat. Be prepared to pick a
line and be committed to your stroke. If putting is not the
strong part of y our game, you could be in for a long day
and an inflated score.

Pokegama Golf Course measures 6,481 yards from the back
tees with a course rating of 70.3 and a slope index of 121.
The elevation changes are a challenge and the views of
Pokegama Lake are beautiful.

My favorite hole on the golf course is number 14. This is a
dogleg left, uphill 415-yard par-4 hole that features out
of bounds up the left side the entire length of the hole.
When you proceed from the tee box to the crest of the hill
you can see the green is slanted right to left. The green
is also protected on the left by a bunker that is unique to
say the least. The bunker is supported by a retaining wall
that is approximately 10 feet above the fairway. If you
attack a sucker pin placement on the lower third of the
green and are short, you have a distinct possibility of
attempting to hit a very high flop shot to clear the
retaining wall as well as the bunker before reaching the
putting surface. For added character, the retaining wall
supporting the bunker is covered in vines. This makes a
very visually appealing accent to this golf hole.

Director of Golf Bob Cahill and his staff offer great
hospitality to season pass holders and daily fee players
alike. A true value in Minnesota golf is the rate of $35.00
Friday-Sunday after 2:00PM for 18-holes of golf and a golf
cart. Please visit the website www.pokegamagolf.com for
additional pricing information. Course Superintendent Dan
Peluso and his staff put the golf course in excellent
playing condition, which also leads to a very fast pace of
play. On a sunny Saturday afternoon my playing partner and
I played in 3 ½ hours. I absolutely love the pace of play
at the hundreds of Minnesota rural golf courses. Slow play
is ugly and the golf courses of rural Minnesota are
beautiful.

By offering great golf courses, fair rates, friendly staff
and a fast pace of play you really owe it to yourself to
check out Pokegama Golf Course or any of the other
Minnesota rural golf courses.

----------------------------------------------------
Dana Buttenhoff is an avid golfer and a native Minnesotan.
After 20 years of golf and traveling around the USA, Dana
would like to share the golf gems rural Minnesota has to
offer: http://www.MinnesotaRuralGolf.com