Painted Skies over Painted Woods

This month’s places to play are not on the West Coast, but that doesn’t mean you should miss a trip to the Midwest for a truly unique golf experience that’s just a little off the beaten path.

Having lived in the Midwest for a portion of my formative years, I felt I knew everything the region had to offer when it came to golf. A trip to Bismarck to visit a friend showed me that I knew nothing.

In addition to the two amazing courses detailed on the previous page by John Tipping - a good friend and long-time Northwest golf writer who decided the time was right to manage a golf course in North Dakota - Painted Woods Golf Course was a pleasant surprise. While it may not garner the attention of The Links or Hawktree, Painted Woods turned out to be a diamond in the rough that would be packed daily were it closer to a city like Portland, Seattle, or anywhere in California.

One of the most charming aspects of Painted Woods is its unassuming nature. Located 30 miles north of Bismarck, just off the Highway 83, the course greets guests with a simple gravel drive past its ample driving range to a clubhouse that sits at the highest point of the property. What the facility lacks in amenities, it makes up for with charm. It has everything a player needs to enjoy a day on and off the course.

Built on more than 230 acres of prairie land, Painted Woods features water in play on 12 or 18 holes. The property dictated the layout, making the course feel like a natural extension of the land it was carved from.

The course starts simply enough, with a par four from an extremely elevated tee box featuring water along the entire right side. The first green gives players a glimpse of what’s to come with a multi-tiered green requiring an approach shot to the correct spot.

The par three second, perhaps the best hole on the front side, features a green that’s guarded by a large tree on the right and prairie grasses on the left. The deep, two-tier green can make the hole play long or short, so it’s never the same shot twice.

While the front nine plays relatively short, the second nine holes couldn’t be more different. Painted Woods really stretches its doglegs which move left and right over the prairie and around Painted Woods Creek. Longer hitters will have a slight advantage on the field, but the greens don’t get any easier on the way back to the clubhouse.

The crown jewel is the 17th hole, a double dogleg par five with a green protected on nearly all sides. There’s plenty of trouble along the way to the green, and even when you get there, leaving your ball in the wrong position leads to a nearautomatic three-putt.

Over the course of a round at Painted Woods, players will get a great feel for the place. The regulars are down-to-earth golfers who enjoy playing frequently and spending time in the clubhouse for beers after the round. Tournament days are even better with dozens of golfers having drinks and snacks with old and new friends, and playing on a great golf course. On any given day, the cost is under $50 for golf and cart.

The course is owned and operated by the Washburn parks and recreation department. As an arm of the city, the course is a hub of community activity from high school cross country meets to town gatherings being held on the property.

Like most of the rest of North Dakota, Painted Woods is likely a little out of your way to visit, but a trip to the Bismarck area during the right time of year can give you the opportunity to play some great golf courses and meet golfers from another part of the country.

1156 US-83 Washburn, ND 58577 (701) 462-8480 www.paintedwoodsgolf.com

I remember when the Links of North Dakota was first introduced back in 1995. At the time it was called The Legend of Red Mike. I had just started in the golf business and, having graduated high school in North Dakota, not only did I take pride in the fact that the Roughrider State finally had a golf course to brag about, but I desperately wanted to try it out.

I lived in Washington state at the time so I didn’t get back to Nodak too much, except for the every 10th year high school reunion - so the opportunity for me to play it didn’t arise until this past year when, lucky for me, I was hired to manage a course about 100 miles away. I took a rare day off and made the drive alone to the Links, located just outside of Williston in the town of Ray.

26 years later, the road to Ray was a little different. This part of the state had gone through a huge oil boom and remnants - some active but most abandoned - were left and people were scarce.

Regardless, I couldn’t have been more ready for a round of golf.

It was a Tuesday and the course was not too busy - I played 18 holes alone and only passed one group. By the time I hit the fifth hole, a giant 445-yard par four, I had only been out there about 40 minutes and I decided I had to slow down and look around. What I saw as I came upon the green was a beautiful view of Lake Sakakawea and the natural grassland that bordered every hole.

The 10th is a beauty of a par five, as long as you want to make it (up to 570 yards), and a peninsula green that turns right at the end of the fairway. A long green-side bunker helps protect the putting surface.

I also enjoyed 13, a short, uphill par four with a giant sand/grass bunker driving distance on the left, forcing you to be smart on this narrowest of fairways. It looks benign, but it can sting you.

The Links has a great RV park so if you’re on the road and want to drop in, they can host you. The clubhouse is fully stocked and the beer is always cold.

It only took me 26 years to get here the first time, but it will be less than 12 months and I will be back.

5153 109th Ave NW Ray, ND 58849 (701) 568-2600 www.thelinksofnorthdakota.com

Outside of the nine-time national champion North Dakota State football team, it’s rare for the state to get much national attention. Those of you a little older might remember Lawrence Welk or Angie Dickinson; but beyond that - getting national writers and experts out here is a challenge all its own.

So when Hawktree in Bismarck is consistently named among the nation’s Best Courses To Play, Greatest Public Golf Courses and Top Modern Golf Courses, it’s a big deal.

The course is not only an amazing array of holes woven through the natural wonder that is the Burnt Creek Valley, it was designed by North Dakota’s own James Engh. According to Engh, his goal was to create a course in North Dakota that would get national attention. Mission accomplished.

There are a lot of rolling hills at Hawktree, something you wouldn’t expect in North Dakota - but the course really flows naturally. The first hole is a great starter - a downhill 400+ par four with a slightly raised green, guarded front right by a giant black-sand bunker - a feature carried throughout the course. It’s a great way to start.

Another of my favorite holes on the front side is the par three third. At just 164 yards from an elevated tee box, the mature trees that surround the wide but short green down below make you “feel” your way to the pin.

The ninth hole is a long, 447-yard par four back up the hill to the clubhouse. A lone tree dots the right side of the fairway making your drive even more important.

The 12th hole is a tricky downhill with a blind dog leg on the left from the tee. The optical illusion is that the trees are in the middle of the fairway - but really they guard the right side and only the longest hitters will drive it through the fairway. The green is surrounded by two giant bunkers on either side meaning you need to find the green on the fly - but it’s a very deep green that gives you some options.

The toughest hole on the course just might be the par three 13th - at 230 yards, with the potential wind at Hawktree making life even more challenging - I have hit driver here from the back more than once.

The clubhouse is perched atop a hill that oversees all below. It pays to take some time before you tee off to explore the views from the deck.

The top course in the state is tough but fair, unless the wind blows, and then you’ll need everything your game can muster.

3400 Burnt Creek Loop Bismarck, ND 58503 (701) 355-0995 www.hawktree.com