When the city of Brooklyn Park brought in Robert Trent Jones Jr. to design and build Edinburgh USA Golf Course, it didn't take long to attract attention.
Golf Digest selected it second among its "Best New Courses" when it opened in 1987, and Golf magazine ranked it among the "Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S." The vacant lots encircling the course filled up fast with high-priced homes. The surrounding land was fully developed almost a decade ago.
Except that the developer held on to a 12-acre plot of heavily wooded land between the 10th, 11th and 18th holes called "the triangle" for its distinctive shape. His plan was to build homes there. The problem was that the triangle was right smack in the middle of the golf course, and that would mean an access road cutting through the course and backyard barbecues just a few feet from the elegant clubhouse.
Not a situation the golf course, off to such a promising start as one of the Twin Cities' most popular public facilities, wanted to face. So, five years ago the city purchased the triangle for $2 million and told the golf course to do something constructive with it.
It has taken all this time to come up with the right plan: A bigger, better 10th hole, which debuted June 30, and a state-of-the-art short-game practice area, which will open next spring.
When Edinburgh USA opened 17 years ago, the 10th hole was one of its weakest holes. It was 345 yards from the back tees, but played much shorter and without much trouble, unless you factor in the wayward tee shots that ricocheted off the maintenance building running down the right side of the fairway.
The new 10th, which plays 383 yards from the championship tees, features a tee cut out of the middle of the woods, with trees flanking each side of the fairway, giving it more of the northwoods feel players get on the rest of the back nine. The hole doglegs right and makes good use of the original green.
All in all, a big improvement.
"It's a considerably better hole now," Edinburgh USA pro Don Berry said. "It's more challenging, with more character. I've not heard one bad comment from the people who have played it -- except that it's harder."
Source: Saint Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota)