Victory Links Golf Course Review

OK – we did it. We finally got to put the Minnesota sticker on Dee 2.0! Yes, that’s right, after all the trips to Minnesota to visit family over the past couple of years, the weather was finally nice enough that we were able to play golf.

Some background. Marc and I have set a goal of playing golf in all 50 states. How are we keeping track you might ask?  Well, we decided to document this with a state sticker on the side of our RV for each time we have golfed a round AND stayed over night in Dee 2.0 in that particular state.  (Hawaii is the exception, since we lived there for two years and played golf regularly, and getting Dee 2.0 to Hawaii might be a bit tricky, not to mention a tad too costly for our budget!!)

The course that made it possible for us to place the Minnesota sticker on our RV? That would be Victory Links in Blaine, Minnesota, on the campus of the National Sports Center.

I tend to believe that some of the best golf courses let you feel secluded on every hole and Victory Links did just that. From the very first tee, I felt like we were out in the middle of nowhere – not a busy suburb of the Twin Cities – which is where we actually were.

Victory Links provided Marc and me a fun experience at an affordable price.

Naturally Marc was very excited to be playing a course that is a PGA Tour Course. In fact, Victory Links is the ONLY PGA Tour Design Services public golf course in Minnesota. They had recently hosted the 3M Open Event Qualifier.

When we approached the first tee, we were greeted by Tom and Ian, our starters for the day. They were professional and friendly. They had all the insights of the course and were eager to share their knowledge with us.

After pairing us up with another twosome, we were off. Marc carded a birdie on the first hole.

He looked at me with a big smile and said: “This is going to be a great round!”

Our playing partners were a father (Alex) and son (Sean) duo who were hoping to get in 9 holes. Sean told us he plays Victory Links often and was more than happy to share his tips and secrets on avoiding the hazards on the course.

Side Note – one of the many things I love about golf is you can continue to play into your 70’s and 80’s. Alex is 79 and was hitting the ball straight up the fairway.

Let’s just say we were NEVER looking for his lost golf ball.

Victory Links has a variety of long and short holes, with a liberal dose of risk/reward to challenge your confidence on distance control. Not that I go for much of those shots – but rest assured, Marc does.

We have played a few links courses in Ireland and Scotland, and I would have to say this isn’t a “true” links course. It does feature many carries over marshes and a few ponds. However, true links courses are mostly along the coast with sandy soil underneath.

When most people think of links-style golf, they are picturing golf that can be played along the ground with lots of undulation, plenty of dunes and little to no trees. While not a “true” links course, Victory Links does have wide-open fairways and the ground is naturally undulating and windswept.

At the turn we said good-bye to our playing partners and joined up with Isaac. Isaac is a young high-school golfer who has been spending all his free time this past summer on the course.

We played the back 9 with Isaac and he never missed an opportunity to share his love of the sport with us. Marc enjoyed challenging Isaac every chance he could. From going for the green on each drive, to cutting the corner of a particular dog leg – it all added to the fun of the day.

When it was all said and done, it really was a great day of golf. Marc finished with a score of 76 and I finished with a respectable 89. So I guess you could say Marc was right – from the first tee to walking off the 18th hole, Victory Links was a great round!

We will play Victory Links again!

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting

Written By Kathy Festa

COURSE REVIEW SCORE CARD

Course:  Victory Links

Type: Public Links Course

Date Played:  20 July 2022

HOLE	PAR	SCORE	COMMENTS
1 – Tee Time Availability	4	4	We called the day we wanted to play and received the time we wanted.
2 – Cost of Green Fees	4	4	Green fees were comparable to other courses in the area.
3 – Condition of Tee Boxes	4	3	The tee boxes were good condition. You can tell they move them around often.
4 – Condition of Fairways	5	4	The fairways were in great shape.
5 – Condition of Greens	4	4	The greens were good. Super fast and the roll was true.
6 – Length of Course	5	5	The course design and use of the terrain was the course defense.
7 – Hazards	4	4	There were just a few bunkers. They had fresh sand in them.
8 – Starter/Marshal	3	3	Starters Tom and Ian were great.
9 – High Handicap Friendly	3	3	Forward tee boxes were in good condition.
OUT	36	34
10 – Practice Area	5	5	Plenty of practice area.
11 – Locker Rooms	3	3	Locker rooms and bathrooms areas were clean.
12 – Pro Shop	4	4	Pro Shop basic. Just a few items that you might need for a round.
13 – Location	4	4	Easy to get to and didn’t feel like you were in the city.
14 – Rental Equipment	4	4	They have clubs, bags, carts and buggies.
15 – Restaurant/Food Cart	4	4	Plenty of food available.
16 – Club House	4	4	Nothing special here. Clean and open area.
17 – Parking	3	3	Parking lot easy to get in and out.
18 – Customer Service	5	5	Friendly staff willing to help get you out on the course.
IN	36	36
TOTAL	72	70	PLAYER:  Kathy F.     ATTESTED BY:  Marc F.