Leven Par 4 – Gold 428 Blue 395 White 356 Copper 315 Green 277
Minnesota Valley’s flattest hole is given character by the significantly staggered fairway bunkering, beautiful tree framing the right side, mounding short left on the approach, and a large beguiling green complex.
The Leven template hole strategy has been described as simple yet clever. It asks a player to play an aggressive tee shot over or near an obstruction, to obtain an unobstructed approach shot. At the Valley’s Leven the aggressive line is down the right third of the fairway which is protected by a deep fairway bunker.
On the approach, the combination of multiple mounds short and on the green, deep closely mown area lurking left, and bunker front right, provide the classic Leven challenge for conservative tee shots; a partially blind, visually uncomfortable approach shot with a very narrow opening, where simply finding the green often defines success. The Valley’s Leven is a longer yet very similar overall design and green complex to Raynor’s acclaimed Leven hole at Shoreacres.