Narrows – Maiden Par 4 – Gold 379 Blue 349 White 309 Copper 274 Green 238
The strategy of the Narrows template hole is clearly visible from the tee at Minnesota Valley. Four bunkers provide a pinching effect tightening the fairway to a sliver 60 yards short of the green.
A distinct choice is provided off the tee; a player can safely lay back to the wider portion of the fairway or take on the bunkering and if successful, a short pitch is all that remains to the green. If not, the player will be facing the hardest shot in golf, a fairway bunker shot from 50 – 100 yards out.
For the approach shot a Maiden green complex awaits which is characterized by the back half of the green having two plateaus, corner left and corner right, separated by a pinnable valley. The Valley’s putting surface contains these contours while the front half gently slopes left to right and is protected by a vexing false front. MVCC’s Maiden is smaller, and more subtle than Raynor’s renditions at Southampton and Yeamans Hall.