Troy Burne Golf Club - Hudson, WI

[SPY ZINGER]

TROY BURNE GOLF CLUB

Hudson, Wisconsin

 

 

For the 2014 season, I am happy to call Troy Burne Golf Club in Hudson, Wisconsin, my official golf home.  As a public access course, Troy Burne is one of the handful of courses in the Twin Cities area that has the "private club for a day" feel to it.  Since 2005, I have purchased a yearly membership (at 3 different courses) which permits unlimited play throughout the season.  I also had a two-year run at a private club in that time.  After two kids, I've noticed my seasonal average fall to 30 rounds per season.  As a result, I am priced out of most membership options in the area.  Aside from all of their accolades and reputation for immaculate conditions, Troy Burne offers a nice option for those looking for an alternative to a season pass.

 

The Players Card

 

I play golf one day a week, and it's on Saturday mornings.  Troy Burne's green fee at this time is $90 during the regular season.  At 30 rounds of golf, that would be about $2700 for the season.  This year, instead of an unlimited golf membership, I am taking advantage of their "Players Card".

 

The Player's Card is $199 for the season.

 

BENEFITS

• Reduced Green Fees of $57
• Reduced cart fee to $7
• 20 warm-up buckets
• Seven day advance reservations
• WSGA handicap fee $29
• Golf Shop @ Troy Burne discount 20% off non-sale items

Under this program, including the cost of The Players Card itself, 30 rounds of golf will $1909.  Given the quality of the course, I believe The Players Card to be the best value in the area as an alternative to a private club.

 

Throughout the season, I look forward to sharing my experience at Troy Burne, and specifically, this program.  I also look forward to breaking down the course, and playability as well.

 

[N8ball]

That is a great choice, never seen that course in anything but great condition. I usually try to get out there each fall.

[SPY ZINGER]

THE 2014 PLAYERS CARD

Troy Burne Golf Club - Hudson, WI

 

Since 2005, I have had a yearly unlimited play membership at a handful of public access courses in the east-metro area of the Twin Cities.  At the end of year, I contemplate and analyze the options for the following season.  At the conclusion of 2013, I realized I just do not get to play enough golf to make the unlimited play memberships a cost effective option.

 

In Minnesota, the playing season is roughly April through the second week of November.  The courses in this market seem to base their membership pricing structure on a minimum of 40 rounds.  That is, you've got to play at least 40 rounds to realize the benefits of an unlimited play membership.

 

At 37 years old, married, with two small kids, I am lucky to get in 30 rounds in one season.  That's playing once per week with a couple vacation days sprinkled about.  At most courses that I considered, with an unlimited play membership, I would be paying more than the general public walking into the pro shop.  Sure, I get a locker and 20% off merchandise, but that still does not justify the membership at a course that is not private.

I've heard it said many times that you can't factor in cost per round at a private club because you're getting more than just the golf itself.  Nonetheless, I am just not a private club guy.  I don't have the time to be social, make new friends, or eat at the clambake.  My wife wants me home the second after I leave, so I am there to play, see my friends, and get back home.  In and out, hello and good-bye until next Saturday.  At the beginning of the 2014 season, I focused my attention on one of the best (if not the best) course in my area, Troy Burne.  

 

Troy Burne opened it's doors during the 1999 golf season, and was a product of the golf course / real-estate boom of that era.  The course was designed by Tom Lehman with the intent to draw a permanent professional golf venue to the area.  Although it played host to local qualifiers for USGA events, and a short-lived web.com tour stop, the PGA Tour never made it to town.  Nonetheless, Troy Burne remains one of the best golf experiences in the greater Twin Cities area.

Tory Burne offers that “private club for a day” experience in a golf venue.  The course is always well manicured and immaculate.  The links-style layout is a demanding test of golf and probably one of the most challenging courses in the area.  Stretching to 7,034 yards, with a rating/slope of 74.3/136, and over 120 bunkers, you've got to bring your best to score well.  Driving the ship inside the clubhouse is one of the most respected PGA Professionals in golf, Dave Tentis.

However, unless you've been living under a divot for the past 15 years, golfers in the Twin Cities metro area already know Troy Burne has earned the respect of the most discerning player.  This isn't just about the course, it's about a program they've established to make this one of the best golf values in town.

The Troy Burne Players Card

 

The standard green fee at Troy Burne is $90, $19 for a riding card, and $3 for range balls.  This is at the top of the tier for green fee's at a public access course in this market.  The yearly unlimited player membership is $3,550, which also includes a golf cart.  At 30 rounds, I would be paying about $10 more than the guy walking off the street and into the pro shop on a Saturday morning.

Troy Burne has found a way to reward customer loyalty and offers something short of an unlimited play membership.  At $200, the Troy Burne Players Card runs $200 per player.  This allows cardholders to play at the reduced green fee of $57 a round.  If you like to ride, you can also do so at the reduced rate of $7 a player.  Also included is 20% off in the pro shop.  At my standard annual prediction of 30 rounds, my actual cost per round is about $64.  This is a savings of about $26 per round.

I realize that maybe for many players around the country, $64 is still a lot for golf.  Golf is important to me and having the time to play only once per week, I want it to be nothing short of awesome.  Public or Private, Troy Burne is about as good as it gets for a golf venue, and I am lucky enough to play it weekly.  Let's face it, golf participation is declining.  The Players Card program at Troy Burne rewards the loyal consumer.  This is a concept more courses need to adopt because the number of people dropping thousands in April is declining as well.

 

 

 

 

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Got to play Troy Burne twice this year with the Hack To Jack program - definitely a top-tier course in our area!  Two very different nines - the front is links-style while the back is a has more water, hills and trouble (which I've found!!). 

 

Stonebrooke in Shakopee, MN has a similar program - Player's Card is $350 and it gets you half-priced greens fees all season long ($23 before 9am/after 2PM weekdays, $33 before 2PM/$23 after 2PM weekends - free cart if you book online).  Crystal Lake in Lakeville, MN has the best membership deal going - $998 for all the golf you can walk, pretty decent course, too.  

 

Neither course is in Troy Burne's league, however.  

[SPY ZINGER]

Got to play Troy Burne twice this year with the Hack To Jack program - definitely a top-tier course in our area!  Two very different nines - the front is links-style while the back is a has more water, hills and trouble (which I've found!!). 

 

Stonebrooke in Shakopee, MN has a similar program - Player's Card is $350 and it gets you half-priced greens fees all season long ($23 before 9am/after 2PM weekdays, $33 before 2PM/$23 after 2PM weekends - free cart if you book online).  Crystal Lake in Lakeville, MN has the best membership deal going - $998 for all the golf you can walk, pretty decent course, too.  

 

Neither course is in Troy Burne's league, however.  

Cool, thanks, John!

[SPY ZINGER]

Here is a nicely done, hole by hole fly-over if interested:

 

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Awesome flyby!  Love this course, especially the approach shot on 14    ...

 

Played Mississippi Dunes in Cottage Grove for the first time yesterday.  It's not Troy Burne, but it's pretty interesting to play!

[PlaidJacket]

I've never been to Minnesooootah but the country side and especially the golf courses I've seen look really nice. And GREEN!! My god. The Burne GC sure is lush it appears. I just don't see how you guys that live there endure the winters. I just couldn't imagine putting my clubs away for months on end. I'll rub it in.... I get to play year round. However, to find and play beautiful course such as Burne GC I have to travel away from my area of Texas. If you saw my home course you'd think it was goat compared to Burne. It's not of course; but it's not lush. Just greenish. LOL

[hckymeyer]

Awesome flyby! Love this course, especially the approach shot on 14 ...

 

Played Mississippi Dunes in Cottage Grove for the first time yesterday. It's not Troy Burne, but it's pretty interesting to play!

Played league at Dunes for a couple years. Always nice condition but I'm not a fan of courses that punish you for hitting it down the middle of the fairway

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

I'm not a fan of courses that punish you for hitting it down the middle of the fairway

 

Fortunately, I rarely have that problem...

[Jmikecpa]

Starting to think my next golf vacation will be in Wisconsin.  That track looks just fantastic.

[SPY ZINGER]

Yes! Lots of great courses in the east metro if Minneapolis/St. Paul. Which is basically Hudson.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

We gotta do this before the snow flies Zinger...which, based on this morning's temps, should be in about 4 to 6 weeks....

[revkev]

@ jmikecpa I lived in Wisconsin for 6 years, the courses are great, amazingly so, the price of golf is high though. 

[hckymeyer]

We gotta do this before the snow flies Zinger...which, based on this morning's temps, should be in about 4 to 6 weeks....

I'm still waiting for the MGS Northfork outing to happen. Only golfers who can play with music though...

[fozcycle]

Beautiful course........enjoy.

[SPY ZINGER]

I'm still waiting for the MGS Northfork outing to happen. Only golfers who can play with music though...

https://vine.co/v/eTdQJKlQX3P

[hckymeyer]

https://vine.co/v/eTdQJKlQX3P

I see your small bluetooth speaker and raise you two 6x9's built into the cart...

[SPY ZINGER]

Starting my third season here this year. Love the course and staff.

[PlaidJacket]

What have you been waiting on? It's almost May. The course will close again in a few months.

[SPY ZINGER]

Haha! Believe it or not last weekend was my first round there this year.

[J_Wurz]

I love that course too!

 

 

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[MGoBlue100]

Starting to think my next golf vacation will be in Wisconsin. That track looks just fantastic.

No offense to my MSP friends, but Northern Lower Michigan blows the doors off the area in terms of high quality golf. Any of you not from the Midwest need to look at Gaylord, MI. Unbelievable! Treetops, The Loon, Michaywe, etc.

 

BTW: Played Troy Burne once upon a time. Really liked Tom Lehman until that day. Probably didn't help that my best ball partner didn't make anything lower than a '5' all day...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[Har in the Hat]

Great course. It was one that I stopped and played at on my cross country trek from Ontario to Alberta via the states. The 3 some I was paired up were so friendly it just made my whole day.

[Golfspy_CG2]

I head about this course when I was in Madison, WI for three weeks, many years ago.

 

Of course it had to be February when I was there, so golf was not an option.

[SPY ZINGER]

I head about this course when I was in Madison, WI for three weeks, many years ago.

 

Of course it had to be February when I was there, so golf was not an option.

Until next time, we wait!

[Kenny B]

Great course. It was one that I stopped and played at on my cross country trek from Ontario to Alberta via the states. The 3 some I was paired up were so friendly it just made my whole day.

Interesting... Canucks travel from from Ontario to Alberta via the States.  We (at least me) travel from Washington to North Dakota via Canada HWY 1.

[Har in the Hat]

Interesting... Canucks travel from from Ontario to Alberta via the States. We (at least me) travel from Washington to North Dakota via Canada HWY 1.

[Har in the Hat]

I turned it into a golfing trip and going via Michigan / Illinos/ WI/ Dakota or Manitoba/Sask was a no brainer. I could have spent a month in Chicago - drooling. so many courses there ( over 300)👍👍. And of course who could resist whistling straights😠

[SPY ZINGER]

Once again, if anyone is traveling into the Minneapolis area this summer, and looking for a great place to play, please send me a PM, I would be happy to have you join me.

 

 

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