Mint Valley Golf Course (Longview, WA on 07/29/20)

After playing a local nine-hole course yesterday evening I decided to make the drive back to the Longview area to try Mint Valley Golf Course. Earlier on this trip I played at Three Rivers, which is nearby. Mint Valley isn’t the most convenient course to get to from Vancouver, but it was only a 50 minute ride and traffic cleared out once I got past Lewis River.

My tee time was at 4:52pm and I joined a threesome on a fairly busy afternoon. We played in just under four hours (racing the setting sun) and from the looks of things I wouldn’t expect to get around here quickly. The course is an incredible bargain which seems to draw out all the locals!

My online tee time showed a green fee of $15, but when I got to the course and checked in they only charged me $10! Cannot beat that. If I’m honest, while I was heading to the 1st tee I sort of wondered if the course would have any grass!

The par-3 4th is one of the best holes at Mint Valley.

Well, I’m happy to report that Mint Valley did have grass, and plenty of it. The course turned out to be a very well cared for municipal course and I’ve paid way more for way less during my course collecting career. The conditions would have been acceptable for $40, but it was a complete steal for $10.

The ground was a bit firm and almost everything was cut down. The fairways, tees and greens were full with the occasional burned out section or patch of weeds. The greens were a medium pace and provided smooth rolls. The bunkers were the only blemish, as they were thin and rocky.

While decent, the conditions likely won’t be the part about Mint Valley that stand out. To me, what made Mint Valley so awesome was its location and its strong back nine. The course has tons of character and just enough quirk to allow you to like it without things being over the top.

I love evening shadows on a golf course!

I played with a local who shared that the course was a swamp at one point. I guess the swamp was drained and that left land on which to build the course. The tree-lined course sits in a small valley with tons of scenery almost every direction you look. For a compact course in the city, Mint Valley is as good as it gets and it was an easy walk.

I’ll admit the front nine has some odd doglegs and holes that pinch in curious spots. No doubt, the front is limited by the land, but I thought the back nine was quite strong. The back plays out by a river and has some hazards in play. The par-3 4th and the par-3 17th were my favorite holes at Mint Valley. Both par-3’s have water lurking to the right and a bail-out area to the left.

I played the blue tees which are 70.5/122/6405 and except for a couple holes on the front, found Mint Valley to be quite fair. For a tree-lined course there was a decent amount of width and an open side to avoid the trouble. It is one of those courses you can scramble your way around, but also requires a good amount of thought.

As you can tell I was impressed with Mint Valley! It was an incredible value, offered a great setting and didn’t force me to play any one type of shot. I know some may disagree, but I feel confident in calling Mint Valley a hidden gem.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):

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