After a morning off to recover from walking 54 holes at Erin Hills and Sand Valley we teed it up at Loggers Trail Golf Course on our way into Minneapolis. We were looking for a value course on the east side of town and Loggers Trail seemed to check those boxes.

We were headed from Wisconsin so it wasn’t a big detour for us to get to the course, which is on the northeast side of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. From downtown Minneapolis it looks like it is about a half hour drive to the course, without any traffic.

We paid $45 for a twilight time and for that price it is a no-brainer to play here. I found a lot to like and would recommend a round here to any golfer who isn’t looking to spend three figures for a round of golf. The proshop is basic and a couple holes are tight, but besides those things there isn’t much wrong about the course.

The design is a collaboration by Mike Fermoyle, John Harris, Dave Tentis and Bev Vanstrum – architects I haven’t heard of personally – and plays through the wooded terrain, without any homes nearby. The course is nicely landscaped, has a good mix of holes and has some unique features.

Even on a cloudy day the look of Loggers Trail was my favorite thing. Many of the holes are prairie style with inviting driving areas and mounding with tall grass to separate the holes. A string of holes on the front nine (the 3rd through the 7th) have a more traditional wooded look with lost ball potential.

What makes Loggers Trail unique is a creek that comes into play on several holes. There is also an old foundation to the left of the 11th hole. The creek helps create a semi-island green on the 9th and then snakes its way along the 17th and 18th, two of the best holes on the course. The 17th is a long par-3 (223 yards from the blue tees) with multiple bridges short of the green. The creek runs down the entire left side on the long 18th (422 yard par-4) in the form of a burn. I had no idea the hazard was there until after I hit my drive. Probably a good thing!

We played the blue tees which are 71.6/130/6549 and I thought the most challenging part about the design were the green complexes. The greens come in many shapes and various depths. If you don’t have the angle just right then it will be difficult to find the correct section. Plus, the greens have a lot of undulation.

Overall, the conditions were good – no complaints for the price. The turf was full and lush, however there were many divots from what looks like a lot of play. The greens had a layer of sand but rolled well and were faster than they looked. The sand in the bunkers was thin, so it was just so-so.

Loggers Trail was my first taste of golf in the Twin Cities and while I don’t have anything else to compare it to, I liked what I saw. For the price it is a good course and one I’d recommend, especially for those who like to walk.

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