This is your best shot at a birdie on the front nine!  The second hole is a straight forward par 5 playing at a little over 500 yards.  A fairway bunker guards the left side of the hole off of the tee; and another fairway bunker lies ahead as you get closer to the green.  The small green is guarded by three greenside bunkers that can gobble up wedge shots that are not hit precisely.

A very challenging par 4 here.  Your tee shot has to be hit to a small landing area sandwiched between a large fairway bunker to the right and a large tree to the left.  A solid drive will leave you with a mid iron approach shot.  Try to leave the ball below the hole to avoid three putts on this fast green.

This par 3 typically plays about 150 yards and gives players a real good chance at a birdie.  Your tee shot is hit to a large green surrounded by four deep greenside bunkers.   Be aware of what the wind is doing on this hole.  What could be a well struck shot can easily get blown off line on this tricky but fair par three.

It’s OK- you’re not in the desert, even though the view off of the fifth tee may lead you to believe otherwise.  This short par 4 forces players to really think about their club selection.  Your tee ball should be hit short of the five fairway bunkers.  From there you will have a mid to short iron into the green that is guarded by four more greenside bunkers.  Take your time reading this green as there are many subtle breaks.

Don’t let the water scare you on this 400 yard par 4. Take an aggressive line to the center or left side of the fairway.  From there, most players will still have a mid iron approach shot coming in.  Check the wind with your approach shot.  Shots that are not well executed can tend to balloon up in the wind and get blown into the pond.

By now you have a feeling of how Chaska is going to test you.  Well, get ready to be tested again.  The par five seventh hole is our number 1 handicapped hole on the course.  Your tee shot is hit toward a landing area guarded by two large fairway traps to the left and to the right.  From this point, you need to use solid course management skills.  The smart shot is to lay up to a comfortable short iron or wedge distance at a good angle to the small kidney shaped green.  Longer players that try to go for the green in two, need to hit a high shot that carries the water, and lands soft to the small green that is guarded by three greenside bunkers.

Take time to enjoy the beautiful view and scenery on the eighth tee box, but be prepared to hit a good golf shot.  This 168 yard par three forcers players to hit a straight shot through a wooded chute into a large green that is guarded by bunkers to the left and the back off the green.  Try to hit the ball to the center of the green and get out with a three.  Par is never a bad score on this nerve testing hole.

Enjoy the view on this tee box as well.  Deer and other wildlife are never far away on this part of the golf course.  The last hole of the front nine gives players a fair chance at ending the front side with a birdie.  The woods to the left and the fairway bunker to the right force players to hit an accurate tee ball.  Don’t let the woods scare you into blocking your shot out to the right, as that will leave you with a long uphill approach shot to a narrow green. Your best option is to play to a comfortable mid to short iron distance.

The start of the back nine is a demanding one.  The dog leg left par four starts with a tee shot through a chute of woods.  Pick an aggressive line and commit to your shot.  Approaches are hit to a large green guarded by three greenside bunkers.

The par five eleventh hole gives players a choice.  Longer hitters can try to carry the fairway bunkers and have a chance of getting home in two.  The conservative player can play their tee ball short of the fairway bunkers and hit a lay up shot to a good wedge distance.  The green is up hill and heavily protected by bunkers.  If the player thinks their way through this hole, birdies are for the taking.

Don’t let the short distance fool you on this tricky par four.  With a fairway bunker left, and water to the right, your tee shot should be hit with a long iron or fairway metal to a comfortable short iron approach.  Your approach shot needs to be hit accurately, with a tree line to the left, a pond in front of the green, and the slope of the green running away from you on the right side.  Up and downs are rare on the twelfth.

The longest par three on the golf course.  The thirteenth hole is visually stunning, but very dangerous at the same time.  With a forced carry over water to a green guarded by deep bunkers, players need to step up and hit an accurate long iron or fairway metal to the large green.

The par four fourteenth hole is as straight forward as a golf hole can get.  The 421 yard hole forces players to hit a long and accurate tee ball between two large fairway bunkers.  Approach shots are typically hit with mid to long irons into a large green guarded by two greenside bunkers to the left and right.

The longest hole on the course; fifteen is a three shot par five for almost everyone who plays it.  Your tee ball should be hit to where the dog leg bends.  From there, players need to hit a confident lay up shot to a  comfortable distance.  The small green is protected by two greenside bunkers and deep woods.  Even with this being the longest hole on the course, birdies are still common.

The most demanding hole on the course.  The par four sixteenth measures in at 445 yards.  From the tee box, all that you will see is a large fairway bunker on the right side of the hole on top of a ridge.  Players need to pick an aggressive line with their tee ball just to the left of the bunker.  If you pull your shot too far to the left, you will not have an accessible angle coming into the green.  Most approaches will have to be hit with long irons or fairway metals.  The good news about sixteen is that the green is large and approaches are hit downhill to it.

After going from the longest par four on the course, you are now at the shortest par three; however, don’t let the distance fool you.  Seventeen is usually played with a short iron over water to a green guarded by bunkers on the front right and back of the green.  Be sure of your distance control as this hole is usually your last good look at a birdie opportunity.

A great finishing hole.  The 400 yard dogleg left par four is a challenge to the best of players.  Tee balls need to be hit to a small landing area.  With water left, a bunker right, and a tree line to the right, the only way par is an option is with a solid tee shot.  From there, most players will be coming in with a mid iron to a heavily bunkered large green.  Even though the eighteenth green is one of the easier to read, par is still a great number on this hole.