Braemar Golf Course - Castle/Hays

Braemar has been renovated once again to 18 holes form the 27 holes it was, from the original 18 it used to be. The good news is the new design is a big improvement over the new 9 which were terrible holes. The new Braemar is an adaptation of primarily the original 18 with some enhancements. The greens have been redone and roll great, with mainly flat design. Their is a links feel to some holes , with a parkland flavor to the others. I would assess the layout as decent, not great. The location is great for people in Edina, etc. Tee times are very hard to get due the demand based on location. This is a good but not great layout.

Braemar Golf Course was completely renovated and redesigned from a 27 hole (three 9s) to an 18 hole course that opened in 2019. Therefore, any reviews of Braemar before then are describing a totally different venue. The course sits on an interesting tract of land encompassing wetlands and ponds as well as higher ground with rolling hills dotted with stands of oak trees. However, for the most part the trees don’t intrude into the playing area. Semi-links style is probably a good description for Braemar, as there are numerous fairway bunkers, including some that force the golfer to choose to go right or left to set up an approach to the green, and marsh grass everywhere waiting to swallow up an errant ball. The course has six sets of tees ranging from 6,884 yards (72.7 rating, 128 slope) to 4,234 yards, so an appropriate length course to play should be available for a wide range of golfers. The fairways are generously wide, very smooth, many with definite contours that will push a ball right or left. Rough is high enough to be punitive, so it’s difficult to hit more than a short iron back to the fairway. Many fairway bunkers and greenside bunkers place a premium on knowing where to place your tee shots and approaches. Greens are quite large, undulating with some very subtle breaks, and relatively fast. Local knowledge is always an advantage in playing a course, and this is especially true of Braemar. Choosing the right or left side of the fairway on a tee shot can make the difference between an easy approach shot or a blind shot over greenside bunkers. Luckily, one member of our foursome was a Braemar member and was very generous with tips. The first time his advice was helpful was on the par 4 second hole, 365 yards from the middle men’s tees (D tees), which doglegs sharply to the right across a water hazard that runs all the way along the right side of the fairway. The key is to hit a 200 to 220 yard drive straight down the first fairway, leaving a mid or short iron approach. Trying to stay close to the creek runs the risk of going into the hazard without gaining any significant advantage on the approach. Similar tips helped us to negotiate the rest of the course, including several par fives that offer at least two ways to play the hole. Probably the highlight of the round was the 178 yard par 3 thirteenth hole, with tees set on the highest point of the course playing down to a large green about 75 feet below the tee. From the tees you can see at least parts of six holes of the course. Allow for the wind and the drop in elevation and choose your club! In addition to the championship course, Braemar has a par 3 course and ample practice facilities, including a short game area, making it a great place to spend a day tuning up your game. It’s a bit pricey compared to the Minneapolis and St. Paul muni's, but truly worth the occasional splurge.

The course is just not that good. The greens and fairways are over grown to the point that you get almost no roll on your drive and the ball bounces on the way to the cup when putting. The driving range has to be the worst in the state, good luck finding grass to hit off. I'm just done with this course, my money is better spent elsewhere.

Front nine played really slow, back nine only picked up because a few groups quit.

I had not played this course in a few years. Was happy to see it was in good shape and the pace was pretty good. Nice that you don't have to look into back yards even tho it's right in the city.

open enough to find bad drives but not too open that its not difficult.

Realize the torrential rains and winds have wreaked havoc in the area. That said, was disappointed in the fairways. Very little area that was like actually fairway...Could be some kind of "winter kill".

Non fairway was too long for an average golfer. It obviously slowed play by group in front of us. Was often impossible to find a ball that was less than a foot off the fairway. The greens were in very decent condition. I am guessing that rain has caused much of the problems, as there were some very soggy areas, even though there has been no rain for nearly a week.

Good layout, greens in good condition and fast, challenging

The course was well maintained and the exectuive course offered good challenges for all types of golfers. Looking forward to going back to play again as well as try some of the other 27 holes available!

the players for the day should be notified that they have to walk the course by email due to rain, long course and bad knees do not mix

Havent played here for many yrs. Now I remember why. Tons of long grass clippings and piles everywhere, lots of bare and dead spots. A very average layout, nothing very memorable. plenty of better courses for same or less money out there.

Fantastic course with above average difficulty. The greens are great, fast and challenging. I probably won't be back however because the pace of play was awfully slow. I chose to walk off the course after a 2:55 front 9 with cart.