pioneer creek
Pioneer Creek is the greatest golf course in the world. Not even a question.
You should be wishing I would just end the blog there, because expanding on that means I have to tell you that I played my best round of the year. And nobody likes to hear about someone’s best round of the year (shot a 77 by the way but that’s neither here nor there).
Of course that round - the pinnacle of my golf season - was completely trampled on. Twig, my lovable podcast co-host and 3 handicap, shot a flippin’ 65. SIX-FIVE!! Just strings of birdies, and an eagle on 2 where he jarred his approach shot on a one hop. This was Billy Chapel perfect game type stuff, sans a questionable and mind numbing love story.
That’s been Twig’s year. JP will tap in for birdie, and then Twig will drain his 40 footer to match it. If you break 80 for the third time in your life, he’ll break 70…by five strokes. And beat you by 12. If Twig didn’t already have a nickname, Stampy the Elephant seems appropriate.
Twig looking for other people’s crowning achievements to stomp on.
But, I won’t let him steal my thunder today folks. It was too gorgeous of a day out in Maple Plain, home of Pioneer Creek, right across the street from Windsong Farms, one of the premier private courses in the state.
Now don’t twist my words and interpret what I say as Pioneer being better than Windsong. That would make me eligible for KFAN’s Preposterous Statement Tournament, were I to have more than 10 people read these blogs and be a touch more famous.
But, there are a lot of places on Pioneer Creek that feel similar to Windsong. I feel like holes number 9 and 18 both have a significant Windsong feel. I also felt like the first green felt a lot like the first green at Windsong. Twig said the same thing about hole number 15.
Twig and I both made comments like this at separate times to our guest, Minnesota Wild CEO and Windsong member Matt Majka, and both times he said, “Okay, yeah, I definitely see what you’re saying.”
We think he was being nice though.
Regardless if you agree with me or not, Pioneer Creek is a great experience and has a lot of solid holes. Here’s what I liked about it:
I shot 77 there. I’m not sure if you caught that when I mentioned it above.
In my quest to find all different kinds of wildlife, I found my first snake of the season. I didn’t even shriek or run the other way. And I swear I saw guy featured on a “Most Dangerous Predators” Nat Geo special. Who knows how much venom this guy could have flooded me with had I not been uncommonly calm.
Love wildlife sightings on this course. We’ve had some good ones this year. Still waiting on sightings for bears, foxes and coyotes. We are good on deer and geese.
Don’t rule out an extremely dangerous encounter like this one at Pioneer Creek
I love the mix of holes at Pioneer Creek. I especially like that there are two drivable Par 4’s on the Back 9: numbers 12 and 16. There’s not a better feeling than going for it on a Par 4 and then not swinging like you’re trying to kill a lunging mamba (pictured above) and topping it into the woods.
Twig and I both love barns on courses, and Windsong has one. It is most visible on the ninth hole, but on the podcast as I was naming my signature hole, I said it was 18. Of course, I didn’t make this mistake because I’m dumb. It’s because we started off on 10. That’s too much misdirection you’re throwing at me.
A fantastic set of Par 5’s on this course. Numbers 9 and 18 are very similar, but also excellent finishing holes…regardless of where you start. Number 14 is great, and a favorite of Twig, who raves about center line bunkers. And number 1 is a welcoming opener.
The staff at the course is top notch. They just make you feel good about being there. And while that’s not always the case, there have been very few poor interactions with staff at any of the courses we’ve played this year.
Big fan of the patio out back where we did the interview with our guest, Mr. Majka.
And just to share a bit about, Matt. I’ve known this gentleman since 2001, and he was one of my first bosses as the Vice President of the Wild’s Marketing Department. When Tod Leiweke, the Wild’s first and hugely respected CEO left the team in 2003, Matt was tabbed by owner Bob Naegele, Jr. to fill the role.
Everyone thought that Tod was leaving enormous shoes to fill, and I’m guessing Matt may have felt that way too. Tod was a huge presence with high energy. Matt is quieter with a constant calmness. But that demeanor and his work ethic and his ability to connect to so many different kinds of people has served him really well.
When Bob Naegele sold the team to a new owner, Craig Leipold kept Matt and he’s been right there at the top of the business side of the organization ever since. He’s led the organization through a season-long lockout, another shortened season, the pandemic and more. And he’s done this all while staying true to the State of Hockey brand that he was instrumental in creating in 1997. He understood then what hockey (not just pro hockey) means to every family in this state.
Matt is one of the more impressive people you will meet if you ever have the chance. You would never guess that he’s one of the most important people in the Minnesota professional sports scene because he’s that humble. I always feel like I learn something from him in every interaction I have with him.
Today Matt demonstrated two attributes I know are the right things, but don’t practice enough:
I never saw Matt take his phone out for the entirety of the round. This is a busy and important guy. But he was living in the moment and not getting distracted. And let’s be real, the CEO of the Minnesota Wild has things to do. People know him. But he stayed present and didn’t get distracted by a device. Apparently, some things can wait.
I’m going to make a conscious effort to do this on the course from now on. Don’t worry, I’m still going to have to pull my phone out to take pictures, because how else can I verify that I nearly stepped on a venomous viper? But other than that, no more phone.Matt will humbly say he’s not a good golfer, but he is. He didn’t shoot a 65 like Stampy, but I’m guessing he broke 40 on the back 9 (actually the front, but again, we teed off on 10). On the front, Matt’s driver was failing him. He kept blocking it right. I think he was frustrated, but he never showed it. He just went right back to smiling and talking to the group about their families, careers, life.
As golfers (I think I can call myself that?), we are told to move onto the next shot. We also know that’s a lot easier said than done. But I loved the way Matt did it. Hit a bad shot? Start up another conversation. What is the point about stewing over a mishit when you’re out on a golf course in the sun with no wind and minimal humidity? I have to imagine he carried this mentality early in his tenure leading the Wild. Lose an entire season, that sucks. Smile, move on and keep working.
Matt’s driver did come around on the back 9 by the way. Which led to his exemplary back nine.
Which Twig stomped on with a 32.
