Links at Northfork

I’ve played the Links at Northfork at least four or five times a year ever since my first round there and feel like I’m still learning the subtleties of the course. To begin with, there are five sets of tees ranging from 6,989 yards down to 5,236 yards and course ratings from 74.1 to 66.1, giving you a wide choice of the level of challenge you want on your round. From the elevated tee of the opening hole, you get a good preview of what the front nine will be like- wide fairways, lots of fairway bunkers, and knee high grass waiting to swallow your ball if you get too far off the fairway. No trees. The prevailing wind is directly in your face on the first tee, so it’s good to remember the old adage “When it’s breezy, swing easy.” Several dogleg holes on the first nine dare you to cut the corner to set up a shorter approach shot, but if you miss your target on the tee shot you might end up in a fairway bunker or in rough so deep the only way you’ll find the ball is by stepping on it. One of the more interesting features of the course is the par 3 seventh hole, which has two greens. The one in use the day we played was the shorter (115 yards from the middle tees) green on the left, which is smaller than the one on the right (125 yards). The greens are separated by a marshy hazard that is definitely in play regardless of which green is being used. Pay attention to the wind and land your ball short of the pin because long is no good. In a bit of a twist, the par 3 twelfth hole has two sets of tees separated by about fifty yards. The tees on the left (184 yards) are elevated and provide a good view of the kidney shaped green that is very wide. The right hand tees (188 yards) are on the same level as the green, and for most pin placements the tee shot will have to clear a large bunker that protects the front of the green. The most iconic hole on the course is the dogleg left 362 yard par 4 fifteenth, which happens to be the number one handicap hole. Unlike most of the rest of the course, this hole does have trees that must be contended with. The tee shot to a fairway that slopes from right to left must be placed between bunkers and OB right and a hazard that runs all the way along the left side. Driver may be kept in the bag, because a drive that goes farther than about 225 yards may be partially blocked from a direct approach to the green, or may run all the way through the fairway into the junk. Best strategy is to aim for the 150 yard marker in the middle of the fairway and try to hit it no more than about 10 yards past that point. From there you’ll have an uphill approach shot to a green that slopes quite a bit from back to front. A two putt on this green will give you a well-earned par. The 381 yard par 4 sixteenth hole doesn’t have two greens or two sets of tees- it has two fairways. The left fairway is quite a bit below the level of the tee, so you have a semi-blind tee shot. You might want to drive up to get a look at the landing area, because there are three bunkers on the right side of the fairway that must be avoided. After a good tee shot you’ll have an uphill approach to a long but fairly narrow green. The right fairway is wider and easier to hit, and the approach shot may be longer, but will be easier by not having to account for the elevation difference. Choosing where to place tee shots and approach shots is only part of what makes Northfork interesting. There’s also a lot of fun on the greens, which are always smooth and fairly fast. Subtle undulations place a premium on being able to read the breaks and hitting putts with the right speed. Skills that I’m still trying to improve. And I’ll keep coming back to the Links at Northfork to test those skills.

Really fun course. One of my favorite front-9’s to play when I visit the cities. Course was in really good shape, minus some low spots on fairways that were soaked, not really an issue though. Greens were great. I was paired up with another single and we played 18 in less than 3 and a half hours. Great time!

The Golf Now hot deal was $32 to play this course, but they then charge each person $19 for a cart. Not that good of a deal after everything is factored.

The course is well maintained and the greens are perfect. The cups were placed at very tough locations when we played making for a challenging day of golf. It is typically windy when playing this course so bring your A game.

It's my favorite course. But I'm getting old, so need to play the proper tees now.

Rushed from the 1st tee by the ranger, as it turned out we got a tee time at all because there was a tournament going on which would have been nice to know. Course was tough, rough was thick and greens were surrounded by dirt chunks from aerating. Won’t be back again

This is a fun course to play and a fair value. Greens were not in great condition. Looked like a lot of unrepaired ball marks on most greens. And divots on the fairways. They need to remind golfers that the carts have sand/seed containers to pour into divots.

Lastly, my biggest complaint, and this pertains to other courses. Go to 10 minute tee times. These 8 minute ones always results in slow play. We did a lot of waiting.

Always like playing the Links when I am in Minnesota. Course is very good shape.

Northfork was is excellent condition, didn't slow down till the 11th hole on a beautiful Sunday afternoon then just a short wait.

Had a Golfnow hot deal and my family had the time, so we went to the course....it was in great shape and has a great layout. Plenty of challenges but nothing that was unexpected for a links course. The only drawback was the pace of play. There was a foursome in front of us that was getting the full course tour, and didn't know what ready golf was....but apart from that, it was a great choice and I'd go back in a heartbeat.

It's my favorite course and the condition of the course was the best I've ever seen

This was my first time playing the golf course. I really liked the course, the layout and the conditions (except the tee boxes on all the par 3 holes).

The conditions were great. The grass (fairways and rough) was lush and thick. The only drawback was that the tee boxes on all the par 3 holes were rough and bumpy due to so many non-repaired divots. I was totally surprised that there were no buckets and boxes of divot repair sand. Such a nice course and facility needs to have some sand on the par 3 holes to help maintain the excellence of the overall course condition.

Overall, the course is a great. It has top quality conditions and and layout.

The greens are in fantastic condition with lots of slopes, undulations, and breaks.

I will definitely be back to play again.

Course is in great shape. The guys in the pro shop need to get on the ball better. They would wait until the actual tee time before calling the group. They should have called the group 10 minutes prior with the next group in the hole called as well. It would've helped with flow much better.