The par-3 15th hole at Keller Golf Course in Maplewood, Minn.
Josh Berhow
Earlier this month, I visited what might be my favorite golf course in town. I live about 30 minutes away now, so I hadn’t been there in years, having sadly succumbed to the convenience that comes with a “home course” that’s a closer commute and involves less traffic.
But I knew the newest GOLF list – America’s best golf courses you can play for $100 or less – going live soon, me too also knew two courses high on my local Twin Cities list (Keller Golf Course and Chaska Town Course) were on it.
In this world of content we live in, our plan here at GOLF.com was to feature a handful of courses on the list, with our staff taking turns writing about their personal favorites, such as THIS AND THIS AND THIS AND THIS.
Josh Berhow
That’s where I ran into my dilemma: I’m choosing CasketOR Keller? I wish I had some sort of scientific reasoning or epiphany about what I wanted to point out, but the truth is this: I wrote about Chaska last monthwhile teaming up with Hazeltine National to co-host the stroke play portion of the US Amateur.
So, with that, I headed east to St. Paul (or just out of it) to my beloved Keller’s, who, to be honest, I kind of hoped would win this head-to-head battle anyway. If I lived closer, I would hardly play anywhere else.
The maximum walk rate here is $53, there is dirt and good rolling ground and the course is always in good condition. It’s a community course, which doesn’t necessarily mean much, but it feels good to support one.
10 and 12 are gorgeous par-5s, 13 is a fun uphill par-3 over water where the green is hidden and you can just see the flag waving in the distance, and the par-4 14th is a downhill-then-uphill customs that anyone with more knowledge of golf architecture than I once said it’s good enough to mix in some of the best private courses in the state.
Sean Zak
There’s also the perfect amount of quirkiness, which you can decide to love or hate. There’s a massive oak tree guarding the front of the par-3 4th and another, just for good measure, in front of the par-4 17th.
I’d be happy to tell you more about why I love Keller and why, as I write this, I’m starting to talk about making it my “new home course” come next year, but actually I already did this just a few years ago – which you can read here — when we decided to put a bow on 2021 by writing about our favorite courses we played that year.
However, when it comes to the new information I learned on my most recent visit, I can tell you that I was paired with two men my age and another, Al, who was a day away from celebrating his birthday. 93rd.
Al is married with children and grandchildren and has played at Keller for decades. He was nice, funny, positive and played without a care in the world. He picked it up when he wanted, drove the cart where he wanted – when you’re in your 90s, you can do that – and left as soon as it started to rain.
On the 8th hole he said goodbye and drove into the clubhouse. I waved and thought how lucky I would be to still be playing Keller in 50 years.
