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Hole #1 – The White Pine
Par 5 649/587/562/470 YARDS
The Wilderness at Fortune Bay starts off with a long par five. The elevated tees are surrounded by majestic white and red pines. From the tees you have a stunning view of the exposed ledge rock that divides an upper and lower fairway. The safe, conservative tee shot will be to the lower fairway. Those golfers wishing a higher level of risk/reward can attempt to make the 265 yard carry to the upper fairway landing area. If successful, you will be rewarded with some needed roll that could advance your ball an additional 50 yards towards the green. The second shot also features two fairway options, and your shot should play to the left fairway when the pin is left, and the right fairway when the pin is right.
Wildlife abounds in this area of the course. There is an active osprey nest in the vicinity. Osprey and eagle sightings are common throughout the course.
Hole #2 – The Pine Marten
Par 4 472/453/426/385 YARDS
Hole #2, is a long, difficult, and beautiful par 4. The tees are located atop a granite ridge, and the fairway opens out below the tees offering a beautiful view to the green. A large white ledgerock outcropping defines the left side of the fairway. Your tee shot must avoid that rock to the left as well as the attractive bunker to the right. On the second shot, you may opt to carry the three cross bunkers just short of the green or play to the fairway left of this offset green, accepting a chip shot to save par. This fairway is lined by an abundance of cedars and spruce, which provide a definitive “Northwood’s feel”.
Hole # 3 – The Walleye
Par 3 220/193/166/133 YARDS
The cart path from #2 winds through a thick forest of evergreens, delivering you to the third tee. This first par three is long from the back tees, with a scenic pond located in front of the tee. The two-tiered punch bowl green is perched partway up the slope of a large hill that extends behind the green. With the pond and a sand bunker in front of the green, you don’t want to come up short on this tee shot. The best strategy for this hole is to hit it long, and let the ball roll back to the green.
This hole is adjacent to a large wetland area. Wildlife abounds here, and bird and animal sightings are common.
Hole #4 – The Blue Heron
Par 4 410/393/330/305 YARDS
Hole #4 is a medium length par four that requires a long tee shot for success. The tees are surrounded by large pine trees, and sit atop a granite ridge. This hole features an upper and lower fairway, divided by exposed ledgerock. The best tee shot option is to clear the rock outcropping to reach the upper fairway. This will however require a 260 tee-shot over a valley and a small pond. If successful, you will be rewarded with a level approach shot to the green. If unsuccessful you will likely find your ball in the rocks, or in the pond. The more conservative tee-shot will be to the lower, left fairway. A shot to the lower fairway must be long to attain vision to the green. Your second shot from this lower fairway will require an uphill approach to the green. The green falls away and left, so your approach should be well right of the pin location.
Hole #5 – The Ruffed Grouse
Par 4 364/348/313/279 YARDS
The tees for hole #5 sit atop the highest point on the golf course. From this elevation you can see Lake Vermilion in the distance. At 330 yards, this is the shortest par 4 on the front nine. Don’t let its lack of distance deceive you. This hole requires a well thought-out strategy, due to the narrow neck of large red pines guarding the green at the dogleg right. Club selection and shot placement will be critical on this hole. The green features a five-foot deep swale through the middle, meaning you must end up on the correct side of it with your approach. You may want to try running the ball through the swale as an alternate to the standard pitch shot. Accuracy will be essential for anyone hoping to bag this bird!
Hole #6 – The Bear
Par 4 464/435/375/331 YARDS
The view from the tees at #6 is spectacular. From this point you can see across the eighth fairway below you, and beyond that to the large wetland and Lake Vermilion. This is a long and uphill hole, making it difficult and a test of strength, in contrast to its surrounding holes. Play directly at the larger fairway bunker, or with a draw for more distance. Your approach should avoid missing left. Favor missing the right, where a comfortable chipping area exists. The last challenge is a rolling green.
Hole #7 – The Osprey
Par 3 157/139/124/115 YARDS
The tees for #7 are perched high above the surrounding terrain. This hole may have the most stunning views on a course abounding in spectacular vistas. The tees are 50 feet above the green, with views over a large wetland to Lake Vermilion and the hills beyond. While this is the shortest hole on the course, this par 3 requires judgment and precision. The small green is straight downhill, but the tee-shot will often be into the wind. Club selection will be important. Too little club and you could be in one of the two bunkers that guard the front of the green; too much club and you risk carrying into the wetland beyond the green. Fairway chipping areas will carry near misses well away from the green, complicating recovery.
It is not unusual to spot ospreys hunting over the wetland behind this green.
Hole #8 – The Timberwolf
Par 5 525/511/456/381 YARDS
This is a reachable par 5, with a wide inviting fairway to encourage a strong tee shot. Unique boulders sit in the fairway, but shouldn’t pose a problem for the well-placed tee shot. The fun starts on the second shot, which you may carry over a large pond and paw print bunker to the green, or choose many different spots along the fairway to lay up. This green is well contoured.
Hole #9 – The Beaver
Par 4 396/369/342/265 YARDS
The front nine finishes with a tee shot into a beautiful valley, with a large target bunker affecting play. Play a three wood at the bunker, or cut a driver around it for a shorter approach. The green is perched just beyond a pond that must be carried to reach it. With a bunker behind the green, distance accuracy is the key to success. Cascading rapids enter this pond right next to the green, serenading you with the sound of falling water as you putt out.
Hole #10 – The Moose
Par 4 455/430/403/343 YARDS
The back nine starts with a strong par 4 featuring two sets of tees that offer completely different shot angles. The right tees offer a straightforward tee shot, while the left tees require a longer carry to the fairway. The approach to the green should favor the left if the pin is right, and vice versa. On the approach, you can opt to play for the open middle of the green, or attack a flag on the outskirts of the green by challenging the bunkers.
Hole #11 – The Cedar
Par 4 465/427/383/333 YARDS
The Cedar is the second of two consecutive long par 4s to open the back nine. It plays even longer, as bunkers guard the short route down the left of the fairway, and the left front of the green. Choose to play safe to the right, even if the hole plays longer. From the tee you may catch a glimpse of the Bois Forte Heritage Center through the woods to the north.
Hole #12 – The Loon
Par 3 166/157/129/107 YARDS
This beautiful par 3 plays across a large and meandering pond. It features a peninsula green, with room to miss beyond the green for the timid. The most difficult pin position is the front, which is only 13 yards wide with water in front. A wide tee allows different play angles every day.
Hole #13 – The Muskellunge
Par 4 340/325/301/277 YARDS
This is the signature hole located alongside the shores of Lake Vermillion. A big hitter could reach this short par 4, but your options include deciding just how much of the lake you can carry. The fairway gets narrower the farther you carry and a bunker pinches in from the right. The approach is difficult from any distance. The green is small and well guarded, but may be most difficult from just in front or right of the green. Sightings of ducks, loons, eagles, and ospreys are common here along the lake.
Hole #14 – The Lynx
Par 4 392/374/341/304 YARDS
A medium length par 4, with a long waste bunker down the right side, offers an opposite challenge from the previous hole. Playing too far left to avoid the waste bunker means you must play your approach directly at the water and deep bunker guarding the green. This hole offers great views of Lake Vermillion.
Hole #15 – The Red Pine
Par 5 530/507/458/376 YARDS
This is the first of two consecutive par 5 holes. It is reachable in two, at a point in your round when that might be critical. Tee shots must find the fairway between bunkers to reach the green in two. The large green features a center bunker. You must choose which side to play. Both sides offer some potential to bank the ball back to the center of the green. Note the massive triple-trunk red pine next to the tees.
Hole #16 – The Eagle
Par 5 540/517/486/438 YARDS
There are some easy to carry fairway bunkers off the tee, which define the line of play. The fun begins on the second shot, which may, despite the hole’s length, allow you to reach this hole in two shots. The fairway splits into an upper and lower. Play the upper above the rock outcropping to get a significant downhill “assist” in reaching the postage stamp green. Alternately, play safely down the lower left approach and leave yourself with an intimidating uphill pitch. The green is perched high above the surrounding terrain, and offers a spectacular view across the large pond on #8 and the wetland beyond.
Hole #17 – The Deer
Par 3 189/174/144/114 YARDS
The 17th is a straightforward par 3 offering little trouble, unless the pin is located on the back right. Then you choose to play to the middle or attack the pin. You must combine distance and direction, or the back bunker will come into play.
Hole #18 – The Turtle
Par 4 473/433/408/368
Number 18, is a strong finishing hole featuring the most difficult approach shot on the course. A wide fairway encourages long tee shots, which you will need. The approach must negotiate a pond on the left, and a bunker back right. There is an adequate bail out area for the timid to the front right of the green. Discretion may be the better part of valor, if your tee shot is not long and perfect.
As you approach the green you will have a great view of a waterfall cascading into the pond. The clubhouse is behind and to the right of the green, so you will likely have a gallery to watch you putt out to finish your round.
FRONT NINE TOTAL 3657/3428/3094/2664 YARDS
BACK NINE TOTAL 3550/3344/3053/2660 YARDS
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COURSE TOTAL 7207/6772/6147/5324 YARDS
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