My golf fantasy

I had the fortunate opportunity to play the White Bear Yacht Club this morning, a private club in White Bear Lake. Dr. Bert and Andy Bert, a friend of my brother's, invited us out for a round (big thank you to the Berts!). The Yacht Club is one of the more hidden gems in the Twin Cities. It's a little short at 6,400 yards from the tips, but it's everything you could want in a private club--lightning-fast greens, meticulous fairways and private-club service across the board. It's the little things that make WBYC special--blue triangle flags donning the WBYC logo, tees and ballmarkers emblazone with the logo on the first tee and water bottles on every fourth hole.

I didn't play that well--although Aaron did shooting 80 with a triple on the last--but it's more about the experience than anything else. Did I mention we played in three hours? And there were about 10 folks at the course. Nice. The locker rooms were pristine, the food was fabulous and they even cleaned our clubs while we ate. A wonderful day through and through.

The question I asked myself on the way home--how can I make this work for me? Clearly, I don't pull down enough to join a course like WBYC. I probably never will. But, I know there are private clubs that are affordable in the outlying areas of the Twin Cities. I was a member at River Falls for a few years, and even that was enjoyable. Could there be an opportunity at Northfield CC? Forest Lake CC? Stoneridge? I know the timing is right now with two kids under 4, but at some point, I need to make this happen.