The Experience

Hawktree's Vital Stats

by Naimah Jabali-Nash

(page 1 of 3)

Distractions are the worst. These pesky little presents of disruption are inevitable, Whether it’s that obnoxiously loud foursome in front of you or how your playing partner’s shadow conveniently finds its way into your line each and every time you set up to putt—things happen. We’ve all fallen victim to them and have accepted the fact that it’s all a part of the game. So if you happen to play a round at Hawktree Golf Club and hear the screeching cry of the Red-tailed Hawk as it circles the pristine blue skies, scouring the open pasture for its prey—the snowshoe hare, ground squirrel or pheasant—don’t be alarmed. The North American bird holds as much stake in this 18-hole championship golf course as anyone who dares to play it. It is, after all, how the club arrived at its name.

But enough about our feathered friend, at 7,085 yards from the tips, Hawktree Golf Club sheds the plain-Jane archetype of its fellow North Dakotan competitors and predecessors. Golf course architect, James J. Engh, sculpted the flat grassland of his native state into lush mounds, narrow valleys and severe slopes, which force golfers to tap into their resourceful side. Take each shot with the utmost care and precision. Flirting with Hawktree’s signature black sand bunkers and burnt amber fescue will merely agitate your nerves. If that’s not enough, try not to take a dip in the winding Burnt Creek or one of the three lakes strategically placed throughout this links-style course. Water is an ever present theme that comes into play 11 of the 18 holes. Needless to say, Hawktree presents a challenge. But whether it’s from the Hawk above or the perils you face below, Hakwtree Golf Club gives the term ‘birdie’ a whole new meaning.