Foxridge Golf Course

Getting To Know: Fox Ridge Golf Course

An Insightful Interview With Ben Biersner, General Manager/Head Golf Professional

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Ben Biersner who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
Fox Ridge Golf Course was built in 1999 and has played host to many golf events and tournaments. We pride ourselves on being a golf course for every ability level. This course is wide open to the elements so make sure you pay close attention to the wind and direction. The wind plays a big part in how challenging you make the course choosing between our 4 different sets of tees. We have added a set of junior tees for those who are just starting out learning the game of golf. Fox Ridge has a large clubhouse which plays host to many weddings, business meetings, golf outings, and private events. The Fox Ridge Bar and Grill is open four days a week serving the best wings in the Cedar Valley. Dike is located just 15 minutes from the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Call us any time to schedule your next golfing trip.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
We have the best kept greens in the area. We are the only 18 holes golf course in Grundy County. We carry 8 different beers from Iowa Craft Beer companies and full service restaurant 4 days a week.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
Most of the putts out here are going to have less break than you think. Swing away and be aggressive there is more room than what it appears.

Any recent changes to the golf course? Or any upcoming changes?
No changes made to the golf course with no plans for any changes.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
We have the best greens in the Cedar Valley. Mowed daily and rolled every other day to ensure smoothness.

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
Hole number 13 is the most challenging par 3 in the cedar valley. It plays 226 yards from the back tees with two large ponds on each side of the green. It demands accuracy and length depending on pin location. This is our most talked about hole on the course.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
My favorite hole is #5. I like it because it is a big risk reward type of hole. You can go for this green in two if your drive is far enough down the fairway or if it sneaks around the mounds on the left. The lay up seems to be straight forward but out of bounds comes in very quickly and the pond and bunker all play a part in making the layup that more challenging. Birdies are made just as easy as double or triple. You could literally have your very own "Tin Cup" moment on this hole.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
The chicken wings are amazing and are by far the best in the area. Any of our craft beers that are on tap in the golf shop. They come from all over the state of Iowa. My favorite sandwich that is available is the Turkey Rueben, oh so good!

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
We have a course record of 61 which was shot by PGA Professionals Bob Moreland and Sean McCarty. I witnessed a 62 most recently by Marc Cahalan. Those guys are good!

Back Tee Stats
Par: 36
Yardage: 6809
Slope: 124
Rating: 72.6

More Information
Fox Ridge Golf Course
355 Country Club Ln
Dike, Iowa, 50624
319-989-2213
www.golffoxridge.com

Revised: 02/12/2018 - Article Viewed 18,284 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.