|
DISCOVER GOLF HEAVEN IN MINNESOTA |
||
|
When you think of golf, do you think of Minnesota? I certainly didn’t until my recent golfing holiday to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. My mindset totally changed after I played some of the most beautiful, plush and enjoyable golf courses I have ever seen.
During decades of hitting the round white ball, I have been fortunate to play a great deal of golf. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that golf in Minnesota would compare favorably with golf outings at three of my favorite courses, Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines South, or the Resort Course at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I now think differently. |
|
|
|
Golf in Minnesota is lush, green, beautiful, reasonable and accessible with nearly 400 public and resort courses located in four geographical regions throughout the state: The Metro area around Minneapolis/St. Paul; the Northwest/Central Lakes Region including The Brainerd Lakes Area, named “One of the Top 50 Golf Destinations in the World” by Golf Digest; the Northeast Region, where shouts of FORE are replacing the sounds of iron ore mining; and The Southern Region with courses on prairies in the west and breathtaking bluffs in the east.
My first look at Minnesota golf started at The Wilds Golf Club, located in Shakopee in the Metro area, a short drive from the Twin Cities. Known for its 180 acres of natural wetlands, and natural setting amongst Ponderosa pines, hardwood and mature oak trees, The Wilds is a Tom Weiskopf, Jay Morrish design playing 5,095 to over 7,000 yards from four sets of tees. Open wide fairways, with water in play on nearly half of the holes, as well as 150 feet of elevation changes made The Wilds an outstanding introduction to Minnesota golf. Club selection on approach shots to the greens were of prime importance as most greens were over 100 feet long with the Par 4 16th hole a walk in the park at 186 feet in length.
My next two rounds took me to the Iron Ridge area of Northeast Minnesota to play two absolutely gorgeous courses at Giants Ridge just outside Biwabik. The Legend, designed by golf course architect Jeff Brauer, with the assistance of PGA Touring Pro Lanny Wadkins, and The Quarry, solely designed by Jeff Brauer, are private in style with public access. The Legend is a 6,930-yard beauty. The serenity of the course was so engulfing that it was nearly impossible to concentrate on shots to the contoured bent grass fairways or the well-protected greens. The biggest challenge came on the par-3 17th hole, a real golf ball gobbler. A 226-yarder, with a 200-yard carry over a sparkling blue lake, it proved as tough as it looked….even from the 183-yard white tees.
The Legend’s sister course, The Quarry, is more rugged with outcroppings of excavated bedrock and giant boulders sharing lush green fairways. Each hole is a distinctive scenic treasure, and very difficult. For example, the par 3, 4th hole is 269 yards from the championship tees which makes it the longest par 3 in the state. The par 4, 8th hole, measuring 478 yards from the tips, 455 from the blues, 425 from the whites and 347 from the forward tees, is a real challenge, even for long ball hitters. The 13th hole, with its green measuring over 10,000 square feet, can be a putting nightmare. And…for a finishing hole, how about a 468-yard par 4 with its fairway running alongside a 550-foot deep crystal clear lake formed by an abandoned mine.
Both The Legend and The Quarry have won numerous awards. The Legend was picked by Golf Digest as The Best Public Course in Minnesota in 1999, in the Top Ten Best New Upscale Public Courses in the Nation in 1998, and in the Top Places to Play Golf in 2001 and 2002.
The Quarry, in only its first year, was named One of the Best New Courses of 2003 by American Airlines Celebrated Living, One of The Midwest’s Top 10 Best New Public Courses in 2003 by GolfChicago Magazine, and here’s one for you, in 2003 it was named ”The Best Golf Course of the 21st Century” by Golf Digest’s course critic Ron Whitten.
On day four of my golfing adventure, I had the opportunity to participate in the Grand Opening of The Wilderness at Fortune Bay, Jeff Brauer’s third masterpiece. It started off with a golf clinic by PGA Touring Pro Notah Begay III, followed by a scramble golf tournament to celebrate the course’s grand opening. My scramble partners, golf columnist John Lieser and reporter/columnist Rick Shefchik hit accurate drives, long irons and putted superbly to propel our team to a 14 under par tournament victory. The highlight of the round came on the 507-yard par 5, 15th hole when John holed a 207-yard second shot with his trusty 3-iron hybrid for a double-eagle Albatross.
The Wilderness, located on the grounds of the Fortune Bay Resort Casino just outside the town of Tower, is sure to become one of the state’s most treasured courses. Playing 5,324 yards from the forward tees to 7,207 yards from the gold championship tees, it offers spectacular holes with ponds, peninsula greens, long waste bunkers, split fairways and a variety of different size and shaped greens.
A real test of golf, The Wilderness starts you out with one of the longest par 5’s I have ever played….649 yards from the tips, 587 from the blues, 562 from the whites and 470 yards from the forward tees. No matter which tee you play, the view of the exposed rock that divides the upper and lower fairway is spectacular. Unless you hit like the pros you see winning tournaments on TV, figure you’ll need three well-placed shots to reach the green on this magnificent hole.
The Wilderness signature hole is a short 340-yard par 4 located on the shores of Lake Vermillion. It is reachable by big hitters, however, deciding how much of the lake can be carried is a key decision that must be made. The fairway narrows as you get close to the small, well-guarded green making approach shots difficult from any distance. Adding to the beauty of this hole are the frequent sightings of ducks, loons, eagles and ospreys along the lake.
Following a four hour drive west from Tower to Brainerd in the Central Lakes Region, my wife, Audrey, and I arrived at our next destination, Grand View Lodge, home to four of the 18 courses that make up The Brainerd Golf Trail, known as The Midwest’s #1 Golf Destination. Grandview Lodge, named one of the Top 100 Golf Resorts in The World by Conde Nast Traveler in 2003, has a 70-year history of Minnesota hospitality and boasts three championship courses, The Preserve, The Pines, and Deacon’s Lodge and The Garden.
The Preserve, a 6,601 par 72 challenge, opened in 1996. Playing The Preserve will give you the feeling of a walk through the woods to Grandma’s house. Don’t let the peacefulness fool you, however, as The Preserve requires delicate shots, particularly to the quick, manicured bent grass greens. The spectacular views from the 11 elevated tees and the inviting clubhouse add to the splendor of the course. The downhill par 3’s require accurate club selection, usually one or two clubs less than normal. The par 4’s, which range in length from the short 287 yards 14th hole to the 455 yard 9th hole, present ample challenge, as do the par 5’s with their many doglegs.
Grand View Lodge’s second championship course, The Pines, is a 27 hole layout made up of the Lakes, Woods and Marsh nines with any combination playing 6800 plus yards from the championship tees, 6400 plus from the blues, 6100 plus from the whites and 5100 plus from the forward tees. Named Minnesota’s only 5 star course in 1992 by Golf Digest, The Pines has a slope range from 128 to 145. It is a traditional “through the northwoods” layout with trees, trees, and more trees leading to dramatic, contoured greens.
My favorite green was on the par 4, 9th hole, a lengthy 206 yards from the blues. It had four putting levels, was 184 feet long from front to back, and had a narrow 25-foot wide putting surface connecting its small front portion to its larger round shaped back end. Being at the wrong end of this monstrous green can easily bring about a three or four putt hole.
The third championship course at Grand View Lodge is Deacon’s Lodge is an Arnold Palmer design. Three wilderness lakes, lush wetlands, rolling terrain, and five sets of tees ensure “a test for the best.” Named in memory of Palmer’s father, Deacon’s Lodge gets high praise as a scenic, tough, yet playable course. Described by Palmer as “An Example of Nature and Pure Golf at its Best”, its 6,924 yard length garners a 73.1 rating and a 134 slope.
Three other Brainerd Golf Trail’s championship courses that are musts are The Classic at Madden’s Resort and the two Legacy courses at Cragun’s Resort. All are championship in every way and are connected with legendary family resorts whose history dates back to the early 1900’s.
The Classic at Madden’s has been highly praised since opening in 1997. Its honors include ranking by Golf Digest as Third Best New Upscale Public Course in North America for 1997; and Minnesota’s #1 Public Course in 2003 by Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and Golfweek.
Madden’s Resort General Manager, Brian Thuringer, credits Scott Hoffmann, Madden’s Golf Superintendent since 1975, and designer of The Classic, with creating a course that is “true and gracious” and I wholeheartedly agree.
Three of my favorite holes at The Classic, which I played from the blue tees, were the short 324 yard par 4, 3rd hole with its peninsula green surrounded on three sides by water; the par 3, 7th hole which requires a 170 yard tee shot to a bunker guarded green with water to the front and right; and the par 5, 16th hole, a great risk-reward hole with water, fairway and greenside bunkers, and the largest green on the golf course, all presenting challenges.
When you play The Classic, club selection is critical as you will be tested with shots to doglegs, alongside lakes, and over ponds, wetlands and fairway bunkers. With five tees on each hole, and yardage ranging from 7,102 from the tour tees to 4,859 from the forward tees, The Classic is a course that can be enjoyed by golfers of all skills. Just make sure you play the tees that match your skills or it may be a very long day.
In addition to The Classic, Madden’s offers three other courses: 6000 yard Pine Beach East with generous fairways, a park-like setting and one of the country’s only par 6’s; the shorter 5100 yard Pine Beach West, boasting narrow fairways and small greens; and the inviting “Social 9”, with eight par 3’s and one par 4 providing a great course for juniors and beginners
Following my round at The Classic, I took a quick 10-minute ride to Cragun’s Resort to view the two The Legacy courses. Head PGA Professional Chuck Klecatsky gave me a tour of the two championship courses, Dutch’s Legacy, named after resort owner “Dutch” Cragun and Bobby’s Legacy, named after and designed by world famous golf architect, Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
As could be expected on courses with as many as nine tees on a hole, a 104 acre lake with 1,450 feet of bridges over wetlands, a waterfall flowing between the 1st and 8th hole of Bobby’s 18, split fairways and a unique par 3, 19th hole known as “Gambler’s Hole” where bets can be decided, both were thrilling to observe.
Although I have visited 45 of our 50 states, until my recent trip I had never been to Minnesota. Wow, what a mistake! It is a beautiful state, with absolutely terrific golf courses and friendly people who live up to the term “Minnesota Nice.”
| ||