Two distinct North Woods destinations
It’s easy to look regionally for golf destinations because Alabama has so many quality courses within a comfortable drive.
However, don’t discount expanding your horizon when researching your 2025 golf getaway. Case in point: Minnesota.
In September, I found myself in Minnesota for an impressive journey to play some of that state’s finest public courses.
Over five days and 144 holes, Alabama Golf News Online Editor Dan Vukelich, PGA of America life member Joel Gafford and I drove, chipped, putted and hacked our way across nine courses in northern Minnesota.
What we encountered while playing at the Legacy Courses at Cragun’s Resort and Conference Center, Deacon’s Lodge, the Pines course at the Grand View Resort & Spa, The Classic at Madden’s Resort on Gull Lake, and The Wilderness at Fortune Bay before ending the trip with rounds at the Legend and Quarry course at Giants Ridge, was a fascinating collection of outstanding golf.
To say The Land of 10,000 Lakes is chock full of memorable golf is an understatement. Not only does Minnesota’s landscape provide a beautiful backdrop for golf from May to October, some of golf’s top designers have crafted outstanding tests of one’s abilities. There were no pushovers on this trip.
But why Minnesota? A better question is “Why not, Minnesota?”
For Eric Peterson, the general manager and development director at Cragun’s Resort and Conference Center in Brainerd — two and a half hours northwest of Minneapolis – visiting Minnesota for a golf trip is, pardon the pun, a no-brainer.
“What we pride ourselves in is our hospitality,” Peterson said. “We have great, quality golf in the Brainerd area. There are seven or eight tremendous golf courses.”
What makes a trip to Minnesota even better is the pricing. All of the courses on this trip were priced between $115-160. Those same style courses located elsewhere likely would run upward of $200.
Cragun’s Resort Legacy Courses
Cragun’s Resort features two courses – the Dutch 18 and the Lehman 18. The Dutch 18 is notable as host of the CRMC Championship on the PGA Tour Americas. Both courses at Cragun’s Resort were originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. However, Minnesota native Tom Lehman was brought in to make them less difficult. The result was two extremely tough, yet playable courses that feature wide fairways, few forced carries and generous greens.
In 2025, nine more holes will open and turn the Dutch course into a 27-hole venue. Right now, the Dutch and Lehman courses aren’t listed among the state’s top-10 best public-access courses, but look for that to change now that they’re getting rave reviews from visitors.
Peterson is gung-ho about his two courses, but is quick to point out that the Brainerd Lakes area has strong options in addition to those at Cragun’s Resort.
“We’re excited about our two courses, but there are plenty of other great courses to play,” he said. “That’s what really makes our destination unique. We’re not a destination that you might have heard of like a Bandon Dunes, but when you get up in this area you will find amazing, quality golf.”
The Classic at Madden’s Resort on Gull Lake
It took four years for The Classic to become a reality, but since opening in 1997 it has been regarded as a Top-100 public course in the U.S. by Golf Digest and tied for No. 2 in Minnesota according to Golfweek.
Designed by Scott Hoffmann and a slew of advisors, The Classic is a parkland course with rolling, tree-lined fairways. Hoffman and Company did a masterful job of using the contours of the land to create a masterpiece in which only 50,000 cubic yards of dirt were moved.
Not long by modern standards, The Classic at Madden’s tips out at 7,102 yards but has a lofty 75.0 course rating with a slope of 144.
Deacon’s Lodge at the Breezy Point Resort
Deacon’s Lodge is one of the top courses in the Brainerd area. Designed by Arnold Palmer and named for his father, Deke, Deacon’s Lodge is challenging yet picturesque and combines natural beauty with strategic course design. Opened in 1999, the course is part of the Breezy Point Resort.
Deacon’s Lodge is a par-72 course that stretches to 7,000 yards from the back tees. Palmer’s design incorporates the natural landscape, with tall pines and rol ling hills. Strategic bunkers and water features add complexity to the course, demanding precision off the tee and on approach shots. It features wide bentgrass fairways, masterfully designed green complexes and native transition areas throughout.
One of the best holes is No. 17, a par 3 that can play 200 yards over native areas to an expansive green guarded by two bunkers. It’s one of the most photogenic holes at Deacon’s Lodge.
Deacon’s Lodge annually is ranked among the Top 5 courses in Minnesota. When it opened it was ranked by Golf Digest as among the Top 10 new public courses and is a perennial Top 100 course you can play as ranked by Golf Magazine.
The Pines at Grand View Resort & Spa
If there was one major surprise on the Minnesota trip, it was the 27-hole Pines complex. The three courses are Lakes, Woods and Marsh, and on this trip we played the Lakes to Woods.
A parkland course, the Pines features tight, hardwood-lined fairways that were fast and firm. Of all the courses on the trip, the Pines more closely resembled a traditional Alabama course. It also had the fastest bentgrass greens and the seventh hole on the Marsh course has a Biarritz green that did not seem out of place.
A nice touch is that all of the bunkers are hand-raked each day by the crew. The wooden rakes are furrowed, making the bunkers true hazards.
Designed by Joel Goldstrand and opened in 1994, the Pines is another Minnesota gem. Also on site is the Preserve, another 18-hole facility.
The Wilderness at Fortune Bay
A couple hours north of Brainerd, you run into The Wilderness at Fortune Bay, one of three standout Jeffrey D. Brauer courses.
Owned by the Bois Forte Band of the Chippewa, the Wilderness is located on the shores of Lake Vermilion. It opened in 2004 and is rated as the No. 2 public course in Minnesota.
The course features a stunning natural setting, with dramatic views of dense forests, rocky outcroppings in some fairways, and the lake itself. Its design integrates the rugged topography of the area, with strategic use of water hazards, elevation changes, and challenging bunkers. The layout takes full advantage of the surrounding landscape, creating a unique blend of difficulty and beauty.
With its combination of scenic beauty and challenging play, The Wilderness at Fortune Bay has earned numerous accolades, including consistent rankings among the top courses in Minnesota. It has been praised for its variety of holes, each with its own distinctive character, from wide open fairways to more tightly wooded sections. The course measures over 7,000 yards from the championship tees, offering a tough but fair challenge for serious golfers, while still being accessible to casual players.
Beyond the golf course itself, The Wilderness is part of the Fortune Bay Resort Casino, which offers a full range of amenities, including lodging, dining, and entertainment. This makes it an appealing destination for golf vacations and weekend getaways, combining world-class golf with the allure of a resort experience in a remote and picturesque setting.
Al Gibson, who just completed his first year as head golf professional and has been at the property for three years, said the entire experience is attractive for golf trips.
“It just isn’t a particular hole or the green complex,” Gibson said. “It’s just the whole property from when you pull in the parking lot and our staff meets you. Truly being in the wilderness, getting to see, we’ve had every animal up in our area, deer, wolves, bear, moose, we have it all. So just a combination of the property itself, the landscape, the lake. You just can’t go wrong.”
Giants Ridge Golf and Ski Resort
The final leg of the Minnesota adventure led us to Giants Ridge and two of the finest courses in the state.
The Quarry, another Brauer design, is ranked No. 1 in the state for a reason. Not only is it one of the most picturesque, it’s also one of the toughest. It checks in at 7,201 yards from the tips with a 75.7 rating and a 145 slope. Even from the 6,600-yard blue tees, it rates 73.2 with a 140 slope.
The appropriately named Quarry was carved out of a sand and gravel pit and iron mining site that helped build tanks in World War II.
The course combines elements of links-style golf with traditional American parkland design. Set among a backdrop of rolling hills, dense forests, and water features, with many holes carved through and around dramatic granite outcroppings, the Quarry’s design takes full advantage of the natural landscape, offering a variety of elevation changes, doglegs, and forced carries, demanding strategic shot-making.
One of the best holes is the short par-4 No. 13. A classic risk-reward hole, it measures a scant 275 yards from the white tees. While tempting to take a run at driving the elevated plateau green, shots that come up short land into the gnarly high grass on a severe embankment guarding the green. Laying up off the tee is no bargain, as it leaves a mostly blind short-iron approach.
The Legend course at Giants Ridge also is a Brauer design. A little softer than its companion course, it’s equally as scenic as it winds through tall pine trees that line the fairways.
Brauer did a masterful job blending classic design with modern challenges. The Legend features dramatic elevation changes, strategically placed bunkers and water hazards, making it a visually striking and strategically demanding course. At 7,000 yards from the championship tees, the Legend is a par-72 layout that has hosted a variety of prestigious events, including Minnesota State Golf Association tournaments.
For Steve Rahkola, the Giants Ridge director of sales and marketing, the site’s remoteness appeals to many of its visitors.
“Here, there’s nothing else,” he said. “You play golf, you can eat at our places or there are a couple of nice places in town. but mostly we are in the middle of nowhere. But that’s the beauty of it. It’s an escape – to get away from your busy life and come play golf up here.”
All of the resorts on the trip offer some type of lodging – from cabins and houses to a casino hotel at The Wilderness at Fortune Bay. An array of dining choicesalso is available at each resort.
Gregg Dewalt is the editor of Alabama Golf News
Have a story idea or a news item to report to Alabama Golf News? Email gregg@alabamagolfnews.com
Featured image of No. 10 at the Quarry Course at Giants Ridge courtesy of Giants Ridge
