The Quarry
The Gopher State is known for a lot of things. Hockey, fishing in its thousands of lakes and streams, honey crisp apples, and something known as “Minnesota Nice” all come to mind.
The last term best describes the hospitality you’ll experience if you visit here (with the possible exception of Packer fans at a Vikings game). The people are warm and friendly, service comes with a smile, and they’ll bend over backwards to make your experiences there as enjoyable as possible. And that includes golf.
There are nearly 500 courses in Minnesota, and recently we had a chance to experience two of the best at Giants Ridge Resort about an hour and half north of Duluth in the Superior National Forest on the Mesabi Iron Range. The two courses – The Legend and The Quarry – are both designed by Jeff Brauer (former tour pro Lanny Wadkins assisted on The Legend), and they take advantage of the hilly terrain to provide elevated tee shots and fantastic vistas. The Quarry, the harder of the two courses, has even more striking features than The Legend because it was built out of an old open pit mine and sand quarry.
Giants Ridge, which is Minnesota’s top ski resort in the winter, is arguably the state’s top golf resort in the warmer months. The Legend is ranked as the fifth best public golf course in the state by Golfweek, while The Quarry has been ranked as the top public course in Minnesota for nearly a decade. Add in nice dining, accommodations, some outside activities, and a most friendly staff of people, and you’ve got a great golf vacation that should not only appeal regionally, but certainly to anyone looking to escape the summer heat of the South.
Courses complement each other
One of the coolest aspects of playing the two courses at Giants Ridge is that they are very different from each other yet complement each other well. It’s probably best to open with The Legend as a warmup to The Quarry, though The Legend isn’t exactly a pushover by any means. During the longer months, you can certainly play both courses in a day, and the resort even offers specials that include lunch in between for less than $200.
From the tips, this tree-lined The Legend is nearly 7,000 yards. It’s a big course on a large footprint. Because of environmental restrictions, some of the holes are pretty far apart from each other, so it’s carts only.
The Legend has some pretty tough holes, and some very memorable ones. One that makes an immediate impression comes up pretty quick in the round, the par-5 third. It has a large fairway bunker shaped like a bear claw. If you carry that bunker to the fairway, you can take a shot at hitting this green in two if you’ve got the length. But the green is surrounded by some large bunkers as well, so it does come with a bit of risk.
The toughest hole on the course is probably the 456-yard eighth, which requires a tee shot over a gorge through a narrow chute. From there, you have to avoid a large fairway bunker on the left. The long approach plays into a well-bunkered green.
The hole you definitely won’t forget, however, is the par-3 17th, which plays off an elevated tee over a portion of a lake into a sloping green on the side of a hill. With beautiful flowers on the tee, this is one of the prettiest holes we’ve ever played.
The Legend
The Quarry takes it up a notch
In 2003, six years after The Legend opened, The Quarry made its debut. It’s very different from its predecessor, though both certainly have plenty of elevation change.
The Quarry is definitely more intimidating, though generally there is plenty of room in the fairways. But given that, it’s mostly tree-lined with drop-offs, gorges, and wetlands. If you’re off, you better have plenty of balls.
Brauer, who also did The Wilderness at Fortune Bay (also highly acclaimed) less than 30 miles to the north, said after he finished The Quarry, that it ultimately might be judged “as my finest and most unique course.”
From the tips, the course can play around 7,200 yards. Our advice after playing it twice is to move up a set of tees from where you think you should play it. Coming in with shorter clubs makes this course a lot more manageable.
The No. 1 handicap hole is the eighth, and it’s 478 yards from the gold tee. This is a hole if you hope to hit in regulation you need to hit a big tee shot, then a precise approach shot, which could be with a three-wood, to a green surrounded by slopes on both sides that are heavily grassed. Five is a good score really.
One of the more interesting holes, however, is the drivable par-4 13th. From an elevated tee, there’s a split fairway. The green sits on a plateau surrounded by tall, grassy sides, and forest on the right. The percentage play is to hit an iron or hybrid off the tee, but it’s more fun to try to drive the green, which is 300 yards from the tips, but about 275 yards from the whites.
The Quarry
Dining and other things to do
Both courses have their own clubhouses, restaurants and practice facilities, which include a full grass range, short-game area, and practice putting greens.
At the Quarry, you’ll find the Wacootah Grille, which is a great spot for breakfast. The Legend offers up Neighbors BBQ, where you’ll probably want to sample the ribs among other menu items. The resort’s Burnt Onion Restaurant, which features grilled or fried walleye, steaks, local brews, and a variety of desserts, is a great spot to hang out in the evening, take in a game and just relax.
Besides golf, in spring, summer and fall, you can ride the lifts and experience downhill mountain biking or enjoy miles of flatter trails both for biking and hiking. There’s also kayaking and fishing at nearby Sabin and Wynne lakes. (Quick note: in the warmer summer months, be sure to have bug spray and maybe long trousers and sleeves to ward off mosquitoes.)
The Legend
Enjoying the area
If you’re looking for more things to do away from Giants Ridge, here’s a couple of suggestions:
Visit the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth. From the Miracle on Ice to Minnesota’s rich history in the sport, they’ve got everything covered. There is even an exhibit where you could test your own slapshot skills.
Or if you’re really looking to take in the history of the area, visit the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisolm. There, you can take an antique electric trolley tour through the former mining community known as the Glen location. Seeing how difficult it was for mining families back in the day will put a poor golf shot in perspective.
As for accommodations, there are a couple of options. You can stay at The Lodge at Giants Ridge, which is at the resort next to The Legend Course. There’s meeting space, an indoor pool, fitness center, and the Burnt Onion. Or you can rent a villa, which can sleep eight or more people and is great for families or buddies. The villas, which are leased back from private owners, are in between the two courses.