In 1955, Dutch Cragun graduated from the University of Minnesota. He called his father and asked if he could make a living running the family’s small fishing resort on the shores of Gull Lake in the heart of the Brainerd lakes region. His dad said, “Hell no.” Nevertheless, Dutch headed north and began a legendaryContinue reading “Cragun’s Resort in Brainerd Unveils The Dutch Red Nine”
Tag Archives: Midwestern Golf
Boyne Highlands Resort: A four-course feast of golf
Summer is admittedly short, but if, say, you own a ski resort, and your hotel and sprawling grounds feel abandoned during the long, sun-drenched yet temperate days from May through October in the northern reaches of the state’s southern peninsula, you might well consider expanding your warm-weather offerings. After all, ski season is also onlyContinue reading “Boyne Highlands Resort: A four-course feast of golf”
Bunker Hill Farms: Your Own Course for the Day (or Week)
What’s your golf fantasy? Ask most golfers this question, and the list will probably be predictable: A membership at Augusta National? A round with Tiger? Your very own private golf course? I can’t help you with the first two, but I do have advice about attaining the third, at least for a day or twoContinue reading “Bunker Hill Farms: Your Own Course for the Day (or Week)”
Don’t run, GALLOP to Sultan’s Run in Jasper, Indiana
Indiana is perhaps the most under-the-radar great golf state in the nation. Avid golfers can find top-notch courses not only at the state’s best universities and luxury resorts, but also scattered across the rolling countryside. North to south, east to west, you can tee it up at these hidden gems for a fraction of theContinue reading “Don’t run, GALLOP to Sultan’s Run in Jasper, Indiana”
Pfau rhymes with “Wow!” Indiana University’s new home course dazzles
Big-league universities should have big-league golf courses – at least they should if they dream of competing at the top level of college golf. Indiana University in Bloomington is a stalwart of the Big 10 Conference in many sports, but their men’s and women’s golf programs have historically lagged behind many of the conference peers.Continue reading “Pfau rhymes with “Wow!” Indiana University’s new home course dazzles”
Any list of greatest Midwest golf resorts must include French Lick Resort
Golf resorts in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions are often overlooked in favor of southern or coastal golf getaways. But some of the best family golf vacation spots in the nation – and some of the best deals – can be found in America’s heartland. One Midwest golf resort that arguably more history andContinue reading “Any list of greatest Midwest golf resorts must include French Lick Resort”
TimberStone Golf Course at Pine Mountain Ski & Golf Resort: Gateway to the UP
Iron Mountain sounds like a name borrowed from a fantasy novel populated with elves and titans and dragons. But Iron Mountain, Michigan, is a real place. It lies just across the Menominee River, which marks the state line between Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (or UP). Instead of mythical beings, Iron Mountain is populated withContinue reading “TimberStone Golf Course at Pine Mountain Ski & Golf Resort: Gateway to the UP”
Greywalls in Marquette, Michigan: Nothing like you’ve ever seen
Lake Superior is so large and deep that it could contain all of the other Great Lakes plus three more the size of Lake Erie. As immortalized in the classic Gordon Lightfoot song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” Lake Superior can be unforgiving, with 100-foot walls of icy gray water pounding ships and shoreContinue reading “Greywalls in Marquette, Michigan: Nothing like you’ve ever seen“
The future is bright for Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion, IL
Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion has seen its share of ups and downs over the past 25 years. The Steve Smyers design has seen multiple changes in ownership since its founding, including a group that included Smyers himself. The most recent owners are Rodney Cabaness and Shad Zimbro, local businessmen who have been at theContinue reading “The future is bright for Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion, IL”
Grand Geneva Resort and Spa: From bunnies to birdies
The Lake Geneva area of southern Wisconsin has been the preferred getaway for Chicagoans ever since 1871, when Chicago burned and industrialist families fled the remains of the city smoldering in the sweltering summer heat. The shores of Lake Geneva are lined with the “summer cottages” of families with names like Wrigley and Maytag –Continue reading “Grand Geneva Resort and Spa: From bunnies to birdies”
Midwestern Golf 