Why the Minnesota Golf Trilogy is a Must for Buddy Golf Trips in the Midwest

If you are looking for a great buddy golf trip, you can’t go wrong with the Minnesota Golf Trilogy.

Throughout the United States, there are numerous golf trails: the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama, the Audubon Golf Trail in Louisiana or even the Brainerd Golf Trail closer to home. But up north on the iron range resides the Minnesota Golf Trilogy, which features three of the better courses in the state within a half-hour from each other. That proximity makes the Minnesota Golf Trilogy the perfect buddy golf trip in Minnesota for this or any season.

The Minnesota Golf Trilogy features the two courses at Giants Ridge in Biwabik—the Legend and the Quarry—plus The Wilderness at Fortune Bay course in Tower. In addition to their proximity, the trio of golf tracks share one distinct feature—all three courses were designed by Arlington, Texas, golf course architect Jeffrey Brauer. Brauer has earned recognition and awards for all three.

When undertaking a golf buddy trip, the most important aspects, in order of priority, are challenging well-conditioned golf courses, excellent lodging and service and nearby amenities off the golf course. The Minnesota Golf Trilogy has all that and more.

Rated number two on the Golf Digest list of Top 40 Casino Courses in the country, The Wilderness at Fortune Bay is a great bet for golf, as well. Winding through the woods and around the lakes of the area, The Wilderness is a top-of-the-line golf track. At 7,200 yards from the tips, the Wilderness offers a challenge for every hitter in your group. The large multi-tiered greens are as challenging to putt as they are fun to hit.

Head down the road to Giants Ridge, home to memorable golf holes, where your golf group will find a great challenge awaiting. The Legend, the original course at Giants Ridge, is a feast for the senses: woods, water and sand—one bunker is even shaped in the form of a giant’s footprint. The solitude of the northern woods will envelop you as the only sound you hear may be the cheers of another buddy group through the trees on adjacent fairway.

The Quarry is a Brauer masterpiece with its routing reclaimed from the rugged quarry land. Immense fairways lead to large flash bunkers rimmed by fescue that protects the big undulating greens. Elevated tees provide memorable views of the scarred and beautiful landscape. And when it comes to post-round discussions, it might be interesting to relate that on the Golf Digest list of America’s Best 100 Public Courses, The Quarry finished ahead of Kapalua, Harbor Town Links and Chambers Bay.

The lodging on the properties is spacious and comfortable whether you are taking in the Trilogy over a long weekend or spending a week to experience everything the area has to offer. The Villas at Giants Ridge can hold a big group with plenty of space for relaxing after golf, BWCAW fishing or returning from dinner from a quaint northern Minnesota town nearby.

If you have some financial ground to make up after a bet on whether you’ll miss the green and find Lake Sabin on No. 17 at the Legend (the course’s gorgeous signature hole), you can make the short drive back to Fortune Bay casino and try your luck there. Regardless, you will have memories to share until you plan next year’s return to Minnesota’s Golf Trilogy in the northern Minnesota wilderness.