BIWABIK, Minnesota — Arriving in this small town feels as if you have been dropped into the cast of the charming 1990s CBS TV comedy “Northern Exposure” that detailed life in rural Alaska. With less than 1,000 residents, a throwback Bavariantheme throughout town and a Honk the Moose statue as its centerpiece, Biwabik, in northeast Minnesota, propels a similar vibe for open arms to visitors.
“You must be here for golf,” a couple of smiling faces note upon a stop at the Super One Foods grocery that abuts the Honk the Moose Playground. “Welcome to Minn-ee-sooo-tah.”
Folks here are proud to introduce their community, long known for its cold weather, a century of mining for iron ore and, more recently, the underappreciated Giants Ridge recreation area, located just 5 miles from Biwabik.
Giants Ridge combines a 75-year-old ski facility ranked among the top 10 in the Midwest with 36 holes of golf at a location 225 miles north of Minneapolis, one hour’s drive above Duluth and just 75 miles from the Canadian border. Despite its remote location, Giants Ridge Recreation Area, featuring the Legend and Quarry courses, is one of the few ski-golf combos around the country where both amenities are deemed world class.
“People are very impressed when they first get here,” says John Kendall, the director of golf, who moved here from Texas 27 years ago, first visiting in the dead of winter to make sure he could endure. “I think we exceed a lot of expectations because we are so rural. People don’t usually think of northeast Minnesota as far as excellent public golf or any kind of golf. Before these two courses were built there wasn’t a whole lot north of the [Minneapolis] metro area.”
In the early 1950s, several skiing families in this locale createdtheir own ski slopes instead of traveling long distances. After a brief closure in the late 1970s, the state of Minnesota took ownership and began to reinvest local iron ore production taxes back into this region via winter sports. The goal was to create a year-round resort by the late 1990s. That’s when golf took hold as up to 75% of the resort business comes from Minnesotans or Midwesterners. Roughly 200 people are employed by the resort and there’s an annual economic impact of $50 million.
Texas-based architect Jeff Brauer was hired to build two totally different tracks. He first built the Legend Course, located adjacent to the ski lodge, in 1997. The course, ranked among Minnesota’s top public facilities, is considered more player friendly with wide fairway passages and greens and tall evergreens. It’s a bit different than its younger brother 2 miles down the road. The long par-3 17th, over a corner of a lake to a raised green, offers one of the more picturesque views of the property.
The Quarry Course has been the top-ranked public course in Minnesota just about every year since it opened in 2003, listed at No. 6 in the state by Golf Digest this year behind Minneapolis-area private facilities Interlachen, Spring Hill, Hazeltine, White Bear Yacht Club and Minikahda.
Motivated by late architect Mike Strantz’s bold design features at Tobacco Road and Royal New Kent, the 7,200-yard Quarry plays more difficult and has memorable holes such as the green shaped like the Liberty Bell on the long par-3 fourth since Brauer designed the hole on 9/11; the short par-4 13th, with a fairway as wide as the hole’s length and 100-yard wide green, and called “the best 13th hole in America built since 2000” by Golf Digest; and a kickback green design to the left of the dogleg-left No. 18 with a deep mine-pit water hazard right of the green.
The cost to play is quite affordable. Summertime prime season green fees are $130 per course, with a special for 36 holes and lunch starting at $200. Accommodations at the lodge or nearby villas cost from $200-$400 nightly depending upon group size and needs. Dining establishments The Wachootah Grille and Burnt Onion Kitchen and Brews are located on property. A new Pool and Sauna Haus, an all-season facility with an indoor pool, hot tub and sauna, is due to open this fall.
In the heat of summer, the weather is refreshing. Lows in the 40s require a pullover for morning golf before temperatures peak in the 70s to 80s. Be ready for the plentiful mosquitoes, but just like anywhere in summer, use sunscreen and spray before rounds.
Visitors will enjoy the delicious Walleye as a favorite among the regional fare, a fish that is catchable in the adjacent lakes. Youmay also spot the occasional deer, moose, wolves, bears or giants.
Giants? Local lore had it that a giant once roamed this area and when he lay down for a rest, the ridges and rolling hills were formed — a perfect landscape for outdoor activities. In tribute to the mythic giant, Brauer built a large footprint bunker — sole of the foot and four toes — on the Legend’s third fairway. It’s just another compelling part of this year-round attraction.