Minneapolis

Minneapolis Golf Club was founded in 1916 and a 9-hole course was laid out on the site of what is now the Golden Valley Country Club. Within a few months of opening, a new tract of farmland was acquired in St Louis Park and architect Willie Park Jr. engaged to set out a new course for the members. On 19th May 1917, the club held its first competition on this new setup.

By the time a new clubhouse was brought into operation six years later, Donald Ross had redesigned the layout to accommodate this new building and it’s reckoned the course in play today is “approximately 60% Park and 40% Ross” according to the club. Other modifications have been made down the years by head professionals at the club and Geoff Cornish made changes in 1984 and 1988.

Venue for the 1959 PGA Championship, Minneapolis was described by Tom Watson as “a golfer’s club for the entire family, where the tradition of golf is central to all recreation” when he played here in 1999. He went on to say: “I love this golf course. It’s wonderful. This course is all you want, it has great character to it.”

The course underwent a significant renovation in 2007, with drainage work carried out, along with the removal of some bunkers, the addition of others, and the realignment and repositioning of the remaining sand hazards. Improvements were also made to a number of tee complexes, with some forward tees also installed.