That's the beauty of the Brainerd Golf Trail. There's something for everybody, no matter the skill level of the player. A challenging golf course or one that's more forgiving. A golf course designed by a world-famous architect or one laid out by a layman who merely enjoys the game. A more upscale golf course ­ although still a far cry from the sticker-shock tracks of other destination sites ­ or a course so friendly to the bankroll as to barely make a dent in the budget.

Indeed, that is the beauty of the Brainerd Golf Trail. There are all kinds of choices, and really no bad decisions. It's a string of 18 golf courses, all with in a drive of 45 minutes of each other, and every one located in a backdrop of lakes and woods and ­ most of all --- enjoyment.

In the last decade, the Brainerd Golf Trail has grown into one of the top 50 golf destinations in the world, according to Golf Digest. When each golf day ends, there are 450 lakes to sit by, fish on or swim in. And when the sun goes down, there are inclusive meals at the bigger resorts, or restaurants for those staying in cabins, cottages or motels.
Of course, visitors can find places in Brainerd, Baxter, Nisswa, Pequot Lakes, and Cross Lake for shopping, browsing and all the other activities of a destination location.
The major golf resorts are Breezy Point Resort, Cragun's, Grand View Lodge, Madden's Resort and Ruttger's Bay Lake Lodge. But there also are numerous motels and cabins available through the Brainerd/Baxter Lodging Association. Each of the major resorts offers a full-size golf course (or more than one) as well as short courses for beginners or for the entire family to play. In addition, there are three more full-size courses offering daily fees layouts.

The Brainerd Golf Trail started to develop in the early 1990s when Grand View Lodge opened The Pines ­ originally an 18-hole course designed by Joel Goldstrand and carved through pines and hardwoods. Soon, another nine holes were added to the complex to complete the Lakes, Woods and Marsh nines. A modern clubhouse, complete with eating facilities, made Grand View the only five-star golf resort in Minnesota (and one of 12 in the nation). If a visitor wants more options at Grand View, there's nearby Deacon's Lodge, designed by legendary Arnold Palmer, and The Preserve, designed by former PGA Tour performer Mike Morley. Deacon's Lodge, which offers cabins adjoining the practice range, combined Northwoods views with waste-area obstacles. The Preserve is somewhat more forgiving, but still offers plenty of challenges.

At nearby Madden's there are two family courses ­ The East and West ­ as well as The Social Nine, and The Classic, a championship layout that has garnered numerous awards since it opened and was named the 33rd Greatest Public Course in America by Golf Digest. Designed by course superintendent Scott Hoffmann, The Classic is just what the name implies, with tree-lined fairways, rolling terrain, and numerous lakes, ponds and creeks.

Just a short drive away is Cragun's, a resort complex replete with two championship 18-hole courses designed by world-renowned Robert Trent Jones, Jr., and a Reversible Par 3 course. Named the "Midwest Course of the Year" in 2002 and 2003, the two championship courses are the Dutch Legacy and the Bobby's Legacy and they carry the "World's Largest Audubon International Signature Sanctuary" label, surrounding a 104-acre lake with 1,450 feet of bridges over wetlands and a waterfall.

At Breezy Point, visitors can avail themselves of The Whitebirch course, another full-size layout rolling over undulating land, or the shorter Traditional Course with a par of 68 for those who play golf more for recreation.

Ruttger's, located on Bay Lake, also offers a challenging layout with the Lakes Course, another Goldstrand-designed championship track, but also has a nine-hole course (Alec's), too.

Numerous stay-and-play packages are available at all of the major resorts, with daily greens fees running between $50 and about $100 and inclusive deals with meals ranging up to $200 a night or so. For those who want a motel for lodging, the Brainerd/Baxter Association has various packages with the golf courses for rates from $65 to $250, depending on the length of stay. Those prices are still a far cry from other golf destinations where merely the greens fees can exceed $200 a round. But there are still more options on the Brainerd Golf Trail, and still only a short drive to reach. And, again, there is variety.

For instance, the Pine Meadows Golf Club is virtually on the outskirts of Brainerd and combines both water and woods on the 18-hole course at a greens fee ranging from about $20 during the week to $35 on the weekend. Or there's the Whitefish Golf Club, a popular course wandering through the woods near Pequot Lakes with a greens fee of less than $50 on weekends. And at the Golden Eagle Golf Club at Fifty Lakes on the northern end of the Brainerd Golf Trail, course architect Mike Morley has incorporated the dramatically rolling terrain in a scenic layout offering many views of the surround lakes and woods. The panorama is well worth the $75 fee (weekends).

With all of the playing options, and all of those price ranges, the Brainerd Golf Trail offers challenges to the player's ability to make selections ­ whether it's picking the kinds of course or picking the kind of shot to play.