|
The resort, founded by legendary
publisher Captain Billy Fawcett more than 80 years ago on
Big Pelican Lake, is one of Minnesota's favorite summer
resorts. The golf tradition at Breezy Point began a few
years after its founding, in 1924, with the opening of nine
holes on what now is aptly named the Traditional Course,
which these days is an 18-hole favorite.
Famed golfers like Patty Berg,
Walter Hagen and Les Bolstad played in tournaments on the
Traditional Course. The flamboyant Hagen, one of the early
stars of the PGA Tour, played a match at Breezy Point in
1928. Berg, one of the founders of the LPGA Tour, won golf a
tournament a few years later. And legendary University of
Minnesota golf coach Bolstad won the annual Labor Day event,
the 10,000 Lakes Tournament, several times.
Today, 80 years since the opening
of the Traditional Course, eight of the original nine holes
still are being used. The original nine holes were
constructed with a watering system and bent-grass greens,
rare for that era.
"The Traditional Course isn't
that long (5,192 yards), but so many people still want to
play it," said Breezy Point's long-time general manager,
Dave Gravdahl. "It's not an executive course (par is 68,
with 14 par-4 holes and four par-3 holes) but it's a
challenge because the greens are small and fast and many of
the holes are a little tight for the big hitters. You don't
have to be a gorilla to reach the green in two shots. We
have a lot of tournaments on the course because people like
the fact everyone can play it."
Bigger hitters can mosey up the
road to play Breezy Point's newer Whitebirch Course, a
6,730-yard, par-72 test with huge greens, multiple tees,
trees and natural and man-made water hazards that became an
18-hole course in 1987 after opening with nine holes in
1983. "We put in a new irrigation system and you can really
see the results now. The course is starting to blossom,"
said Mark Johnson, a PGA professional and Breezy Pointıs
director of golf.
Off the course, the highlight in
the dazzling Whitebirch clubhouse is the Antler's
Restaurant, one of the most-popular dining spots in the
Brainerd Lakes area. "Antler's is always packed from mid-May
through September," GM Gravdahl said.
Breezy Point Resort offers almost
every type of lodging, from hotel-type rooms to vacation
homes with their own private pools. The resort also offers
multiple dining choices plus all the typical resort
amenities such as fishing, boating and swimming and a unique
offering of a year-round ice skating at the Breezy Point
Arena.
"What we try to sell is a fun
experience," GM Gravdahl said. "Besides all the activities,
we have live entertainment six nights a week from mid-May
through September (in the Marina Lounge). Our entertainment
after golf is what sets us apart."
One of summer's traditional
entertainers is Elvis Presley impersonator Chris Olson, who
attracts huge crowds for every performance.
For information on golf rates and
packages at Breezy Point Resort, look elsewhere on
www.brainerdgolftrail.com or call toll free at (800)
432-3777. For tee times, call toll free at (800) 950-4960.
|
