As I started reading through Joe Bissen’s new book, More! Gone. Minnesota’s Lost Golf Courses Part II, I realized that not only are there a lot of closed courses I actually played, there are also a large percentage of the courses I included in my Minnesota Golden Links CD-ROM back in 1999 that are no longer here (43 by my initial count). Joe was kind enough to include a chapter with a list of all the closed courses he knows about, so I thought it would be fun to go back to my original Photoshop files and post the screens for the ones that are no longer open for play (pics after the jump – please excuse the ancient Photoshop techniques and poor color corrections).
Joe says in the introduction to the new book that he isn’t as interested in the courses that have closed recently, but it’s amazing how many of the entries in my 1999 guide are gone (including a few that opened after my guide and are already closed). There are a number of inconsistencies between his list and my guide, as I only included public courses that were members of the Minnesota Golf Association (MGA). Make sure and check out his original book Fore! Gone: Minnesota’s Lost Golf Courses, 1897-1999, as well as his website. Fun stuff.
Albert Lea Golf Club, RIP 1912 – 2006
Birch Bay Golf Course, RIP 1965 – 2015
The Bridges of Mounds View, RIP 1995 – 2006
Brockway Golf Course, RIP 1935 – 2004
Carriage Hills Country Club, RIP 1967 – 2005
Elm Creek Golf Links, RIP 1960 – 2013
Fort Ridgely State Park Golf Course, RIP 1927 – 2017
French Lake Open Golf Club, RIP 1985 – 2015
The Greens at Howard Lake, RIP 1995 – 2013
Greenwood Golf Links, RIP 1985 – 2006
Hampton Hills Golf Course, RIP 1960 – 2003
Hayden Hills Golf Club, RIP 1972 – 2018
Hidden Creek Golf Club, RIP 1996 – 2009
Hollydale Golf Club, RIP 1965 – 2019
Irish Hills Golf Course, RIP 1985 – 2009
Ironman Golf Course, RIP 1960 – 2017
KateHaven Golf Course, RIP 1981 – 2014
Lakeview Golf, RIP 1956 – 2013
Links of Byron, RIP 1994 – 2013
Lone Pine Country Club, RIP 1967 – 2002
Maplebrook Executive Golf Club, RIP 1974 – ???
Meadow Lakes Golf Club, RIP 1998 – 2012
Meadowbrook Country Club, RIP 1984 – 2008
Meadowwoods Golf Course, RIP 1991 – 2004
Mississippi Dunes Golf Links, RIP 1995 – 2017
Orchard Gardens Golf Course, RIP 1967 – 2004
Parkview Golf Club, RIP 1969 – 2013
Pine Meadows Golf Course, RIP 1921 – 2004
Pine River Country Club, RIP 1981 – 2010
Prairie View Golf Links, RIP 1983 – 2013
Red Rock Golf Course, RIP 1932 – 2016
Rich Acres Golf Course, RIP 1980 – 1999
Ridgewood Country Club, RIP 1987 – 2016
Rolling Green Fairways Golf Course, RIP 1977 – 2003
Rolling Hills Golf Course, RIP 1970 – 2016
Root River Country Club, RIP 1962 – 2014
Sauk Centre Country Club, RIP 1921 – 2013
Silver Springs Golf Course, RIP 1974 – 2009
Thompson Oaks Golf Course, RIP 1997 – 2017
Valley View Golf Club, RIP 1992 – 2015
Wendigo Golf Club, RIP 1995 – 2011
Wilderness Hills Golf Course, RIP 1995 – ???
Woodland Creek Golf Course, RIP 1989 – 2010