BIWABIK, Minnesota — Native American lore has it that a giant used to roam Northeastern Minnesota, traversing through ultra-cold weather in this set-off part of the United States. When he laid down for a rest, the Ojibwe indigenous people say that ridges were formed, developing the rolling landscape that makes the topography so suitable for golf, skiing, hiking, biking and fishing.
This tall tale shapes Giants Ridge as a unique recreation experience in this rural part of Minnesota. Located a solid three-hour drive north of Minneapolis and 75 miles south of the Canadian border, the resort destination is an acclaimed Midwestern ski facility with a hidden gem of 36 holes of golf.
"People don’t usually think of Northeast Minnesota as far as excellent public golf or any kind of golf," says John Kendall, a Texan who has overseen the Giants Ridge golf since the outset. "Before these two courses were built there wasn’t a whole lot north of the [Minneapolis] metro area."
The skiing draws the Minnesota State Alpine Championship each February, while golf is the occasional host to Minnesota's high school golf championships.
In the early 1950s, several local skiing families had the vision of creating their own ski slopes instead of traveling long distances. During summers, they built the ski runs. A ski chalet was built in 1959 and they were in business until closing for several years in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
That’s when the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board, a state of Minnesota economic development agency, took ownership and began to reinvest local iron ore production taxes back into this region. Mining was a core business here for more than a century, harvesting iron ore and other precious metals, then moving the products an hour south to Duluth to ship out across Lake Superior. The ski business built up to its 35 runs with various offshoots to entertain the winter visitors.
But the IRRRB wished to expand the Giants Ridge offerings beyond just the normal October-May ski season. Golf was introduced beginning in the late 1990s for year-round attractiveness and a six-month golf window. Today, Kendall says that up to 75% of the resort's business comes from Minnesotans or Midwesterners.
"A lot of these destination locations like Giants Ridge or Bandon [Dunes in Oregon] are rural out of necessity," Kendall says. "With these locations it becomes a little more of an enjoyable experience. You’re not going through 15 stoplights to get from where you’re staying to the course. People are picking unique pieces of land, a little bit away from built-up areas. I think that’s a good thing."
Texas-based architect Jeff Brauer, who grew up in Chicago, was hired to build two totally different tracks at Giants Ridge. He loved the landscape and first built the Legend course, located adjacent to the ski lodge, in 1997. The course is listed among Minnesota’s top public courses and is the type of track you might traditionally find in the Midwest — big changes in elevation, wide fairways and tall trees — a big change from its sister course just down the street. The long par-3 17th hole is the signature hole with a forced carry over the corner of a large lake.
There’s also a reminder of the resort’s origin on the third hole. The sharp dogleg-left par 5 requires a bold drive to cross over the “footprint bunker,” which Brauer designed to replicate a foot with four toes and pay homage to the Native American mythology.
The Quarry has been a star since it opened in 2003, with a Golf Digest listing of sixth in Minnesota. Only private facilities Interlachen, Spring Hill, Hazeltine, White Bear Yacht Club and Minikahda in the Minneapolis area outrank this Giants Ridge option in the course rankings.
For The Quarry, Brauer was motivated by the late architect Mike Strantz and his bold design features at Tobacco Road in North Carolina and Royal New Kent in Virginia. Kendall calls the 7,200-yard Quarry "a wonderful piece of work on an old industrial site," as the course runs around an abandoned iron ore quarry on one side of the road and a sand and gravel pit on the other.
There are numerous memorable holes rolling up and down the hills, but two stand out. The first is the short par-4 13th with an extremely wide fairway and football field-width green that ranks as "the best 13th hole in America built since 2000" by Golf Digest. The second is the 18th, a dogleg left hole with a deep mine-pit lake bordering the green.
Giants Ridge is reasonably affordable as green fees are $130 in summer. Staying on site is plentiful with the lodge or nearby villas going for $200-$400 nightly. On-site restaurants, The Wacootah Grille and Burnt Onion Brewery, are convenient for meals around golf or a night out.
Skiing and golf are not the only amenities as the resort offers a variety of trails for mountain biking and hiking — many being adjacent to the golf courses — and deep, large lakes for fishing, the walleye being a main attraction. Deer, wolves, bear and moose can also be spotted in the area. Coming later in 2025 will be The Pool and Sauna Haus, an all-season facility with indoor pool, hot tub and sauna located across from the lodge.
For those venturing north 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.
