Crooked Water Golf Club - A New Modern Golf Course for Minnesota
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Mason Savage
Is anyone familiar with the Theseus' Ship paradox? It is an ancient philosophical thought experiment that analyzes the life of inanimate objects. If you start with a ship and slowly replace every component, such as the mast, the sail, or floor boards, at what point is that ship no longer the same ship? Some argue that it is the "same" ship it has just been repaired. Others argue that no original piece exists and therefore it is a complete "new" ship. In the case of Burl Oaks Golf Club, is it the same Golf Course if they have completely redesigned the entire course? The club has decided that after extensive work, this "ship" (golf course) is in fact, a brand new "ship" (golf course).
Burl Oaks Golf Club opened in 1973 and is located in Minnetrista, Minnesota. This Mark Mitchell design was never something to write home about. The routing failed to utilize the full acreage the club owned, the holes were wet thanks to poor drainage and swampy land, and the golf holes all felt similar because they were extremely tree lined. Recently the club decided it was time for a revamp and they brought in Jay Blasi to lead the refresh of the golf course. Jay Blasi is most famously known for his work at Chambers Bay and more recently, Poppy Ridge in California. Using his architectural prowess, Blasi proposed a total redo of the club. It involved rerouting the golf course, providing a new 9 hole short course and a complete overhaul of the tree lined, swampy land. Given the extent of these changes, the club has now rebranded as Crooked Water Golf Club complete with a brand new logo of a Kingfisher bird. (definetly going to need some merch with that logo)
From what I have been able to see, this is going to be a fantastic golf course. Specifically, the back 9 and the short course have stood out to me. The greens of the short course feature unique slopes and surrounding green complexes. The routing of the back nine makes great use of the land and features some really cool golf holes. One area of interest that I want to point out is the southeast corner of the property. Tucked in this corner is the 11th Green (par 5), the 12th Hole (Par 3), the 14th Green (Par 4) and the Par 3 15th Hole. All of these holes contain architectural features that catch my eye and the specificity of those things will be for another article. However I do want to highlight this corner as I think it looks to be a strong point of the routing with some really solid golf holes. The Par 3s on the back 9 in particular have my attention.
Despite the early promising glimpses, the course is still under-construction. While the grass has grown in on portions of the short course and the back 9, that grass needs to continue to develop and take root. The front nine is still continually being shaped and should start growing grass this coming fall. That said, Crooked Water posted on social media this past week that a couple of members got to check out the completed holes and play a couple of them. But despite the early preview play this past week, the anticipated opening for the entire course is 2027, less than a year away from the posting of this article.
What the final product of Crooked Water will look like and how it will be received in the golfing world remains to be seen. With the privelege that I have had to see the before, the during and now "parts" of the end of the construction process, I think the future is bright for Crooked Water Golf Course. What was once a swamp and tree lined golf course now resembles more what a modern golf course should be. Crooked Water now features wider playing corridors, modulating green complexes and even got upgraded to contain a short course for the members. Given all of that and Jay Blasi's resume, I think it is safe to say the future is bright for Crooked Water.
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