Course History:
“Golf Digest Magazine announced in the May 2006 issue that The Classic at Madden's has been honored with a Five-Star Rating. Only 17 prestigious courses in the United States carry the Five Star designation.”

Golfers visiting Madden's on Gull Lake are in the middle of a paradise of fairways. Madden’s has been the leader in Minnesota golf resorts since 1926 when we opened the first 18 hole resort course in the state, the Pine Beach East course. Madden’s now offer 63 holes of exceptional golf designed to appeal to all levels of ability.

Number One on your list will be The Classic - a championship level golf course that will truly test your golfing abilities. The story of The Classic goes back to the mid-1990s when the owners of Madden's decided that although they already had 45 holes of exceptional golf, they needed a truly championship course.

The Madden's asked their golf superintendent, Scott Hoffmann, who had worked on the redesign of greens, bunkers and tees on their existing courses, to take on the layout of the new course. "We wanted to offer our guests the experience that a professional golfer would have every weekend on tour," Hoffmann says. "We wanted a championship course, but one that was very fair and a good test of golf."

Golfers loved the course, and so did the golf critics as honor after honor was showered on the course. In 1997, in its first season of play, The Classic was named to the list of Best New Upscale Public Courses to Play by Golf Digest Magazine. GolfWeek, Golf Digest, and Golf Magazine named The Classic the Top Public Course in Minnesota (2003). We stand 33rd on the list of Best Public Courses in America in Golf Digest (2003). The Classic was also selected as Favorite Place to Golf by Minnesota Monthly and Minnesota Golf Course Owners Association 2001 'Course of the Year.'

So what is it about The Classic that has drawn this praise? First of all, you're going to find the terrain here rolls up and down in long, sweeping knolls. There is a 60-foot elevation change between the high points and low points. There is dramatic scenery: Red oaks and maple are the predominant trees here, which makes for vibrant colors in the fall. And there are five sets of tees which makes it possible for golfers of all skill levels to play this wonderful course.

Trademark Hole Descriptions:
Hole #3 Par-4: Hoffmann designed this dogleg right par-4 (383 yards from the back tees and 165 from the forward) as a traditional Cape-style hole on Bass Lake that allows for the daring golfer to shoot for the green from the tee. This can require a carry of as much as 240 yards - mostly over water -- if you're on the tips. "You have to make a decision about how much of the Cape you want to bite off," says Hoffmann. "There's also a large red oak at the corner of the lake that can come into play if you play your shot too safe." The small green on this hole is surrounded on three sides by water. Lake winds may be blowing and can affect your approach shot.

Hole #7 Par-3: One of the best par-3s on the course, this hole plays 214 yards from the tips and 83 yards from the forward tees. "It has an open feeling, but there are wetlands to the right and trees are on the left," Hoffmann says. To add to the challenge, water lies in front of the green and to the right and a bunker is situated behind it.

Hole #11, Par-4: Perhaps the most photographed hole on the course is Number 11, a par-4 that measures 444 yards from the back tees and 275 from the forward. What golfers love and worry about on this hole is their approach shot to a green protected by bunkers, a boulder retaining wall and a pond. "You want to know where the pin is before you make your shot," Hoffmann says. "The best approach is from the left side of the fairway when the pin is on the right and from the right when the pin is on the left."

Hole #13 Par-5: An extremely challenging, long narrow par 5 that measures 634 yards from the back tees, and 494 from the forward, this hole is unreachable in two. The tree-lined driving area plays a little wider than it appears due to accommodation slopes on each side. If a golfer is in good shape off the tee, the line for the second shot is over the left-hand fairway bunkers. The stream in front of green is 150 yards from the fairway bunkers.

Golf Vacation Packages:
Madden's offers a number of fantastic Stay and Play Packages that will fit any price range or ability level. Don't forget our Play the Trail package that gives you unbelievable golf, upscale lodging and breakfast, to go with golf on any of the Brainerd Golf Trails' 300 holes, all which are within 45 minutes of Madden's.

 

Tee	Par	Yardage	Rating (US)	Slope (US)
Tour	72	7102	75.0	143
Blue	72	6715	73.2	139
Red	72	4859	69.4	124

Golf tee times are subject to availability and black-out dates
and some restrictions may apply.

*All descriptions, costs and amenities are subject to change.