Biwabik, Minn. - The Quarry Course at Giants Ridge, which splashed onto the golf scene with accolades that exceeded its older sister, The Legends, received a Golf Development of the Year award from Crittenden.
The Quarry, whose Jeffrey Brauer-designed, 18-hole layout spreads across acres of former sand and gravel mines, won the award for best public development built for more than $5 million. The judging of the third annual award is done by golf course builders and architects, and is based on how well the course achieved the development team’s vision, its visual appeal and the efficiency of its routing.
“It fills a niche of having peers judge on those criteria,” Brauer said. “How could The Quarry not win? We were building it for the IRRA, whose job is to restore the old mines and economy, and to spur development and tourism. Giants Ridge has turned the Iron Range - what was a wasteland - into a destination. The Quarry fulfilled the mission of the IRRA on all counts.”
After the course was designed, course officials were spurred to add a second course because tee times were booked full and they were turning away thousands of golfers. State officials presented Brauer the challenge of building a course even better than The Legend, which had been rated the No. 1 public course in Minnesota.
“We’re very proud of it,” said Mike Gentile, development director of Minnesota’s Iron Range Resources Agency. “The Quarry serves the mission of what we set out to do, which is to promote economic development in the region. We took property scarred by the mining industry, reclaimed it, and turned it into a beautiful golf course.”
Gentile said the advent of the Quarry has attracted private-sector real-estate developers to Giants Ridge. Besides a condominium project and 200-unit single-family housing development that are under way, the IRRA is reviewing other proposals.
“One thing that completes the mission is that we’re improving and increasing the tax base on the east end of the Iron Range,” he said.
Between the lodging, golfing and skiing sectors of Giants Ridge, about 300 people are employed there in the public and private sectors.
Gentile said that of the 2,000-plus acres in and around Giants Ridge, 1,300 have been used so far.
