FINAL NINE HOLES OF THE DUTCH 27 UNDERGO RENOVATION By Brian Weis

FINAL NINE HOLES OF THE DUTCH 27 UNDERGO RENOVATION

Lehman Design Group Transforming Red Nine

By Brian Weis

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 3, 2023) - The last phase of the multi-million-dollar golf course investment at Cragun's Resort is underway as Lehman Design Group has begun the renovation of the Red Nine on the Dutch Course. When completed in time for the 2024 golf season, the "Dutch 27" will feature three, fully renovated nine-hole layouts - Red, White, & Blue - and golfers once again will have three different 18-hole combinations to play.

Over the past year, the other 18 holes of the Dutch were enhanced by the addition of white sand to all bunkers and newly paved cart paths. The Red Nine construction will not affect play for the remainder of this season.

Highlights of the Red Nine renovation include new tee boxes, grass fairway bunkers, greenside bunker placement and shaping, and fairway lines. On the 8th hole, the fairway has been lowered to offer a better visual from tee to green, while on the 9th hole, a stadium tee has been created for all tees.

"Every hole will be touched in some way and ultimately changed dramatically from its original look," said Minnesota native Tom Lehman, President and Designer of Lehman Design Group and longtime PGA Tour professional who captured the 1996 Open Championship. "We are very excited about this renovation of the Red Nine as it will nicely complement the other 18 holes on the Dutch course."

This season, golfers at Cragun's Resort are playing the Dutch Course Blue/White combination, which is the same layout used by PGA TOUR Canada's CRMC Championship presented by Gertens, contested over Labor Day weekend. From the championship tees, the pros play the course at par 70, stretching to 7,001 yards.

Golfers still have access to the nine-hole Par 3 Course, ideal for short-iron practice or to introduce a beginner to the game of golf. Instruction at the Chris Foley Golf School and other seasonal programming also is available.

All green fees include golf cart, GPS, and driving range privileges. Walking is allowed on the Par 3 Course and pull carts are available. Rates vary seasonally and resort overnight guests are afforded special green fees.

Cragun's Resort is located on beautiful Gull Lake in Brainerd, Minn., and offers a wide array of outdoor activities for individuals, families, and groups, including a mile-long sandy beach, biking, hiking trails, and watersports.

For additional information, access the website at www.craguns.com.

Revised: 08/03/2023 - Article Viewed 1,364 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the Publisher of GolfTrips.com, a network of golf travel and directory sites including GolfWisconsin.com, GolfMichigan.com, ArizonaGolfer.com, GolfAlabama.com, etc. Professionally, Brian is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA) and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG). In 2016, Brian won The Shaheen Cup, an award given to a golf travel writer by his peers.

All of his life, Brian has been around the game of golf. As a youngster, Brian competed at all levels in junior and high school golf. Brian had a zero chance for a college golf scholarship, so he worked on the grounds crew at West Bend Country Club to pay for his University of Wisconsin education. In his adult years, his passion for the game collided with his entrepreneurial spirit and in 2004 launched GolfWisconsin.com. In 2007, the idea for a network of local golf directory sites formed and GolfTrips.com was born. Today, the network consists of a site in all 50 states supported by national sites like GolfTrips.com, GolfGuide.com and GolfPackages.com. It is an understatement to say, Brian is passionate about promoting golf and golf travel on a local, regional, national and international level.

On the golf course, Brian is known as a fierce weekend warrior that fluctuates between a 5-9 handicap. With a soft fade, known as "The Weis Slice", and booming 300+ drives, he can blast it out of bounds with the best of them.