Cragun’s Resort, Golf and Conference in Brainerd, Minnesota, has started an exciting new chapter with the completion of its multi-year golf course renovation— a comprehensive upgrade that’s transforming the guest experience and solidifying the resort’s status as one of the Midwest’s premier golf destinations. The final nine holes of the Dutch Red course, personally renovated by PGA Tour Champions player and 1996 Open Champion Tom Lehman, are now open to resort guests and the public, completing the full 45-hole lineup for play.
More than just a physical makeover, this renovation reflects a strong dedication to accessibility, challenge, and natural beauty. With redesigned bunkers, updated greens, and significant improvements to course flow, Dutch Red is a reinvention of how golf is experienced on Minnesota’s lake country turf.
Tom Lehman’s Vision for Dutch Red
Lehman’s approach to revitalizing Dutch Red centered on enhancing playability for golfers of all skill levels without sacrificing the strategic complexity that appeals to seasoned players. His goal was to strike a harmonious balance between aesthetics, challenge, and enjoyment.
The new layout includes:
- Striking bunker redesigns that reshape risk and reward across the fairways.
- Four entirely reimagined greens with nuanced contouring and improved chipping surrounds.
- Resurfaced green approaches and surrounds that emphasize short game creativity.
Lehman’s decision to maintain the original routing allows returning guests to recognize familiar patterns, while extensive clearing and reshaping have dramatically opened up scenic views across the course. It’s both nostalgic and fresh—a rare achievement in modern course architecture.
Tom Lehman opened the Dutch Red Course with a drive from the patio.
Dutch Red Strategic Redesign Highlights: Holes #3 and #4
Two of the most impressive transformations can be found on holes #3 and #4, which have been intelligently reworked to increase enjoyment and strategy.
- Hole #3 now greets players with a dramatically expanded fairway, nearly twice its previous width. Off the tee, golfers of all levels will appreciate the wider landing zone and the repositioned green, moved back 50 yards, to invite longer approaches. Around the green, a soft chipping area adds forgiveness and fun, allowing more creative recovery shots for mid-range handicaps and beginners alike.
- Hole #4 has evolved into a drivable par 4—an exhilarating shift from its previous layout. Where once a string of bunkers and a tightly placed cart path guarded the left side, the renovation now features bunkers in more strategic positions and a rerouted cart path to the right. The green itself is subtly contoured, allowing for a variety of compelling pin placements. This hole now offers one of the most exciting risk-reward scenarios on the course, sure to become a fan favorite during tournament play and casual rounds alike.
Meet the Dutch-27: Minnesota’s Most Unique Golfing Experience
With Dutch Red completed, Cragun’s now offers three distinct nine-hole layouts—Dutch Red, White, and Blue—forming the Dutch-27. Golfers can mix and match these layouts to create three unique 18-hole experiences, each offering different visual styles, challenges, and scoring opportunities.
Interesting Fact: The Dutch-27 at Cragun’s Resort is part of the world’s largest Audubon Signature Sanctuary, encompassing over 1,000 acres of protected land. Even more impressively, Cragun’s is the only golf resort in Minnesota to hold Audubon Signature certification. This elite designation reflects years of careful planning, environmental stewardship, and sustainable design practices aimed at preserving native habitats and protecting the local ecosystem.
So when you tee off at Cragun’s, you’re not just playing a world-class course—you’re participating in a golf experience that values nature as much as the game.
Spotlight Event: The CRMC Championship Returns
Cragun’s Resort continues to shine on the professional stage, proudly hosting the prestigious CRMC Championship, presented by the Northern Pacific Center, for the fourth consecutive year. Scheduled for August 28–31, this standout event showcases the renovated Red and White layouts to an audience of elite players and enthusiastic fans.
Past champions of the CRMC Championship include:
- Jake Knapp (2022), a two-time PGA Tour winner
- Yi Cao (2023)
- Frederik Kjettrup (2024)
…the tournament has become a cornerstone event in the regional golf calendar. Spectators will have the rare chance to witness how top-tier pros navigate the newly enhanced course features, offering inspiration for weekend players and aspiring juniors.
A Legacy of Excellence and a Future Full of Promise
Since opening in 1940, Cragun’s Resort has been a beloved fixture in the Brainerd Lakes area. For 85 years, it welcomed generations of families, golf enthusiasts, and vacationers who came to enjoy its mile of sandy shoreline, rich amenities, and warm hospitality.
In what’s believed to be the largest resort transaction in Minnesota history, the Cragun family recently sold the resort to a Baxter-based company. Completed without the use of brokers, the sale relied on a relationship-based agreement with Dutch Cragun himself—a testament to the trust and shared vision behind the transition.
Importantly, the staff and leadership team will remain in place, ensuring seamless continuity in daily operations and upholding the resort’s legacy. The new ownership group has committed to investing in future upgrades in 2025, while gaining a deep understanding of how the resort operates, to further elevate Cragun’s position as a premier lakeside getaway.
