Hiawatha and Meadowbrook Golf Course Updates

Since the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s February 2, 2015 public meeting, MPRB leadership and staff have been working on the Hiawatha and Meadowbrook golf course restoration / improvements. For example:

  • The driving range and short game practice area at Hiawatha Golf Course opened on March 13. The front nine will likely open in May. While it’s not a full opening of the course, Hiawatha’s golf staff is working to get Hiawatha Golf Course into an acceptable condition for play.
  • Meadowbrook Golf Course remains closed as significant clean-up work is still needed. MPRB golf staff continues to review possibilities for opening the course sometime this summer with a route that avoids unplayable holes.
  • On April 1, the MPRB Board of Commissioners approved an agreement between the MPRB and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) for Meadowbrook Golf Course. A similar agreement between the MPRB, MCWD, and the City of Minneapolis is being created for Hiawatha Golf Course and will be brought to the Board of Commissioners by early May. These agreements allow the MCWD to aid MPRB staff and consultants in understanding the impacts of future flooding and keep Minnehaha Creek a healthy and vibrant part of each course.
  • Design concepts are being developed for each course with golf remaining as the primary activity. Because flood management is critical, the configuration of a course may be adjusted, but any course modification will use playability as the primary determining factor. One concept for each course will also focus more closely on non-golf activities.
  • One of the key questions raised during early meetings relates to the financial sustainability of the golf courses. The MPRB’s new Director of Golf, Keith Kalny, has a background that will allow him to develop financial projections for any proposals to change either course.
    • MPRB staff is continuing to work with the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) for reimbursement for the damages at each course.
    • Meetings have been held with staff at the cities of Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, and Edina to provide updates on the status of the golf courses and discussions with FEMA. MPRB staff will continue to keep them apprised of progress on the concepts.

The concepts for each course, with associated financial projections, will be presented at separate meetings for each course. The meetings are tentatively scheduled for May 18.

We appreciate your continued patience as we develop plans that position the courses for their best possible future. If you have questions about the work at Hiawatha Golf Course or Meadowbrook Golf Course, please contact Keith Kalny, MPRB Director of Golf, at kkalny@minneapolisparks.org or 612-230-6480.