Minnesota government shutdown to close Brauer's Giants Ridge

[Jeff Shelman]

I posted this copy on my blog (www.onlygolfmatters.com), but thought I would share here as well because of the amount of conversation about Brauer's work there.


I had no idea that Giants Ridge  was owned by the State of Minnesota. But it is owned by the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB).

According to a tweet from Minnesota Public Radio reporter Tom Scheck, the Giants Ridge golf courses will be closed if there is no state budget solution and the government shuts down at midnight.

Here's a little quick Giants Ridge background from the resort's website:

In 2009-2010, reviews and rankings by Golf Digest The Quarry ranked #1 and The Legend ranked #3 in "The Best Public Golf Courses in Minnesota." On a national level, The Quarry ranked #20 and The Legend #72 in "America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses" by Golf Digest for the same period. Very few golf resorts can claim more than one course in their "Top 100."

So I hope that if you have July 4 golf plans, it isn't at Giants Ridge. If it is, you might want to find a new place to play.

And what happens to the people who are already checked in at the resort? Do they get booted out at midnight?

[Jeff Shelman]

Here is the news release from the IRRRB. Nobody's being booted out of the resort, but there will be no golf either.

Potential State Government Service Interruption of IRRRB Operations

EVELETH, Minnesota – In the absence of an enacted Minnesota state budget as of July 1, 2011, all Iron
Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) facilities will be closed to the public. These include
the following facilities:

IRRRB Administration Building – Eveleth
Mining and Mineland Reclamation – Chisholm
Giants Ridge Golf & Ski Resort including the following amenities and services:
o The Legend & The Quarry golf courses
o Wacootah Grille at the Quarry Clubhouse
o The Sports Dormitory lodging
o Catering & banquet services at the ski chalet
o The rental, snow and gift shops
o The disc golf course
o And hiking and biking trails.

“We do not know how long service will be interrupted. We have had to plan for the worst and now hope
for the best.” said IRRRB Commissioner Tony Sertich.

Further information and future updates can be found at www.bereadymn.com.

Please note: The private operations at Giants Ridge will continue to operate, including “The Giants Ridge
Lodge” and “Villas at Giants Ridge.”

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) is a state economic development agency
headquartered in northeastern Minnesota whose vision is to promote and invest in business, community
and workforce development for the betterment of the region.

[PCCraig]

Crazy stuff Jeff. I moved to Minnesota just in time!

I love that in all of this mess the Vikings are still trying to sneak in a new stadium into the budget!

Regardless of the "shutdown" I plan on making it up to the Quarry sometime this year as the course looks awesome.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Ouch.

I can stand by and watch the Federal govt go down the tubes with political infighting, but now, this crap has just gone too far!

[Jeff Shelman]

Sorry to deliver the bad news Jeff.

What I don't know is whether they will allow a skeleton crew maintain the course. The Minnesota Zoo, for example, will still have some staff there to feed/etc., animals.

[JMEvensky]

Ouch.

I can stand by and watch the Federal govt go down the tubes with political infighting, but now, this crap has just gone too far!

No reason to get paranoid,but have you considered that maybe the ghost of CBM is just screwing with you?After all,it's common knowledge that he routed this course.

[Garland Bayley]

Ouch.

I can stand by and watch the Federal govt go down the tubes with political infighting, but now, this crap has just gone too far!

Must mean Minnesota politicians are the answers to all our prayers at the federal level. 

[Jeff_Brauer]

I guess what I really don't understand is why.  It has private management (Troon) and while I know they subsidize the course since the play drop off (early on, it paid its own way).  

Any way you cut it, the debt payment (and I know they combined and refinanced the entire facility) would probably continue and paying that off with some revenue would seem to make sense over paying it off with no revenues.  And, if they run it on such a skeleton crew it suffers turf damage, it would really cost more to open it back up.

All because of politicians who cannot perform their basic duties?  I'll get my old golf buds Pawlenty and Jesse Ventura on the phone to go back and straighten this out!

[Jason Topp]

Horse racing tracks are another example of an enterpise that will be shut down even though it will be missing significant revenue. 

I believe express lanes will be shut down on the freeways.

It will create some interesting political dynamics.  I have no idea which party will be helped and which party will be hurt.

[Kalen Braley]

It said the following....

Please note: The private operations at Giants Ridge will continue to operate, including “The Giants Ridge
Lodge” and “Villas at Giants Ridge.”

If golf is a "private operation", perhaps it could remain open..or this could just mean the lodging will remain open.

[Jeff Shelman]

Kalen,

Golf specifically was mentioned as something that will be shut down.

It's a bummer.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Nah, it was really HH Barker and I picked him up at the Biwabik train station.

I do recall the hotel was sold off to private investors, but the state retains the golf course, so there is a difference.

[Dan Kelly]

Minnesota's politicians are  the answer to no one's problems -- especially ours.

[Dan Kelly]

... the state retains the golf course, so there is a difference.

Jeff -- Do you know anything about *why* the state retained the golf courses?

Dan

[Jeff_Brauer]

Dan,

From memory, the hotel was not a moneymaker so they privatised it.  The private owners converted it to condos that can also be rented out to one night stays via a mangement service.

The golf course was making money at the time, and the state had the bonds to pay off.  I know revenues are down now, and it requires a subsidy, I think, but at the time, it was viewed as a sustainable asset for the IRRRB.

[Dan Kelly]

Minnesota's politicians are  the answer to no one's problems -- especially ours.

The governor and the legislative leaders are operating now under what they're calling, out loud, the "cone of silence."

You know you're in deep trouble when your "leaders" are taking their guidance from "Get Smart."

[Rick Shefchik]

I believe the voters have put them all on double-secret probation.

[Bruce Leland]

What I want to know is what happens to Agent 99

[Dan Kelly]

I believe the voters have put them all on double-secret probation.

"Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

With these clowns, I'd settle for two out of three!