6/10/2009 by Richard Thomas

A former nine-hole golf course in the Brainerd Lakes area opens its first season this year as one of the largest full-size courses in the region.

The former Savanna Golf Course, which opened in 1963, has been renamed Minnesota National Golf Course. The expansion is still in progress.

The location is eight miles north of McGregor on the edge of Big Sandy Lake. Wayne and JoAnne Alden purchased the 170-acre course in 1991. It’s grown to 620 acres.

Portions of the new courses opened in 2007 and 2008. “We gutted and redid everything,” Wayne Alden said. Improvements included 10 miles of irrigation pipeline, an eight million gallon holding pond and five miles of trails.

Renowned Minnesota architect Joel Goldstrand designed the course. The 18-hole championship course covers 7,200 yards. The 2,500-yard, nine-hole par 33 course is geared to beginners and those who prefer a less challenging course.

The Aldens pushed forward with construction despite widespread reports that golf is hitting hard times nationwide. “We had a great Memorial Day weekend,” Wayne Alden said. “We’ll have to see what summer brings.”

The 26,000 square foot clubhouse (called The Gatehouse) opened in May. Designed by the Minneapolis firm Elness Swenson Graham Architects, it houses a formal restaurant, a less formal Irish pub, a banquet hall, event rooms, a pro-shop, a swimming pool and a spa.

Expansion plans include a 309-unit gated community. The residential units will be a mix of vacation homes, senior homes, primary homes and rental units. Prices start at $250,000 for townhomes and $300,000 for single family homes.

So far 30 lots and townhouses have been pre-sold, Alden said. Six units have been built and two are occupied. But judging by the number of inquiries, “The market seems to be picking up,” he said.

The housing development is called Settlers Village. It’s named after a site archeologists found on the property in 2000, the remains of a village estimated to be 1,200-2,000 years old. The area is currently fenced off but the Aldens plan to turn it into an exhibit.

Other plans include another five miles of nature trails, a community center and a marina.

Wayne, president of Alden Development Inc., grew up in the nearby city of Palisade, served in Vietnam, was the youngest pilot selected by the Air Force to fly U.S. presidents, and was a United Airlines pilot for 20 years. The Aldens invested in McDonald’s franchises and other businesses in the Baltimore area, then sold them to concentrate on the golf course.

Despite their upper-crust profiles, the Aldens are not averse to getting feisty. In February they appeared at a public meeting in Aitkin County to lodge a complaint about the sheriff’s department alleged harassment of motorists, including themselves.

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