Greatness of Gravel

An idiosyncratic number of holes, a superintendent-turned-architect and impeccably timed clubhouse vibes are combining to see a short course make big waves in northern Minnesota lake country.

Debuted in the spring of 2022 amid the golf-bustling scene of Brainerd, the aptly named 13-hole par-3 Gravel Pit has enjoyed anything but a rocky rise in the months ensuing. Rather, the reception has been so enthusiastic as to warrant the design and debut of 10.5 (yep, that’s a 0.5) new holes soon to be added to Gravel Pit’s compelling roster. The nearing completion will find Gravel Pit among a short list of national properties sporting multiple short courses.

“We talked about how people could have more fun here, and we were like, ‘Well, more holes!’” says Chuck Klecatsky, co-owner and operator of the Gravel Pit.

Such an ethos has defined the grounds since Gravel Pit was transformed from an actual, working gravel pit, active as recently as 2020.

Sound unique? Well, the course architecture echoes the uncommon account.

Scott Hoffman, the superintendent at nearby Madden’s on Gull Lake for 43 years, eventually traded mower for blueprint with his celebrated design of The Classic at Madden’s, which debuted in 1997. Hoffmann didn’t hesitate when tabbed to design Gravel Pit.

“I was first approached by Nathan Tuomi, the owner of the property, and his son Sam had the idea to do something golf-oriented there,” Hoffmann recalls. “We went out and looked at it, and I just thought, ‘Gosh, this could be a really fun and dramatic par-3 course.’ Within a few days they said, ‘Let’s go!’ and less than a month later, we were moving dirt.”

Tipping at just a shade under 1,900 yards — and just under 1,200 from the forward tees — the lucky 13 holes of diverse plays (ranging from 76 to 213 yards) is far from a pitch and putt experience. “When people come off the course, we want them to say, ‘That was kinda hard, but it was really fun,’” Hoffmann says. “You’ll come out with some birdies but also some doubles.”

Such a player response echoes the initial vision.

“Nathan wanted something dramatic, not just a ho-hum par-3 course, and that got me excited,” Hoffmann adds. “We were able to use a number of template holes from some of the (design) masters, and some of the other holes are what God had given us. I’ve always felt like there’s a fine line between creating holes that are ‘too extreme towards fairness,’ and those become holes which are good holes but seldom great holes. I kinda try to walk that edge.”

Walking said line meant making creative use of the land.

“One side (of the property) was very coarse and rocky, and the other side was just a big hill of fine sand. So, what we decided we had to do was remove the sand from the hill and cover the rocky stuff on the other side, and, at the same time, to create some interesting terrain on the big hillside,” Hoffmann says. “And we had one smaller pond in the center of the course, but Nathan wanted to create more water, so we kept creating more, and we tried to keep it as natural as possible. And those ponds are stocked with trout. It’s a fun thing to watch the osprey hover over and all of a sudden they come up with a 14-inch trout.”

A unique substratum beds the aesthetic.

“And it’s quite rare to do this” Hoffman says, “but the greens are all made out of that fine sand that was in place there already.”

A superintendent’s bedrock purview and planning has already led to benefits of practice for superintendent Brandon Myers and the course owners.

“One of the neatest things is that, as the project developed, Scott talked a lot about sustainability. He really had us in line for a low-water, low-chemical, low-maintenance budget,” Klecatsky says. “He made design and grass decisions that are now playing out how he believed they most likely would. Like most golf courses, the Gravel Pit is an evolving item. It’s fun to see the course grow in and, as I always say, ‘You can’t make new grass old.’”

And yet, an old game can find a fresh vibe. Mixing a mature look of native grasses with, say, beer buckets for tee markers, gives an example of Gravel Pit’s appreciation for the game’s foundings with an inclusive canvas of fun.

“I think non-traditional golf is becoming more accepted, and it’s interesting to see people’s attitudes change,” Hoffmann says. “A lot of people just want to go out and spend a couple hours and have a good time with their friends. It’s a place where you can go out in shorts and a T-shirt and feel right at home. I don’t think I’ve played it yet while wearing a collared shirt.”

Amid a craze of short and putting courses across the country, the growth of Gravel Pit seems ideally timed.

“A 13-hole golf course is not the shock that it would have been a decade ago,” Klecastsky says. “People have played these concepts in different parts of the county, so we feel like we’re part of this cultural switch, where time and experience are more important than the formality of an 18-hole round.”

So well-received has been Gravel’s introduction to a region with a handful of primo championship plays that adding more holes in short time was not a decision over which the ownership waffled. In some contrast to the earnest offerings of the original 13 —where even good players may well lose a ball or two — the new course will have some tilt toward higher handicappers.

“We have the land to the south of the property with some great elevation changes,” Klecatsky says. “And without water on that side, we talked to Scott about creating a routing that would allow the beginner to enjoy a less visually intimidating course but also allow the good player to hit some shots.”

Lessons learned from preparing the first course for play are helping the new holes settle nicely. Projected opening for the second course is April 2024.

“We just finished seeding in recent days and mowed our first green,” Hoffmann said in late August, “so we’re praying for no big storms or washouts. Things are coming along. And I won’t say it’s easier — we’ve got elevated tees, a punchbowl hole and a postage stamp green — but it’s a little shorter and a bit more accessible. There won’t be as much native grass or water. A lot of topography, with mowed fescue, smaller greens, and more subtle contours.”

And, in pure Gravel Pit fashion, the finishing 0.5 hole will play as a 60-yard, downhill putting epilogue.

From holes short (and shorter), the entire Gravel Pit vibe — featuring pumped-in music during the day, live music at night, an awesome beer list and a patio perch from which guests can see nearly the entire course — is one that Klecastsky believes has grown organically.

“You can dream about people liking something, but it just sort of happens,” he concludes. “It’s really fun, and I feel blessed to be part of it. It’s a cool feeling that you can’t make happen — it just is, or it isn’t.”