Breezy Point Resort – Sweet Home Minnesota

I miss Arnold Palmer. I sit and watch the Invitational at Bay Hill (his Florida home) and I fondly remember my 2015 visit there, while “The King” was still here – still there. I remember dropping balls at various spots around the course where signature shots were hit over the years and walking off that 18^th green and up the hill to shake a tree branch after my par as if I were shaking Mr. Palmer’s hand after a victory. I wouldn’t have won anything with my own game, of course, except for the opportunity to touch the hand of my favorite golfer ever.

That’s part of why Deacon’s Lodge at Breezy Point Resort is one of my favorite golf courses in the world. It’s where I (and everyone can) go to walk in Arnold Palmer’s footsteps. I’ve seen his father’s tractor in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and Orlando, Florida. I’ve seen it here in Minnesota, and I’ve always wondered why it doesn’t just stay at Deacon’s Lodge permanently. That was his father’s tractor. This is the “house” that Arnold Palmer built “for his father.” That tractor should be HERE.

You can tell that every shot angle around Deacon’s Lodge had an awful lot of thought put into it. You can tell that Arnold Palmer easily spent hundreds of hours walking the incredibly beautiful landscape before, during and after he built it, and that he wanted to make this as much of a tribute to his own personal hero as possible. A masterful artist with an immaculate palette – Deacon’s became Arnold’s “Pristine Chapel.”

When I’d tell people that Deacon’s Lodge is my second favorite course in Minnesota I used to get a lot of questions. Mostly “Behind Which Course?” and “Why?” I mean no offense to the other eight courses I love in Minnesota (and most of them don’t take any), but I have an original Yardage Guide from Deacon’s Lodge, with Arnold Palmer’s name etched across the surface. That’s part of the “why.” I shot my lowest score from “The Tips” EVER at Deacon’s Lodge. That’s part of the “why.” There are loons out here every morning and evening, their enchanting calls echoing across the gorgeous surrounding lakes. I count SIX “signature” holes on the front nine and three or four more on the back. That’s ALL part of the “why.” And the reasons extend OFF the course. The owners, managers and head golf professionals of the resort are VERY involved in every guest’s experience. That translates over to the golf course, of course, where the conditioning the past four or five years has been the best ever. But Arnold Palmer’s everyday excellence is reflected everywhere around Breezy Point Resort. Deacon’s Lodge is the perfect place for “Arnold Palmer’s Best Public Design in America” because Breezy Point Resort is the perfect place for every American golfer to bring their family on vacation.

I say “every American” because you don’t have to BE wealthy to FEEL wealthy at Breezy Point. Sure, there are some plush lodging options on the water here, if you’d like to splurge. The point is that you don’t have to. Golf groups can host very affordable events here and diversify their game(s) across three very different golf courses (you can even rent out the three-level villas at Deacon’s Lodge). Families flock here for reunions because there’s plenty of space with plenty of beaches and plenty of food and fun options for all ages. It’s hard to hold back on the hyperbole – since my family makes a point of visiting Breezy Point Resort every year, but the appreciation gained from those annual visits are also specifically why I ASK to write this story every year. I want everyone (every golfer and family in Minnesota) to experience (if only just once) what I/we experience every year. It’s like being touched by Arnold Palmer. It’s life changing.

Breezy Point Resort, as I mentioned already, has a variety of lodging options. There are hotel style rooms and suites at the Breezy Inn, and a variety of one to eleven bedroom villas, cabins and apartments scattered across the main resort property and just up the street at the Whitebirch Estates (along the Championship Whitebirch Golf Course). While I haven’t yet had the pleasure of staying on Pelican Lake, I’m certain those options are fabulous, and I can/will enthusiastically vouch for the spaciousness, accessibility and amenities of the Whitebirch Estates, the Breezy Inn and the Deacon’s Lodge Cabins. Better yet, no matter which lodging option you choose, as a golfer you get bonus access to high-value packages like THIS SPECIAL that was so popular in 2017 that it’s back (and better) for 2018: The Deacons Lodge Palmer Package – Two nights lodging with three 18-hole rounds of golf at Deacon’s, a buffet breakfast each morning and dinner one evening at The Marina II, Antlers OR Palmer’s Grille (selecting from a menu that includes lobster, prime rib, steaks, combos and then some).

Breezy Point Resort was recently heralded in Lake Time Magazine as “One of the Four Best Year Round Resorts in Minnesota” in large part because of their Stay & Play packages (Serenity Spa, Ski & Sled, Girlfriend Getaways, etc.) and variety of amenities. There are swimming pools and hot tubs scattered all over the properties. During the summer the beaches stay packed and the entertainment expands from dawn until way past dusk (especially at Dockside). As Dining Options go, Marina II features lakeside steak and seafood dining on Breezy Bay. Antlers is in the Whitebirch clubhouse with more fine dining (and specials) in a casual atmosphere. Palmer’s Grille is in the Deacon’s Lodge clubhouse, and (NOTE) has recently broadened it’s menu to include steaks and seafood as well as all the ever-favorite burgers and appetizers, and then there’s Dockside – THE place to be at night All. Summer. Long. Dockside is an indoor/outdoor hotspot with some tables literally inches from Pelican Lake. Serving casual food in a vibrant environment, the docks double as a concert hall for many special musical guests AND Chris Olson’s famous “Memories of Elvis” that debuts May 26^th this year, then continues every Saturday night from mid-June through September 1^st. Breezy continues to bring in more and more entertainers each year, providing more and more reasons for people to drive up and tune in.

Don’t overlook the Serenity Spa. And why would you? My wife sure wouldn’t. Sometimes when you get away with the family, you just need to get away FROM the family. Breezy Point’s “recharge arena” is a palace of smooth and soft – the perfect wind-down after a round, or to start/end your day. Browse their updated menu of services and package options to find your own Comfort Fix.

And then there’s the golf. Breezy Point Resort has three golf courses – two more beyond Deacon’s Lodge. There’s the Traditional, a historic romp across the resort and through the woods in the footprints of more legends from Patti Berg and Walter Hagen to Les Bolstad. There’s Whitebirch, a meticulously managed eco-tour through wetlands, hills and forests that seldom gets the attention it deserves for the quality of golf experience it provides. And then there’s Deacon’s Lodge (sigh) – Arnold Palmer’s Best Public Design in America. What makes it the best? He did. And you do.