Once again Brainerd is rolling out the red carpet for the PGA Tour Canada FORTINET Cup and its only U.S. based event… The CRMC Championship. The 2023 event’s title sponsor is CRMC Cuyuna Regional Medical Center and is also presented by Gertens. The CRMC Championship will include a week of exciting events running from August 28^th through September 3, when the final round closes with the Charity and Paul Bunyon’s Axe Trophy Presentations on the 18^th green on the Dutch 18. This year the event has added sponsored exemptions with Matt Boldy (Minnesota Wild) and others signed on to compete.

A look at the week’s activities is sure to leave the participants and attendees smiling, high-fiving and possibly singing O’ Canada across the expanse of Gull Lake. The tourney week starts off Monday with ‘Cruising for Charity on Gull Lake,’ where an exclusive dining experience benefitting the CRMC Foundation is scheduled with special guest, Tom Lehman. There is also a Monday Qualifier on The Preserve course at Grand View just down the road from Cragun’s. Player practice rounds are open for public viewing and there are hosted player experiences with Guided Fishing Trips out onto Gull Lake. Catching a trophy walleye is almost has hard as jarring a hole-in-one these days, so participants will need to bring their ‘A’ game to the boat.

Tuesday the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce team hosts “Business after Hours,” which invites businesses owners from the community to an event on #17 green. Dahlheimer Beverage is hosting the VIP Experience areas located on #6, #17 and #18 and run Thursday through Sunday. There are more player practice rounds to enjoy and the option of another player experience Cruise out on Gull Lake. Wednesday will include the Northern Pacific Center Pro-Am Tourney featuring the Travis Mathew Tour Trailer “Eleanor.” Both morning and afternoon Pro-Am groupings will tee off and there will be more player practice rounds. The Eleanor is a unique pop-up shopping experience run by the highly touted Travis Mathew apparel brand from a large semi-trailer decked out with HD TVs, sound systems and more. It’s a party on wheels with some of the best golf attire and merch in the industry.

Thursday kicks off the first round of the CRMC Championship play. Admission to the event is free every day – sponsored by Northern Pacific Center! Thursday is also designated as ‘bring your kids to the course day.’ A perfect opportunity to show those aspiring future PGA players a glimpse of the Pro game up close and personal. Friday is designated ‘Hockey Jersey Day’ so wear your colors loud and proud and enjoy more of the Cragun’s good times amenities. Saturday is ‘moving day’ when players making the cut bear down and focus on a strong finish. Saturday evening brings ‘Saturday Night Jam’ staring the Mason Dixon Line Band and sponsored by Clow Stamping Company. Sunday will conclude the weeklong list of golf and party activities with the CRMC Championship trophy presentation.  

The 2022 Inaugural CRMC Champion Jake Knapp proudly lifted the Paul Bunyon Axe trophy last year as Cragun’s introduced its new signature course to the world. Minnesota’s most decorated PGA TOUR Professional, Tom Lehman and the esteemed Lehman Design Group focused on making the new golf course ‘playable’ while incorporating the natural topography of this beautiful slice of Northern Minnesota real estate. The ten-million-dollar renovation and expansion started in April of 2021 and will be fine-tuned, tweaked and completed by the fall of 2024. When done The Legacy Courses will be a golfer’s dream offering 54 holes of high quality, championship level golf just two hours north of the Twin Cities.

The final layout includes the “Dutch 27” with three separate renovated nines, (red, white, and blue) offering the variety of three different 18-hole combinations. This makes for a great opportunity for families and friends during those weeklong vacations in ‘Lake Country.’ Every hole on this course has been carefully reconsidered and touched by the renovation from white sand to newly paved cart paths throughout. The “Lehman 18” is a showpiece at 7,400 yards from the tips. This course plays smartly through a 1,000-acre wooded sanctuary while working its way around Stephens Lake and surrounding natural wetlands, a real-deal Minnesota atmosphere. Cragun’s Legacy also offers a reversible par 3 course which is the perfect venue to work on your wedges or introduce beginners to the game. Each of these courses offer a variety of tee box options to accommodate all skill levels.

Bringing this PGA Tour Canada Fortinet Cup event to the U.S. was bold indeed. It’s so inspiring to see this outreach across borders happen and even better that it’s happening on Minnesota soil. Since its inception in 1971 the PGA Tour Canada, previously called the Canadian Tour has been headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The U.S. based PGA TOUR took over operation of that Tour in 2012, at which time it was renamed PGA Tour Canada. The PGA Tour Canada used to be one of three international PGA Tour-sanctioned tours, along with the PGA Tour Latinoamérica and PGA Tour China (now defunct). These tours provide a pathway and access to the Korn Ferry Tour which leads directly to the PGA Tour, much like a minor league baseball system. This year the PGA TOUR announced that the 2023 PGA Tour Canada season would be its last. Starting in 2024 the tour will merge with the PGA Tour Latinoamérica, creating the new PGA Tour Americas. All of this means even more opportunities and spots for the world’s best emerging players. It’s exciting to realize the grand tradition of Cragun’s Resort combined with Minnesota PGA Pro Tom Lehman are key ingredients to this history making change. Legacy building indeed.  

For more information, please go to: www.craguns.com  www.crmcchampionship.com