50 Years. In 2019 the semi-private Purple Hawk Country Club just north of Cambridge, Minnesota – 50 miles north of the Twin Cities – celebrated 50 years of existence. I asked General Manager and Head Golf Professional, Matt Grell, how it could be so quiet out there even with a full parking lot. He laughed. “It’s a busy quiet, trust me. A lot of these people (from the cars in the lot) have found their happy place here. And maybe they’re being quiet so others won’t find us – maintain the best-kept secret.”

That might be their wish, but it certainly isn’t Matt’s. And I’m fixin’ to spoil that secretive status here. There are so many great golf courses around the perimeter of the Twin Cities that are begging to be discovered, and Purple Hawk is a course with so much design variety. I’m happy to describe all the things I love about the course, but if reading words wears you out, go to PurpleHawk.com and check out their photographic “Virtual Tour” with some helpful shot-by-shot angles and analysis.

The Don Herfort-designed 18-hole championship course is a Par 72, that isn’t overly lengthy – maxing out at 6,711 yards – but is plenty long when you factor in all the blind shots, aquatic areas and walls of trees. Three other sets of tees afford comfortable play for different levels of players – at 6,385 from White, 5,674 from Yellow and 5,390 from the Reds.

“If we were in the Twin Cities,” Matt told me, “we’d probably be completely private. Our membership is so strong and proud of what we have… we believe our golf product parallels many of the best private clubs in the metro.” There IS certainly a distinctive, positive, “Country Club” feel to the round at Purple Hawk, and you can sure sense that general pride of ownership when speaking with the members.

“What did you think?” a charming lady asked, from an adjacent table on the porch. “Extremely enjoyable,” was my reply. “Did you have a favorite hole?” she pressed. I nodded. “I had several.” The course gets off to a really strong start, with a short, downhill Par 3 with water threatening the long hitter and guarding the front right corner of the green. That’s followed by a short Par 3 over water to a green guarded by trouble on both sides. I told the lovely lady my favorite hole on the front nine was the wraparound 4^th – a relatively short Par 4 at only 350, menacing to those who pull or hook their drive into the water, and with a tricky hill to the right for those who stray a bit long. “It looks like such an easy hole,” another member chimes in. (Somehow we didn’t see that hole the same way. Lol.) “It sure is beautiful!” (We all agreed there.) The front wraps solidly with yet another pond guarding a tricky uphill green. Par is a great score there!

By the time you finish nine you can appreciate Matt’s sentiment that this would be an exclusive club in the Twin Cities. With a deeper membership and more finances, I can think of a number of private clubs that would be envious of this layout.

I finished the front nine and wanted to play it again, but that’s not how golf typically works and I’d have missed a lot of wild fun on the back, including the two best Par 3s on the course. The first of those Par 3s many consider to be THE signature hole at Purple Hawk. Another pond, with a fountain, taunts a long tee shot and tricky carry to hole 13’s pinched green. And if you stay left you leave yourself a tough up and down. The second of those great Par 3s comes at hole 16 – a slightly downhill shot over that same pond (from 13). And, once again, Purple Hawk wraps a nine with a strong finisher – a long downhill hole beside Highway 55 that curves left to a green surrounded by sand.

“So, you get it?” the lady smiled. “Why we love it here.” I nodded. “You local members are lucky.” And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Purple Hawk continues to rack up the 5-star ratings on GolfAdvisor.com, with many raters noting the incredible value (only $46 for 18 with cart, at peak).

On the one hand, I know Matt is excited at the growing membership and following from the Twin Cities. On the other hand, those secretive members are sweating articles like this telling others how much there is to love, such an easy drive from their homes.