The Many Pleasures Of Mystic Lake

Where do I even begin? Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Mystic Lake Center, and the adjoining Meadows at Mystic Lake golf course offers it all up. Hand the keys to the valet and you’re good to go. There is outstanding dining, classy gaming options, upscale amenities, a first-class showroom, an outdoor amphitheater and some of the best golf course conditions I have played in quite a while…. all under the same umbrella. Be assured it’s not hard to ‘find the fun’ at Mystic, just follow the lights in the sky and it will lead you to a complete resort experience.

The entire complex proudly houses 10 bars and restaurants and keeps an entertainment calendar with enough talent to make other Twin Cities venues envious (see below). It starts with the free valet parking and goes uphill from there to 766 luxurious hotel rooms, a spa full of self-indulging services, a sports and fitness center and enough gaming options to make your head spin. Oh yeah, and it never closes. Open all day, every day, 24/7.

We’ll start outside and work our way in. The Meadows at Mystic Lake Golf Course is a great mix of links-inspired design with plenty of rolling, climbing, descending fairways and gently undulated greens. The water features play prominently and are so aesthetically pleasing you may be distracted at times. The new GPS-equipped golf carts go the extra mile as you make your way around the 18-hole championship track which itself is buffered by the surrounding 11 acres of wildflower prairie, rolling meadows and natural wetlands. The Meadows at Mystic Lake features pristine bent grass fairways, tees, and greens. A creek zigzags through the course creating some hidden issues for the golfer and plenty of layup, risk-reward situations. To top it off, there are five beautiful waterfalls, which can be seen and heard throughout the round. Given the links style on this Garret Gill / Paul Miller design there are lots of bunkers – 54 to be exact. Thirteen of the holes incorporate water hazards in one form or another with 20 fountains complementing the high-end feel and impeccable course conditions.

Given the wide range of player skill this course sees, the yardages range from 5,293 on the forward tees to 7,135 from the tips; giving players of all abilities the chance to score well and feel good about their game. After all, feeling good is what Mystic Lake is all about. The course opened in 2005 after the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community purchased Lone Pine Golf Course in 2002, and was then completely overhauled into the classic layout you see today. The golf course has since seen its share of prestigious awards and recognition from all corners of the golf world including Golf Digest and Golfweek magazines.

Maintaining and managing the golfing operations is critical to the overall success of the Mystic Lake brand and that job is in the capable hands of Director of Golf, Ben Rosaasen. Ben and his attentive staff have the course conditions dialed to near perfection. The staff is always ready to assist customers and made my recent visit to the course feel like a private course experience.

The course conditions are also in line with private course standards. Every bunker edge was freshly trimmed, white sand bunkers raked perfectly, divots are under constant repair thus minimizing bad lies, the greens were firm and extremely consistent, the tee boxes were all level with great turf, trees are all well-placed, trimmed and in a variety of types and sizes. There is complimentary bottled water in coolers at several spots on the course, also a nice touch, especially on a hot day. It is, overall, an absolutely stunning playing experience.

As mentioned, many of the holes incorporate water in one form or another. There is often a smart way to play the hole and then there is the ‘hero’ way to play the hole. That’s the Garrett Gill trademark. I tend to be a knucklehead in those course management situations, but during a recent round I did survive a few of those spots and was rewarded with birdie looks – unfortunately no birdies, my bad.

Moving off the course into the gaming and entertainment complex, you will find fantastic selections of dining and lounging choices. They range from the elegant Mystic Steakhouse to the Caribou Coffee kiosk and everything in between. All told, there are seven restaurants and three bars serving up fine food, comfort food, adult beverages, clean air and plenty of atmosphere.

The calendars for Mystic Lake Center and Mystic Showroom are chock-full of variety and top-notch musical acts. To give you an example of the variety, this summer they will host shows from Kesha, Reba McEntire, Pitbull, Yanni, and Melissa Etheridge, to name a handful. There are also weekly musical and comedy acts with nightly performances, so when it comes to entertainment and providing a full customer experience, Mystic Lake has it in spades.

The latest addition to Mystic Lake is Mystic Lake Center. With this move they have thrown their hat in the ring for the event hosting business in a big way. There is no doubt they will be competing with convention centers and large hotel ballrooms from corporate events to trade shows, board meetings, and concerts. The maximum capacity for these types of events is around 2,500.

At 70,000 square feet, Mystic Lake Center can be configured into any type of space you may need. From 30 meeting rooms that host everything from a small business function to large trade show space to corporate galas and events. The largest room – the Minnetonka Ballroom – can accommodate up to 2,272 guests. Every room was designed with customers in mind, from the contemporary aesthetic touches to the functional floor plan choices.

The large in-house culinary team can create menu options that will look, taste, and satisfy attendees to exceptional levels. With the talented team of culinary professionals and its elaborate kitchen space, Mystic Lake Center can serve up to 2,700 guests simultaneously.

Mystic Lake Center has smartly incorporated the latest in enhanced audio and visual setups, including DAS (distributed antenna system). The innovative presentation systems are compatible with QuickTime, Keynote and PowerPoint. There are IT personnel on-site to ensure your event is worry-free. There is also semi-trailer overhead door capability to streamline loading and unloading directly into the room for expos or large events. All of this functionality a mere 15-20 minutes from Minneapolis/St. Paul airport.

The wall of western facing windows in the commons area is ideal for informal gatherings, breakout sessions or some chill space. The stunning views through the floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto the championship golf course and the surrounding natural wetlands. For more intimate boardroom style meetings, the Shakopee Boardroom features a conference table with seating for 22, an 85-inch TV, conferencing capability, and outdoor patio with more stunning views of The Meadows at Mystic Lake golf course.

The footprint that was created by the Mystic Lake Center build-out includes the new Promenade Hotel Tower which boasts 180 new rooms, all with scenic golf course views and modern business amenities, bringing the overall complex total to an astounding 766 rooms! Like I said, leave the keys with the valet, walk through the doors into the Mystic resort experience and whether it’s for business or pleasure… they will take care of the rest.

Photos Courtesy Mystic Lake Casino Hotel