Windsong Farm Golf Club, Independence, Minnesota has hired Jon Fought, an architect, to design a second golf course. It is located just west of Minneapolis.
Fought also designed the original Windsong Farm course. It was opened in partnership by Tom Lehman. Fought renovated it in 2015. It ranks 6th on Golfweek’s Best List of Private Courses in Minnesota. It tied for No. 140 is the top-ranked course in the U.S. built since 1960.
Fought stated that he doesn’t like doing the same thing when it comes to his projects so the course will be different than any other. It’s a beautiful piece of land that has lake views and rolling terrain. We will do what it allows without moving a lot of dirt. It will complement Windsong Farm Golf Club perfectly.
Windsong Farm Golf Club, Minnesota will have a new course. (Courtesy Windsong Farm).
Fought and Duininck Golf, a course-building company, are expected to break ground this spring. A grand opening is planned for the summer of 2024. Windsong Farm will be the only 36-hole private course in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.
For a par 70 total, the new course will have six par 3, eight par 4s, and four par 5. The course will feature views of Fox Lake from 13 holes. It will be shorter than the 7,550-yard predecessor, but not necessarily easier, Fought stated.
Fought stated that the second course would be more difficult than most people think. “Length is not the only thing that determines difficulty.” Strategies and playing will be very important here. The 18 th will also be a Cape’ hole – a 483-yard par-4 that runs around the lake.
Windsong Farm Golf Club, Minnesota’s original course (Courtesy Windsong Farm).
Fought stated that he was inspired to design the course by Seth Raynor’s Shoreacres Golf Club in Chicago.
Fought stated that it would be similar to creating a course in the early 1900s with modern infrastructure. This is open, rolling land that has natural, native areas of fescue. We have the chance to incorporate several old-style holes in the mix. It’s an honor to work with Duinck Golf and Windsong Farm on this exciting addition to Minnesota’s golf scene.
Jon Dailing, Windsong Farm’s superintendent, stated in the media release that “this is very exciting for our members because it will allow them to play two completely separate, high-quality courses.” John is an expert on the entire property and has done a fantastic job researching where the new course would be built. His designs are very imaginative and will have a lot of historical context.
