Baker National Golf Course

Baker National Golf Course is an 18-hole championship layout within the Three Rivers Park District's Baker Park Reserve in Medina, Minnesota, designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan and opened in 1990. The course integrates seamlessly with the surrounding natural landscape of restored wetlands, native prairie grasses, and wooded terrain, and earned certification as the first Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary public golf course in Minnesota in 1995. Its 6,762-yard layout provides a demanding test of strategic play for golfers across the Twin Cities region.

Baker National Golf Course has its roots in the mid-1960s, when Hennepin County established a modest nine-hole layout within what is now the Baker Park Reserve in Medina, Minnesota. The facility originally operated as Medina Golf Course before being acquired by Hennepin County Parks in 1974 and renamed Baker Park Golf Course. Over the following decade and a half, the growing population of the western Twin Cities suburbs created demand for a more substantial public golf facility within the park system. In 1990, the Three Rivers Park District — then known as Hennepin Parks — commissioned Dr. Michael J. Hurdzan of Columbus, Ohio, to lead a major expansion and redesign of the facility. Hurdzan, a widely respected figure in golf course architecture known for his commitment to environmental stewardship and natural design, approached the Baker project with a strong conservation emphasis. A central element of his design was the restoration of previously drained wetlands on the property, particularly on holes 14 and 15, where swampy areas that had been altered by a former landowner were reintroduced. This restoration work addressed years of ecological degradation from prior agricultural use and transformed the back nine into a distinctive stretch of holes threading through native wetland habitat. The expanded facility reopened in 1990 under the name Baker National Golf Course, reflecting its status as a nationally recognized public championship layout within the park district system.

The 18-hole championship course plays to 6,762 yards from the back tees at par 72, with a course rating of 73.9 and slope of 138. A 9-hole executive Evergreen Course was also part of the facility's offerings. In 1995, Baker National achieved a landmark distinction, becoming the first public golf course in Minnesota — and the 47th nationally — to receive Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary certification. This designation recognized the course's commitment to wildlife habitat management, water quality protection, chemical use reduction, and environmental education. The certification reinforced Hurdzan's original design intent and positioned Baker National as a model for environmentally responsible public golf.

The course is situated within the 2,700-acre Baker Park Reserve, which borders Lake Katinka and several other water features that add beauty and strategic interest to the layout. The facility is managed by the Three Rivers Park District, which operates multiple golf facilities throughout the western Twin Cities suburbs.