Superior National Golf Course sale expected to close in August as EDA completes required improvements

The sale of the Superior National Golf Course continues to move forward, with the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority expecting to close on the sale in August.

Although the closing date nears, work continues on the required irrigation and septic improvements identified during the pre-sale inspection and due diligence process.

At the July 21 meeting, the EDA approved a contract with Barr Engineering Co. for engineering services related to the irrigation project. The agreement includes conceptual design, construction drawings, assistance with the public bidding process, and construction administration support.

As part of the sale, the EDA is responsible for facilitating improvements to the infrastructure, which includes establishing a permanent irrigation water connection between the Lutsen Mountains snowmaking system and the golf course irrigation system.

EDA Director Lucas Wakefield said the work is specific to the golf course and will not involve changes to Lutsen Mountains’ existing snowmaking infrastructure or other water users. He said the EDA will not be using public funds to “help change or shore up any of what’s there already. We’re just creating a tie-in and bringing it down the mountain.”

The EDA will complete the design phase before putting the construction work out for public bid. Wakefield said both the irrigation and septic projects exceed the $175,000 threshold that requires a sealed public bidding process under Minnesota law.

Superior National Golf Course | Photo by Superior National at Lutsen

Current estimates place the irrigation work at approximately $190,000. Septic improvements are expected to cost a similar amount, Wakefield said, with the total project costs, including engineering, estimated at roughly $400,000 to $450,000.

In a March 2026 interview with WTIP, EDA Board Chair Peter Clissold said that the estimated cost to repair the irrigation and septic system was estimated at $500,000, and after all expenses, including the $1.25 million bond retirement, the EDA will be $90,000 in the red after the sale. The final numbers will be tallied in the coming month, with revenue from the golf course this summer factored in.

In August of 2025, the EDA selected Brady Hatcher, owner of Golden Eagle Golf Course in Brainerd, Minn., as the preferred buyer. The agreed-upon sale price of the Superior National Golf Course was $1.85 million.

Wakefield said communication with the buyer has continued through the buyer’s legal counsel and the EDA’s legal team, and he does not anticipate major changes to the way the golf course operates after the sale closes in August.

“As far as I’m aware, there are not any issues or hiccups that have come up,” Wakefield said. “I don’t foresee anything likely to cause any interruption to service or major changes to the way that the golf course operates.”

The irrigation and septic work will continue through the public bidding and construction process, with project funding managed in an escrow account as part of the closing process.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with EDA Director Lucas Wakefield following the July 21 EDA meeting to talk about the ongoing sale of the Superior National Golf Course. Audio below.

Kalli Hawkins July 30, 2026