Edinburgh USA – Course of the Year Article and photos by City of Brooklyn Park Communications Department
Edinburgh USA, a public course owned and operated by the city of Brooklyn Park, is one of only two courses in Minnesota designed by world renowned architect, Robert Trent Jones II. The golf course opened in 1987 under rave reviews and that year was named by Golf Digest as the “2nd best new public course in America”. In 2014, the Robert Trent Jones II designed a renovation with new bunkers, more playable fairway landing areas and chipping areas around the greens, three brand new greens and four new tee boxes. The Edinburgh Clubhouse features a full-service restaurant, The Brooklyn, and two large banquet rooms operated in partnership with D’Amico Catering. The City of Brooklyn Park owns and operates Edinburgh USA, a championship eighteen hole course, and Brookland Golf Park, an executive nine hole course.
Edinburgh USA was voted 2020 “Course of the Year,” by the Midwest Golf Course Owners Association (MWGCOA), an active chapter of the National Golf Course Owners Association. “It’s an honor to be recognized by people within the industry,” says Don Berry, director of golf. Edinburgh USA was also recognized by the National Recreation and Park Association for their creativity in operations and success during the COVID-19 pandemic. When COVID-19 forced golf courses and parks to pause activities in the spring 2020, it also put staff members into a holding pattern and kept residents from accessing many outdoor amenities due to the uncertainty surrounding the spread of the virus. As more information became available about how to safely engage in outdoor activities, the decision was made by the City of Brooklyn Park to open golf courses as soon
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as allowed per the Governor’s Executive Order in mid-April. More people than ever took to the city’s golf courses and rounds played grew by nearly 25% from 2019. Edinburgh USA hosted 41,552 rounds of golf in 2020 despite the late start to the season. Similarly, Brookland Golf Park saw a similar increase and hosted 19,451 rounds in 2020. The renaissance for golf that started in 2020, has continued into 2021. Now that the COVID-19 restrictions have loosened, even more people are playing golf. City of Brooklyn Park golf courses are seeing people playing more frequently. A golfer previously playing one or two times per month is now playing weekly, and experiencing the benefits of outdoor recreation. 2021 looks to be another record year of rounds played at the golf course in Brooklyn Park.
