Planners in Minnesota have no shortage of venue options, and many golf resorts and courses check the boxes, have built-in scenery, and provide the chance to tee off. These venues offer space to move, fresh air between sessions, and settings that invite attendees to focus as if they were putting for a birdie. Instead of stepping into another hallway, they might step onto a terrace overlooking a pond or the tree-lined ninth fairway.
That shift in setting can change how meetings unfold. Conversations that begin in presentations often continue outside, away from screens and schedules. At these venues, there is space for both structured sessions and informal chatting—plus, having food, drinks, fun, and lodging in one location cuts down on planning headaches. Across Minnesota, golf venues host leadership forums, corporate retreats, nonprofit events, and more, whether they are destination golf resorts up north or amenity-rich golf venues in the Twin Cities.
Two hours north of Minneapolis-St. Paul in the Brainerd Lakes region, Madden’s on Gull Lake has long positioned itself as a destination for multiday meetings and retreats. Last year, it hosted many events, including the Minnesota Bankers Association’s 2025 Annual Summit and Associations North’s Executive Edge: Premier Leadership Conference 2025. The resort offers 63 holes of golf and more than 48,000 square feet of meeting space where planners can host conferences, meals, and recreational activities without needing to leave the property.
“Madden’s offers groups a setting that blends productive sessions with natural opportunities for connection,” says Casey King, digital marketing manager at Madden’s on Gull Lake. She adds, “At Madden’s, meetings and golf are not treated as separate experiences—our conference-services team and golf professionals work together, seamlessly integrating both to create a cohesive and well-executed retreat.”
Carla Bush, director of education and communications for the Minnesota Bankers Association, says Madden’s has become a consistent choice for the group’s annual summit. “We encourage our bankers to bring their families, and, as such, need a location that not only provides enough meeting space and sleeping rooms, but also entertainment options for families,” Bush says. She notes that attendees never have to leave the property for the duration of the event. “We use virtually every space, from The Classic at Madden’s golf course and the outdoor pavilion to the Town Hall Conference Center meeting rooms; one year we even hosted our own ‘Banker Olympics’ on the lawn,” she says. “We host our annual summit at Madden’s nearly every year, and whenever we ask our bankers if they would like a new location, they reply with, ‘Why go anywhere else? We love Madden’s!’”
For planners looking for full-service conference infrastructure at another resort that has it all, consider nearby Cragun’s Resort, also on Gull Lake in Brainerd. It features 109,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space across 28 rooms, with capacity for conferences of up to 1,100 attendees and banquet-style events for 800. The resort’s Tamarack Event Centre hosts large presentations and trade shows, while smaller meeting rooms and ballrooms overlook the lake or golf course.
Closer to the Twin Cities, Rush Creek Golf Club in Maple Grove is about 20 minutes from Minneapolis. Last year, it hosted the Northwestern Health Sciences University/Minnesota Chiropractic Association Golf Tournament and the Association for Computer Operations Management Greater Minnesota’s tournament, as well as the Just for Kids Foundation’s charity tournament and the I-94 West Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Celebration.
“Rush Creek Golf Club has three banquet rooms,” says Jenny Stendahl, Rush Creek’s golf operations manager. “Our MacMillan Ballroom seats up to 300 attendees and also can be divided in half to accommodate smaller groups or to create breakout space. The Skye Conference Room seats 100, and the Stirling Conference Room seats 70 and can be divided into three smaller rooms.”
Rush Creek also is upgrading its meeting space this year, including a redesign of the ballroom, set to reopen this spring. “New carpet, wallpaper, light fixtures, and window treatments will bring an updated feeling of elegance,” says Stendahl.
Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids also offers conference facilities, including the Bunker Hills Event Center, within easy reach of the Twin Cities. The event center includes flexible rooms, banquet spaces, and built-in audiovisual equipment, along with catering and meeting packages designed for half- or full-day events. Its Grand Ballroom accommodates up to 384 attendees and features expansive windows overlooking the golf course.
With up-to-date meetings amenities, bucolic landscapes, and built-in recreation, Minnesota golf resorts and courses serve as consummate meeting and event hosts.
