The Minikahda Club
The Minikahda Club is a golf club and course in southwest Minneapolis, Minnesota, just west of Bde Maka Ska. The course hosted the U.S. Open in 1916, the U.S. Amateur in 1927, and the Walker Cup in 1957.
History
Minikahda was founded in 1898 on the hills above the west shore of Bde Maka Ska, the land, purchased from the Oglala Lakota Chief "Swift Dog" who owned the land in which the golf course stands to this day. At the time, there were no roads around the lake, so the property extended to the lake, with a boathouse for sailing and other aquatic activities. The name Minikahda comes from the Lakota, a combination of two native words meaning 'by the side of the water'. The club logo is a Native American shield, similar to the original artifact which is framed in the clubhouse, the shield belonging to Swift Dog himself.[1][2]
Golf
Minikahda owns an 18-hole golf course extending to the south and west of the clubhouse with holes on either side of Excelsior Boulevard that is open to members at any time during the golf season. Included on the grounds are a putting green, a chipping green, a driving range, and an iron range as practice areas.
Amateur Chick Evans won the U.S. Open at Minikahda in 1916 and then won the U.S. Amateur later that year at Merion Golf Club to become the first to win both titles in the same season. He would use his money and influence from the win and establish the Evans Scholarship Foundation instead of going pro.[2]
In addition to the 1916 U.S. Open, the club has also held the U.S. Amateur in 1927, the Walker Cup in 1957, the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1988, the Curtis Cup in 1998, and the U.S. Senior Amateur in 2017.
Memberships cost an initiation fee of $100,000 and monthly dues of $2000.[citation needed]
Tennis
The Minikahda Club offers tennis as well as golf, featuring clay courts and during Wimbledon Season, grass courts on the lakeside green. As well as traditional tennis, paddle court tennis is also offered year round.[2]
References
- ^ "About Us". Minikahda Club. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
- ^ a b c Personal Research/Reference. Minikahda Club Employee. Retrieved July 26, 2017.