minnesota national

I realize this is a golf blog/website/podcast and I should be talking more about today’s course, Minnesota National in McGregor, which is fantastic by the way. 

But today is going to be hockey heavy. Specifically UMD Hockey heavy. Reading this may not be fun for many, but writing it will be very fun for me. And I’ve never really written about it before, so I’m going to find this therapeutic. And as my old boss used to say, “I wear the hat and the whistle.”

Today’s Golf Loons guest was Kyle Schmidt. And if you don’t know who he is, I’ll get to that. But he’s a household name in the Arrowhead of Minnesota, and that should be the case throughout the entire state.

The backstory: My dad, Huck, grew up in Duluth and attended Minnesota Duluth as an undergrad. While a student there, he and his soon to be wife, Karen (my mom) became diehard fans of the Bulldog hockey team. It was a passion that never faded. In fact, upon graduation from UMD, my dad entered enemy territory and enrolled in law school at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. 

A pretty strong willed guy (or as my sisters and I would say, fucking stubborn as hell) he liked to showcase this. As a law student, he purchased season tickets for Gopher hockey, and then went to every rodent home game dressed in the colors of the opposing teams. I’m sure he made a ton of friends there. 

Immediately after finishing law school, Huck and my mom, moved back to Duluth and for the entirety of their marriage, spent winter Friday and Saturday nights in Section 10, Row B of the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (until moving over to Amsoil Arena).. They rarely missed a home game, and I was lucky enough to tag along many of the nights and sit on the stairs at the end of the row. For some reason, that was just fine back then. Every game felt like the biggest show, not just in Duluth, but anywhere. If we had cable, which we didn’t, I would have expected SportsCenter to lead with UMD hockey every night. 

Huck and son after the 2011 National Championship. The smile should tell you that the Bulldogs did not implement the “goddamn prevent defense” in the National Championship game.

My parents went to Lake Placid in 1984 and beared witness to the Dogs dropping a four overtime heartbreaker to Gino Cavallini and Bowling Green in the National Championship. They were in Detroit the following year to see another overtime heartbreaker in the National Semifinal against Adam Oates and RPI. The Bulldogs fit right in with the rest of Minnesota sports teams that couldn’t win the big one before or since. 

What made it worse…the Bulldog reject team from the Twin Cities campus won a couple championships in 2002 and 2003. 

And then, in 2011, the “Little Brother” had enough and rose up. But near the end of the season, it certainly didn’t appear like a Natty was any closer than any previous season.

Despite a talent stacked roster, the Bulldogs limped to the finish line and had a lackadaisical performance in the WCHA Final Five. They somewhat backed into the NCAA Tournament, earning a three seed. Their reward was a trip to beautiful Bridgeport, CT to face Union. If you watched the first period, you’d be preparing for a quiet and painfree exit. Only some huge saves by ‘Kenny Reiter? YES HE CAN!” kept the game scoreless after one. 

I could have just shared this video and that would have been quicker than describing everything. But what fun is that?

Then, Golf Loons guest Kyle Schmidt got things rolling with a beautiful tip goal, and the freight train gained some steam. A sick power play goal in the third solidified a 2-0 victory and berth in the Regional final against top-seeded Yale. 

The Ivy Leaguers might as well have gone back to doing equations and shit at the bar. The Dogs absolutely steamrolled them in every way possible. On the scoreboard, and on the ice, most notably when Mike Connolly, my all-time favorite Bulldog, buried the first goal and then trucked a defenseman into the end boards and then hovered over and screamed at the kid. Connolly showed that inside that 5-foot-7 frame was an absolute boss. Just the ultimate career highlight for a kid who had a lot of them.

Wait a minute…this feels different! But then the lifelong tortured Minnesotan in me thought that was going to be a bad omen. Yale was the number one seed, yet played scared and undisciplined.

With some unreal power play conversions, Bulldogs cruise to a 5-3 win and a berth in the Frozen Four, which as fate would have it, would be held at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center with zero current Gopher hockey players in attendance. 

I’m not going to say confidence was high because even if the Dogs got past Notre Dame in the semis, the UND Fighting Sioux (that’s what they were called at the time) were the likely opponent in the title game. And they were a wagon, as people whose kids play in “The Brick” would say.  

The Dogs dispatched Notre Dame by building a 4-2 lead after two (including a beauty of a tying goal by Golf Loons guest Schmidt in the first) and then hanging on in the third for a tight 4-3 win. My dad was displeased about the tense third period and when I found him in the concourse and said, “They’re playing for the title!” he immediately scowled and muttered, “God damned prevent defense…”

My dad wasn’t easily impressed I guess you could say.  

Later that night, the Michigan Wolverines upset UND, and I actually allowed myself to believe…kind of. 

I have never been more nervous to be at a game in my life, and this one did little to ease my churning stomach. Dogs fall behind 1-0 in the first, and after blanking UND two days earlier, Wolverines goaltender Shawn Hunwick looked like he might carry his team to the title. 

Then, Travis Oleksuk knocks home a greasy goal in front. Duluth East alum Max Tardy follows up his first goal as a Bulldog while on the power play and hope is restored. But nothing can be easy and the Wolverines tie it late in the second. 

The third period is end to end and absolutely mind numbing. JT Brown and Mike Connolly are buzzing all over the place, but nobody can grab the lead. Reiter pulls off a stack the pad save on a 2-on-1 which was just insane and we go to OT. 

I was preparing for disaster, especially with the Dogs controlling play in the extra session, and I figured the Wolverines would catch one break and win their umpteenth national title. 

But no…Golf Loons guest Schmidt cut to the net, buried a textbook backhand pass from behind the net by Oleksuk and in the words of Bert Blyleven…HE DID NOT MISS!

The moment that allowed my parents to die in peace.

While Golf Loons guest Schmidt was sprinting the length of the ice and doing his snow angel celebration on his back, I just remember running into the concourse and doing a flying karate kick into the wall. It will forever be the greatest sports fan moment of my life, and I could now care less if any of the Minnesota professional teams ever win the big one, which seems even more unlikely. 

I eventually found my parents in the crowd, and my dad had zero complaints. Just a huge, and relieved smile. My mom said she could die happy. And it was somewhat poetic, because it was only about a year later that she began suffering from dementia. She didn’t really get to enjoy the next two NCAA titles in 2018 and 2019. 

On behalf of my parents…thank you to those 2011 Bulldogs, especially Golf Loons guest Kyle Schmidt, who turned out to be the perfect person to score that goal. Completely humble. A total family man (he got married shortly after the title), and the ultimate good person. This was a great “get” for the Golf Loons in Season One.

Okay, did I mention we played Minnesota National?

What a course! As far as public courses in Northern Minnesota go, it doesn’t seem like “The Natty” gets mentioned in the same breath as Giants Ridge, Superior National, The Wilderness, Deacon’s Lodge or other Brainerd lakes area courses. But it should. It is so choice.

Maybe it doesn’t boast the majestic views or treacherous terrain that some of the others feature, but it has almost everything else. Wonderful scenery, excellent conditions, unique and challenging holes, a very solid and friendly staff and tons of convenience with everything located right by the spectacular clubhouse. 

Located in tiny McGregor, Minnesota, it’s about an hour’s drive from Duluth and two and a half hours from the Twin Cities if you leave at 5 AM, which we did (gentle pat of my own back). 

We played on a Wednesday morning, so there was no traffic on the course either, and our little three pod finished in just over three hours. 

Some observations:

There are so many good holes on this course. I would have liked some shorter Par 3’s. And the name of the game is “carry,” because there are a fair number of holes that you best not snarf your tee shot or you’re in trouble. Holes 4 and 18 in particular require a big time poke to clear. 

I absolutely adore the 14th hole, where the fairway banks to the right and down the hill toward a tucked away green. If you aim to the right of the trap up the middle you should get a nice kick down the chute. That’s always a joy to behold. I’m positively giddy about this hole and I don’t know why. 

Maybe this image doesn’t do it justice, but hole #14 at Minnesota National is awesome!

Also loved 16, when you get to the tee and then you see Flowage Lake to your left. It’s beautiful, and would be great to have that lake more visible throughout the round. But, it does make the 16th stick out in a good way. 

Minnesota National is the site of my guys Golf Trip this year. That was one of the reasons why we picked this course. I wanted to scout it out. Of course I’m not telling my friends this. Most of them live in Duluth, and if they can’t make the hour drive to have a look, I can’t be faulted. Only they can. 

I can’t wait to play this course again. Put Minnesota National on your list, and Play Like A Champion. A National Champion, like UMD Bulldog hero and Golf Loons guest, Kyle Schmidt.