
Birch Bay Course
Birch Bay Resort & Golf Course
About this course
Birch Bay Resort & Golf Course sits in the Brainerd Lakes region of central Minnesota, near the town of Nisswa, an area known for its concentration of resort golf properties and natural lake country. Designed by Bill Harris, the course occupies rolling, wooded terrain typical of the region's glacially formed landscape, where stands of birch, pine, and hardwoods frame fairways and water features appear throughout the routing. The layout reflects the traditional Minnesota resort style, where golf integrates with family vacation amenities and a more relaxed pace of play. Holes move through varied elevation changes and incorporate the natural water bodies that define the Brainerd Lakes area. The design emphasizes playability for a range of skill levels while presenting strategic interest through doglegs, elevated greens, and well-placed hazards that reward course management. Birch Bay functions as part of a broader resort property that includes lodging and recreational facilities, catering to seasonal visitors drawn to Minnesota's summer lake culture. The course serves both resort guests and local golfers, maintaining the character of a destination layout that balances challenge with accessibility. The setting provides the forested, lake-studded scenery characteristic of the region, with the routing taking advantage of natural contours and water edges to create memorable holes within the constraints of the property's topography.
Quick facts
- Location
- Nisswa, MN, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1958
- Designer
- Bill Harris
- Holes
- 9
- Par
- 36
- Length
- 2,905 yards
- Difficulty
- 34.7/121
Getting there
The journey to Birch Bay Resort & Golf Course begins at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), approximately two hours north through Minnesota's lake country, or alternatively via Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport (BRD) for a more direct forty-minute approach. The drive itself traces a gentle transition from urban corridors into the dense pine and birch forests of central Minnesota, where glimpses of pristine lakes begin to punctuate the landscape as you draw closer to Nisswa. The final miles wind through quiet resort country, where the air itself seems to shift - cooler, clearer, infused with the scent of northern woodland - before the resort's welcoming entrance emerges among the towering trees that give Birch Bay its name and character.

FAQ
Common questions about Birch Bay
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Birch Bay was designed by Bill Harris.
Yes. Birch Bay is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Birch Bay is 36.
Birch Bay plays 2,905 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Birch Bay is 121.
Birch Bay is a 9-hole course.



