Madden’s Pine Beach East Celebrates 100 Years
This year marks a milestone in both Madden’s and Minnesota golf history–the 100th Anniversary of Madden’s Pine Beach East. Celebrating a century of traditional golf offers a chance to reflect on the remarkable beginnings of one of Minnesota’s most historic resort golf courses—and the foundation of what would eventually become the Madden’s we know today.
Join us throughout the 2026 season as we step back a century to share the stories, milestones, and moments that shaped Pine Beach East and the Madden’s story.
In the mid-1920s, the vision for a golf course on the shores of Gull Lake began to take shape. In 1925, businessmen John Harrison and Chester Start set out to build Pine Beach Golf Course—what we know today as Pine Beach East. At the time, transforming the pine forest landscape into an 18-hole course was an enormous undertaking. Without modern equipment, crews relied on determination and ingenuity. More than 100 teams of horses were used to move earth and materials, while 3,000 pounds of dynamite helped remove stubborn stumps and roots to clear the land for fairways and greens.
By July of 1926, the course opened for play, becoming Minnesota’s first 18-hole resort golf course. The new amenity helped position the Pine Beach peninsula as a destination for summer visitors seeking fresh air, cool lake breezes, and the emerging pastime of golf. Travelers from cities across the Midwest began making their way to Gull Lake, drawn by the beauty of the setting and the promise of recreation in the north woods.
But the optimism of the 1920s soon gave way to the economic realities of the Great Depression. By 1932, Harrison and Start were struggling to make the golf operation profitable. That year they leased the course and clubhouse to a young Jack Madden and his uncle Tom Madden for $500. Even then, times were difficult. The Maddens worked tirelessly to keep the course running and, like many during the era, picked up extra work—including caddying—to make ends meet.
Eventually, Harrison and Start decided they were ready to part with the property. In a story that has since become part of Madden’s lore, Jack Madden later recalled receiving a short telegram asking if he wanted to buy the golf course. His reply was simple: yes—but he had no money. Undeterred, the deal moved forward anyway. The agreement allowed the Maddens to purchase Pine Beach Golf Course with nothing down and ten years to pay, setting the stage for what would become Madden’s on Gull Lake.
A century later, Pine Beach East remains a cornerstone of the Madden’s golf experience. What began as a bold vision carved from the north woods has become a course rich in tradition, where generations of golfers continue to walk the same fairways first shaped by horses, hand tools, and determination. The story of Pine Beach East is not just the story of a golf course—it is the beginning of the traditions that continue to define Madden’s today.
