After a years-long tug-of-war over what to do with the property, Sartell’s former Pine Ridge Golf Course is back in play, rebranded as Three Tees Golf & Social and aiming to be more than just another nine holes in the suburbs. The site now pairs a rebuilt nine-hole course with a roughly 8,000-square-foot clubhouse that mixes casual dining, a full bar and event space, pitching itself as a neighborhood hangout as much as a place to chase pars. The reopening closes the book on municipal ownership and hands the keys to a private operator that wants both golfers and nearby residents to feel at home.
According to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Three Tees opened at 801 Pine Cone Road in Sartell with the revamped nine-hole layout, new clubhouse and restaurant on site. The outlet notes the scale of the building and the mix of amenities inside, while local leaders and the owner have been clear that the aim is a community destination rather than a buttoned-up country club.
Course updates and first season
The relaunch is arriving in stages. Tee-time check-ins are still being handled from a temporary trailer while crews work on the fairways and new carts, and staff build out league schedules. Owner Brandon Testa told WJON that junior programs and weeknight leagues are already taking shape as the first season gets underway. For now, the focus is on making the course more playable and the atmosphere welcoming to everyone from serious golfers to families just looking for a relaxed round.
Sale terms and community pushback
The road to reopening was anything but smooth. The 2023 sale of the property to the Three Tees ownership group squeaked through the Sartell City Council on a 3-2 vote, triggering an intense local debate about whether public land should transition to private hands. As detailed by St. Cloud LIVE, the deal came with strings attached: a deed restriction that locks in golf use for at least 30 years and requirements to renovate the clubhouse, parking lot and irrigation system. Those conditions were designed to keep the property a community amenity, even under private ownership.
Inside the new clubhouse
The venue’s official site describes an 8,000-square-foot clubhouse that includes a full kitchen, bar, private party room and a patio that looks out over the course, along with a pro shop connected directly to the dining area. Menus, operating hours and event booking details are posted on the Three Tees Golf & Social website, which leans into the idea of a four-season social hub for Sartell and nearby towns. The operator is pushing events, group outings and casual after-work nine-hole rounds as the heart of the business model.
What comes next for Sartell
For residents, the rebirth of the course is part economic development, part civic experiment in whether a private owner can keep a former city asset thriving for the public. Testa has said the project would be “a heck of a lot more than just golf,” according to local reporting, and managers are already stacking the calendar with leagues, events and programs to keep foot traffic steady through the summer. With the deed restriction in place, city officials and neighbors now get to see whether Three Tees can walk the line between turning a profit and honoring the community-minded expectations that came with the sale.
