Bloomington is moving ahead with a $15 million renovation of Dwan Golf Course, the 18-hole municipal course off W. 110th St. that has hosted golfers since 1970 with barely a facelift since. The plan calls for a replacement clubhouse and a refreshed course, with construction set to begin in two phases starting in fall 2027 and continuing into spring 2028.
The city is advancing the project after years of planning, according to Finance & Commerce, which reports the course sits at 3301 W. 110th St. and has served area golfers for more than half a century as one of Minnesota's busiest courses, with capacity for up to 60,000 rounds a year. The City of Bloomington has said the course has seen relatively few major improvements to its facilities in that time, per the same report. Renovation plans call for a modern pro shop, accessible restrooms, drainage fixes and bunker repairs, with Wendel Architecture handling the clubhouse design and Norby Golf Course Design updating the course itself.
The predesign phase just wrapped up as of the article's November 10 publication date, and the project is projected to reach about 30% design by the end of this month. Leah Hughes, Bloomington's interim director/deputy director of parks and recreation, said construction will be phased to minimize closures, the outlet reports. The Tegra Group, a St. Louis Park-based firm that provides real estate, commercial brokerage and owner's representative services, is serving as the city's owner's representative and will help oversee budgets, schedules, contracts and overall project coordination; the firm previously worked with Bloomington on the $101.8 million Community Health and Wellness Center project.
What Golfers and Neighbors Told the City
Bloomington consulted golfers, neighbors, community partners and others while shaping the design, according to the same Finance & Commerce report. That feedback prioritized affordability, well-maintained grounds, an accessible clubhouse, adequate restrooms and outdoor seating. Respondents focused on the clubhouse specifically said they want efficient golf-function space, room to gather after a round, meeting space, outdoor seating, course views and adequate accessible restrooms.
Tracy Smith, Bloomington's community engagement and Title II ADA coordinator, said participants described the existing clubhouse as outdated and tired, and noted insufficient restrooms, especially for women, along with limited food choices. Smith also said the course's bunkers are inconsistent and lack sand, pointing to the kind of maintenance issue the renovation is meant to fix.
A Course Already Drawing More Players
The renovation comes as Dwan has been posting some of its strongest numbers in two decades. The course finished the 2025 season with 53,674 rounds, the most since 2003 and up 318 rounds from 2024, with gross sales totaling nearly $2.35 million, 4% higher than the year before, according to the Hometownsource/Sun Current. That growth followed an even sharper jump in 2023, when rounds played were up 8% and gross revenue climbed more than 19% compared with the prior year, per the Star Tribune. June and July of that year each saw revenue more than $50,000 above the same months in 2022, with officials attributing some of the bump in food, beverage and golf-shop sales to younger golfers spending more at the course.
Bloomington officials are exploring expanded food and beverage service, naming and sponsorship opportunities, winter programming and clubhouse rentals for non-golf uses as ways to build on that momentum, the Finance & Commerce report says. City Council member Shawn Nelson has argued the facility should be treated as an entertainment and recreation amenity that happens to include golf, rather than golf alone, according to the same Finance & Commerce report.
Years in the Making
The project has been on the city's radar for roughly half a decade. Bloomington's 10-year Capital Improvement Plan had targeted the Dwan clubhouse and golf-course upgrades for 2028, and the city first hired architecture firm HGA in June 2021 to develop a conceptual clubhouse design while contracting separately with Norby Golf Course Design for an updated course layout, per the Sun Current's reporting. The city has continued developing plans for the clubhouse and golf-course upgrades.
Separately, the Sun Current has reported that Bloomington is seeking expanded authority to sell intoxicating liquor at Dwan, noting that the state Legislature has approved similar authorizations for other municipal courses, including Roseville's Cedarholm Golf Course. The state request is under legislative consideration, and Bloomington City Council approval would still be required if state authorization is granted.
