Bemidji Town and Country Club opens golf season April 21

After weeks of cold, unsettled weather, Bemidji Town and Country Club is set to start its 2026 golf season Tuesday with tee times beginning at 9 a.m., while the driving range is already open from noon to 7 p.m., weather permitting. The opening gives Beltrami County golfers their first regular shot at the course after a winter stretch that kept outdoor play on hold and made every mild day count.

The north shore of Lake Bemidji course is more than a place to play 18 holes. Bemidji Town and Country Club describes itself as an 18-hole, par-72 layout with a pro shop, driving range, North Shore Grille restaurant and event space, and access by boat from the lake. That mix means the season start reaches beyond tee sheets, bringing the return of food service, seasonal staff, clubhouse traffic and bookings tied to weddings, meetings and golf outings.

The spring calendar is already filling in around the opening. The club’s event schedule lists a BHS Girls’ Invitational for April 24, a Region 8 boys’ golf preview for April 29, a BHS Boys’ Invitational for May 4 and a Region 8 girls’ preview for May 6. On May 11 and May 12, the course will undergo green aeration, with only nine holes available those two days, a reminder that early-season play in northern Minnesota still has to work around turf maintenance and changing weather.

The timing fits the region’s April weather pattern. AccuWeather’s outlook for Bemidji shows average April highs around 48 degrees and lows around 28 degrees, with temperatures swinging much wider across the month. That kind of variability helps explain why a late-April opening carries practical weight for golfers trying to book around frost, soft ground and unpredictable conditions.

The club also carries a long local history. The Minnesota Golf Association says Bemidji Town and Country Club was founded in 1916, underwent major revisions in 1990 and updates in 2014, and now has more than 400 members while remaining open to the public. Its Birchmont Tournament page says the 2026 Birchmont is scheduled for July 28 through August 2, continuing a century-old amateur event that draws players from Minnesota and beyond. For Bemidji, Tuesday’s opening is not just another date on the calendar. It is the start of another season at one of the city’s most recognizable outdoor gathering places.