The Dwan Golf Course rebuild now goes to a second city advisory board. The Sustainability Commission has put "Dwan Golf Course Renovation Project" on its agenda for Tuesday, Oct. 20. It's listed as business and strategy, with no description, presenter or attachments. It does mean the commission that weighs the city's environmental goals gets a look at a project that will touch drainage, irrigation and a building. The week before, the item "Dwan Pre-Design Update / Stakeholder Engagement" got 15 minutes on the Oct. 14 agenda of the Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission.
Here's what's at stake. The city says Dwan opened in 1970 and handles 45,000 to 60,000 rounds a year, but has seen few improvements in more than 50 years. Wendel Architecture is designing a replacement for the clubhouse, which the city calls outdated, in poor condition and short of current accessibility standards. The new building could include a pro shop, accessible restrooms, better food and drink service with indoor and outdoor seating, and improved parking. Norby Golf Course Design is planning course work the city says will focus on safety, playability, drainage, irrigation, bunkers, practice areas and on-course restrooms.
Some of the groundwork is already done. In a 2024 year-end review, staff reported that Dwan topped $2.2 million. A year later, during budget talks, staff told the council the course would no longer need tax support to operate.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNBudget staff call the golf numbers "surprisingly boring" and say Dwan won't keep needing tax support for operations.10/20
Pre-design showed up in the parks commission's 2026 work plan, which the council reviewed in April. The plan says commissioners will act as stakeholders in pre-design engagement.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNThe parks commission's work plan lists Dwan pre-design, with commissioners serving as stakeholders through the design phases.04/13
The bar menu changed this year too. After new state legislation, the council approved local authorization in April so the city can issue an on-sale intoxicating liquor license at Dwan. Until then the course could sell only 3.2 beer. In its legislative recap on Oct. 12, staff counted that liquor authority among the city's 2026 wins at the Capitol, along with $4 million for the North Sanitary Sewer Project.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNA council member notes the council's approval of local authorization for full liquor sales at Dwan under the new state law.04/27
This fall the project went public. On Sept. 29 the city held a drop-in open house in the clubhouse at 3301 W. 110th St., where consultants and staff took questions about the course's "values and traditions" and what should change. The city also asked construction firms to apply by Sept. 24 to serve as construction manager at risk for the new clubhouse. That step is meant to narrow the field before a formal request for proposals. Construction cost and funding sources haven't been posted yet.
What's next: the Sustainability Commission meets at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the Chadwick Conference Room at Civic Plaza, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road. Its following meeting is Nov. 17. The online survey closes Friday, Oct. 23.
To weigh in, take the city's Dwan survey on Let's Talk Bloomington by Oct. 23. Questions go to Parks and Recreation at 952-563-8877 or [email protected], or to the golf department at 952-563-8702 or [email protected]. This story will be updated as the design moves forward.
