Katie Bakken keeps her eye on her shot at at Brookview Golf Academy in Golden Valley. Photo: Chris Emeott
Golfers at all stages of the game make their mark on the green.
Minnesota’s golf scene continues its upward swing. Last year, the Minnesota Golf Association marked an increase in golf rounds for the sixth time in the last seven years—participation was up nearly 2 percent to over 2.8 million recorded rounds played around the state.
One well-known name hitting the local golf scene is Wayzata’s Katie Bakken, LPGA and PGA golf professional. As professional athletes can attest, they had to start somewhere with inspiration arriving at different points in the journey. Though Bakken’s parents operated a driving range when she was young, she didn’t develop an interest in golf until her teenage years—a situation which could have been different had Team Minnesota been around during her younger days. “Not many girls golfed when I was growing up,” Bakken says. “I did play in some R3 leagues, but I would always be the only girl, so I would play with the boys.”
It’s never too early to start hitting the links and learning the game. Photos: Katie Bakken
Bakken’s interest in golf came after she saw women golfing at the professional level. “I caddied an LPGA event at my home course, Edinburgh Golf Course in Brooklyn Park,” Bakken says. “After seeing those ladies play on tour, that became my dream.”
It’s all in the concentration for Katie Bakken at the 2006 BMW Italian Open in Rome.
Despite having a self-described slow start to her career, Bakken played in the number one spot for Champlin Park High School’s golf team. After one year at the University of California, Berkeley, she transferred to the University of Minnesota. Her time spent playing in number one position for the Gophers and leading the golf team as a captain prepared Bakken for a professional career. Additionally, personal instruction and heart-to-hearts with coaches boosted Bakken’s confidence in her abilities and potential. “They really helped me, because when you hear [encouragement] from someone, you start to believe it,” she says.
Katie Bakken lets the scoreboard do the talking at the Ladies English Open, where she was the first round leader and
had a career low of seven under par.
The summer after college, Bakken won the Minnesota Women’s State Open, giving her an additional confidence boost. Her first two seasons out of college, she played the LPGA’s mini tour and Ladies Asian Golf Tour, traveling around the country and Asia. During her third year, she was on the Ladies European Tour, taking her to Dubai, Europe and India.
The Canary Islands offered ideal playing conditions for Katie Bakken during one of many tournaments she’s competed in over the course of her career.
One of Bakken’s proudest accomplishments is a full-circle moment. “I am proud that I won the Minnesota Women’s State Open during my last months as an amateur and then again in the last month of my professional career,” Bakken says. “So I felt
I ended my amateur career nicely and then my pro career nicely too.”
Photos: Chris Emeott
After her professional career, Bakken lived in California for 20 years. In January 2025, she moved back to the area and is now a golf instructor. She enjoys seeing the game grow. “I’m just overwhelmed by the amount of female golfers,” Bakken says. “It just makes me so excited because my biggest passion is to help women get comfortable playing golf—whether it’s to play with their husbands or for business or just with friends.”
In addition to instructing, Bakken is working to revamp Brookview Golf Academy in Golden Valley; she’s increased women’s classes from two to this year’s nearly 100, offered late April to September.
While she helps golfers improve their game, Bakken also looks forward to seeing how Team Minnesota and the United States National Development Program will change the country’s golf landscape. “Other countries have all had national teams for years and years,” Bakken says. “I think this will raise the level of play and competition. For the few that do go pro, it will help.”
Katie Bakken
Instagram: @katiebakkengolf
