A few years ago, Brandon Testa envisioned Pine Ridge Golf Course’s future. After more than two decades in the Sartell community, the local entrepreneur saw an opportunity to transform the course into something new, different and built around connection.
Enter Three Tees Golf & Social, which has a vision of being fun, affordable, easygoing and accessible to all.
Three Tees Golf and Social in Sartell.
“It was of interest and exciting as I was in the market for commercial property to develop a new restaurant on,” Testa said. “The saying goes, I found a piece of property to build a restaurant, and it came with a 9-hole golf course.”
The course features a nine-hole layout, driving range, upgraded carts and equipment, and an amiable staff. In 2025, local golfers voted Three Tees the Best Golf Course in Central Minnesota, which management believes is a testament to how warmly the community has embraced this new chapter.
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Three Tees Golf and Social in Sartell.
Backing up, the City of Sartell sold the course in 2024, and Testa retained the tenant golf operators for one year as part of the original agreement. The golf course opened the following year under the new ownership, Three Tees Golf, LLC. While waiting for the new building to be completed, the group worked out of a temporary trailer.
The course opened April 11 of this year for its second season, and the new full-service restaurant and bar opened April 16 for guests.
Testa says he enjoys collaborating with the team “to have it all come together and create this amenity for the community and beyond.”
“This project has had its share of challenges,” he told the Times. “All of that is behind us now, and we are looking forward with only a positive outlook.”
The location counts 18 employees, between full-time and part-time, on the golf side. At the restaurant and bar, the combination of full and part-time workers is approximately 35.
Three Tees has a lighted driving range, practice green, indoor and outdoor social spaces, including a patio, party room and the aforementioned new restaurant. The restaurant has a full bar and serves “tavern-style classics,” including pizza.
The golf shop opens daily at 7 a.m., while the restaurant and bar adjust its times, so it’s wise to check its website or call ahead to 320-258-7200. In May, Three Tees opens daily at 11 a.m., except Monday and Tuesday, when they open at 4 p.m. Testa says these hours also will adjust for summer.
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Three Tees Golf and Social in Sartell.
“There’s always time FORE nine,” he said. “Three Tees offers a non-intimidating, yet challenging play for golfers at every skill level. Youth to seniors, it is a course for everyone.”
Testa graduated from Colorado State University with a hospitality business management degree. During the past 26 years, he has run other locations and concepts as a small regional independent restaurant operator.
Three Tees Golf and Social in Sartell.
“My focus has always been the same, and it shows with the opening of the restaurant, improvements to the course and overall investment made in the property,” Testa said. “This was a city amenity that needed a fresh start. We are committed to keeping it a local community amenity for many years to come…I am excited and proud of what we have accomplished and to show the community of Sartell and central Minnesota why Three Tees Golf & Social will be a destination for many.”
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Three Tees Golf & Social opens in Sartell