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Minnesota News
Feven Gerezgiher
Blaine, Minn.

3M Open, USA Cup and other sports boost local businesses in Blaine

Golfer tees off as crowd watches
K.H. Lee chips onto the sixth green during the first round at the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club Thursday in Blaine, Minn. The 3M Open brings an estimated $60 million economic impact to Blaine, according to Mayor Tim Sanders.
Bruce Kluckhohn | AP

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Between the 3M Open and a youth hockey tournament, the city of Blaine was bustling with thousands of sports fans on Saturday morning. Area businesses are reaping the benefits.

Parents rolled out cases of Gatorade at the local Target. A packed hotel offered guests complimentary golf tees imprinted with their logo. The nearby sandwich shop rushed to send off 800 subs for volunteers.

“We love it,” said Lydia Carter, front office manager at the Best Western Plus Blaine at the National Sports Center. She said the hotel was at capacity for the weekend, as was also at capacity for the ten days of the USA Cup the week prior.

With several major sport facilities in town — the 660-acre National Sports Center, TPC Twin Cities golf course, Four Seasons Curling Club, Fogerty Ice Arena — the north Twin Cities suburb has become a center for sports in the country.

The 3M Open alone brought $60 million worth of economic impact to the region last year, according to Blaine Mayor Tim Sanders. The golf tournament is the only annual PGA Tour event in Minnesota.

Minnesota gets regular PGA Tour stop

Dozens of training camps and competitions for sports take place year-round, with Blaine also home to training facilities for the Minnesota United Football Club and the USA Women’s National Hockey Team.

“It's really spurred on a lot of future developments that are focused and put a lot of energy and strategy and time into bringing to life more amenities for our visitors to really enjoy and be able to stay a little bit closer to these world class events,” Sanders said.

colorful macarons on display
Macarons by Maddie Lu is one of the businesses that benefit from the booming sports business in Blaine.
Feven Gerezgiher | MPR News

When baker Maddie Carlos was looking for a new location for her dessert shop, Macarons by Maddie Lu, it was a “no-brainer” to open near the National Sports Center in Blaine. “There's events going on constantly,” she said.

Some workers in the area said they appreciate the international customer base that comes along with major sporting events.

Harrison Frazee, general manager for Jersey Mike’s, said a family that drove up from Mexico for the 3M Open had looked forward to their first sandwiches there. “You get to kinda bring them new experiences as they’re doing a little bit bigger experiences,” he said.