In honor of Hazeltine '09, I'd like to ask those that have played in the great state of MN to opine on what they believe is the best course. I have played many courses here - private and public - and have a decent idea of the courses of MN. I look forward to eventually playing Hazeltine in the future some time, but in the meatime I have played some good courses. Keller in Maplewood/St. Paul is my favorite course of all time (it hosted the PGA Championship in ''32 and '54, and hosted a PGA Tour event for many years - Arnie played there many times), but I like White Bear Yacht Club the most, even though it's maybe not for a major championship. What's your favorite/best course?

Of the ones I have played, TPC Twin Cities and The Quarry at Giants Ridge.

I have been to the TPC and the fairway's were like the greens at my local. Realy nice course. I wish I knew a member at that course.

a little off topic, but it seems you might be able to lend a helping hand, onfire...

any thoughts on rochester cc? i know it's a tillinghast. is it worth my paying 100 or so to play it??? i know it's short. is it faithful to the original design? or has it been drastically changed.

i spend time in rochester, and i always play soldiers' field, which i enjoy immensely, even if it's short and very easy.

I've never played that course, nor can I vouch for it being good. If you come to the cities, GOLF KELLER. it has history, playable conditions, and it is a a good value (I think about $28 for 18).

Is Rochester a private course? I want to play every course in MN. Apparently there are some phenominal courses up on Superior; I would love to play some of the courses on the big lake up there.

it is private, but i've gotten the impression that it's not super hard to get on, although the visiting greens fee is well beyond what i'd really like to pay. but, if it's a great track or a well preserved tillinghast, i'd do it.

if you're able to play like sept. 9, 10, or 11, i might be able to get to the cities to play keller. i'd love to see those spalding normans in person and keller definitely looks like my cup of tea.

I don't know what my status is on Sep. those dates because of my schedule, but I will check it out. Regardless, play Keller. It's maybe not phenominal to some people, but it has the history and it's a nice course for the value. Whenever a course has played a major in the past, it's worth playing.

I have never played the CC in Roch. but would like to some time. The Oaks out in Hayfield is a nice little track as well. Much nicer than soldiers. There are some nice tracks in the area. Let me know when you are in town if you are looking for someone to play with.

Back on topic. My favorite that I have played in MN is the Jewel in Lake City.

So many GREAT courses!

I love the older courses, and many have been mentioned. In no particular order:

White Bear Yacht Club
Interlachen
Minikahda
Rochester CC
Golden Valley CC
Hazeltine (for the young, strong guys)

Newer Courses
Troy Burne (Wisconsin, but right over the border)
Windsong Farms
Spring Hill
Somerby

So many more...

Kevin

Oh you lucky dog. You got to play all those courses? I played Troy Burne a couple years ago...phenominal course and really tough... a lot of bunkers.

So this Rochester CC is really nice huh?

REALLY nice. Short, but tight. I haven't played it for about 10 years. For a while, they kind of ruined the layout by taking out 3 holes and building three new ones. I understand that since then they have gone back to the original, I hope so!

Back then we used to wear out our one irons off the tee there. I have a hunch it's a little different now...

Kevin

Anyone else?

Dacotah Ridge

The Quarry @ Giants Ridge

The Preserve

Somerby

The Wilderness @ Fortune Bay

Troy Burne

Too many to list...I could go on forever.

For me, Hazeltine is the best. But, I also love Interlachen and Minikahda.

A couple of courses nobody will mention (rightfully so) but I still really enjoy:
St. Cloud CC
Pebble Creek (Becker)
Chaska Town Course

EDIT: Left out Edinburgh

Best course in the state by far is Windsong Farm. No Doubt.

Rochester CC and Keller are also fantastic. I've heard good things about Willingers GC, I'm playing it in a couple weeks so I'll let you know.

Eveleth Muni. Was my home course growing up.

It's been a while, but I always enjoyed playing Bunker Hill in Ham Lake. Former site of Champion's Tour tournament. Condition was phenomenal, affordable, and never had a poor experience as a single walkon, which is saying something as an older woman, and extremely cordial staff.

State Public: Wilderness at Fortune Bay
TC Public: Stoneridge, Chaska, Keller are all very good.

Private: Don't know, don't have access. From what I have seen, I like the looks of WBYC and Windsong Farm.

They are allowing outside members to play right now!!! Its $140??? I think for a green fee and a cart!!! As far as courses go here in Minnesnowta........ Im a huge fan of Edinburgh Golf Course where i live = ) Mississippi Dunes in chaska and good old Interlachen in edina... What a great selection of courses we have here though!!

I like when my Town Course gets some love.

Another fun track is Legends Golf Club in Prior Lake. Some really cool par 3's.

Mississippi Dunes is not a top course in the state. Location is awesome, conditions are good, layout is nice, and greens are just plain stupid. 18 dome top greens

I will agree, we do have a lot of good golf to choose from. (not as many fall specials as I had hoped so far this year.)

LOL.... the greens are what i love to hate about that course!!! You play them want to pull your hair out then you play somewhere else and it seems easy

I couldnt agree more the fall deals are terrible!!! especially in a bad Economy with a smoking ban!!!!!

Northland Country Club in Duluth ( private) great Donald Ross course. Also some of the best views ever.....

[/img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UdSfbeP6gA4/Sp_Ff00Uu5I/AAAAAAAAFBI/w_DsnxJ3PBo/s1600-h/DSC03058.JPG[/img]

Coming up to the clubhouse on 18.

Like many have said the list is long but my favorites in no particular order are:
Legends Club
Willingers
Chaska Town Course
TPC
Quarry at Giants Ridge
Classic at Maddens
Legacy courses at Craguns
Troy Burne (WI)
White Eagle (WI)

I wanted to shoot myself after playing a round at Mississippi Dunes...

Windsong by far.. drive by it every day and still have the memories of hitting that course....
A nice course right by Hazeltine is Bluff Creek...
If not the course at Mystic Lake is nice...
But for a more average weekend "hack" there is a nice one SW of Hutchinson called Oakdale...

MMV, but I never thought I'd live to see the day that Bluff Creek would be listed in a post about the best courses in MN. :P

I'm partial to Northland Country Club...amazing course and phenomenal views!

When I move back to MN...I'm joining as an out-of-area member.

BRaway1 are you from the Duluth area? NCC is my home course I grew up just off of the 4th tee box. Nothing better than the view from the 15th tee box.

I aslo second that The Classics is one of the best in MN. I have to friends that work there as well. So I get cheap rounds on one of the best public courses in the area/US

We're lucky to have so many great golf options. Brainerd Golf Trail - Classic, Pines, Preserve, Deacon's - Giant's Ridge - Metro Area public like Meadows at Mystic, Legends - a couple a bit futher Troy Burne (WI), Chaska Town. Then all the great private courses like Hazeltine, Interlachen, Minneapolis, Golden Valley, Somerset, Windsong, TPC Blaine.... on and on. I think my favorite right now is Legends since its close to home and I play it more than anywhere else.

Hey onfire, I have to say Ive had the privelage to play all over in the cities. Interlachen, Hazeltine, etc. My favorite and probably the 3rd best course Ive ever hacked on is spring hill. My number two suprisingly (maybe) is Rush Creek. I thought the layout and shape was phenomenal.

I played a real nice course when I worked for Golf Galaxy...

They held their annual retreat up there somewhere...

For the life of me, I can't remember...

I thought the course started with the letter "C"?

I am regular at Rush Creek, love the layout and that it only has two houses on the whole course

best public quarry at giants ridge

Wilderness at Fortune Bay

Just played Northland in Duluth. The greens are crazy fast. The view on 13 into the green is like an infinity pool as shown in the attached photo.
Quarry and Wilderness are amazing courses and more so when you factor in that they are on the Iron Range where summer lasts about 24 hours!
Hazeltine is unbelieveable. Lucky me has a friend who is a member.
I love White Bear Yacht Club and Woodhill. Never been out on Interlachen or Minikahda but those I know that have rave about them. Somerset in St Paul superb.
Minnesota is lucky in that bent and blue grasses flourish in the climate, as does poa which when mowed down is a great surface capable of amazing speeds like at Ridgeview CC and Northland CC in Duluth. Click to view attachment

Craguns?

I had a tee time at Northland this summer, and my daughter got sick, so we had to come home early. Would have been my first time playing it.

I absolutely loved Northland and Superior National has great holes too.

I can't believe anyone would actually say Hazeltine. That golf course is as vanilla as you get other than 16 and that is a gimmick at best. I would take Windsong 10 out of 10 times.

Hazeltine has no great holes IMO. It has 18 solid tests of golf. Great conditions. History. Golf only. Equality of members. Played a member-guest there and they called to verify my then 1 handicap! Who would lie about being a 1?! Like my member was bringing in a tour player or something. Needless to say my 1 at my club was not match for Hazeltine!
The beauty of golf courses is that reasonable minds can differ.

Ive got a dozen or so favs

Top 5 Ive played would look like this-

Windsong
Wilderness
Quarry and Legend
Troy Burne
Deacons

I've played Mississppi Dunes. I did not like it at all.

BTW, that course in Duluth looks sick. I have to play it some time. There are other courses on Lake Superior as well that have great scenery from what I hear. Stuck down here in the Cities though.

I highly suggest White Bear Yacht Club, however. Still one of me favorites. Midland Hills (private) off 280 in Roseville is nice as well.

I haven't had a chance to play any of the private courses except the TPC Twin Cites. Played it three times and think that it's very overated and overpriced. I would much rather save a hundred bucks and play Bunker Hills three miles away. My favorites in the area are.

Bunker Hills
White Eagle
Deacons Lodge
Craguns Legacy
Greystone in Sauk Centre

Whoever said Bluff Creek and Oakdale clearly is confused. We play our sectional high school tourney and number 11 at Oakdale is by far the junkiest hole I have ever played.

In order:
Hazeltine
Quarry at Giants Ridge
TPC Twin Cities
Minneapolis GC
Deacon's Lodge
Greystone GC
Meadows at Mystic Lake
Alexandria Gc

also forgot Olympic Hills and Bearpath

Sorry Dude, you forgot a lot more than those!

Kevin

wow, quite a few folk from the Duluth area - or at least have played northland, great course. here are some of my favorites in MN.

Northland CC
Troy Burne - WI
MS Dunes
Willingers
The Quarry
The Wilderness
The Legend
Edinburgh GC

Edinburgh on the weekends after 2 or so is some of the best valued golf I have found. I enjoy MS Dunes, although I think its a course that you either love it or hate it. Troy Burne, in my opinion, is probably the most difficult one on the list - its kept in phenomenal shape.

I heard Michael Jordan is a member at Minneapolis Country Club and that to join it's about $250K - the highest in the state??? Almost certain this is one hundred percent true.

I just remembered I played Minikahda years ago when a friend of mine and me tresspassed and hopped on. We got kicked off after the front nine and that was it, LOL. It was a nice course though for sure.

Spring Hill...

Where did you hear this?



Another classic I forgot about but have played several times is Hillcrest. Very short but very pretty 18 hole private course just on the border of St. Paul and North Saint Paul and Maplewood. Always liked that course.