Minneapolis may be one of the most underrated golf regions in the US, but it has some of the top golf courses in the country.
Most of the golf courses in Minnesota are just a short drive from the state’s largest city.
But when it comes to public golf courses, a majority of the finest courses are found in Minnesota’s northern region. But there are a handful of fantastic public layouts that reside within the Twin Cities.
In this guide, we will review some of the best public golf courses in Minneapolis, highlighting key aspects of each course.
So, if you are planning to have a good time in Minneapolis, continue reading this article to find out more information.
List of the Best Public Golf Courses in Minneapolis
- The Minikahda Club: Best Overall
- Spring Hill Golf Club: 2nd Best
- Interlachen Country Club: 3rd Best
- Midland Hills Country Club
- White Bear Yacht Club
- Somerset Country Club
- TPC Twin Cities
- Olympic Hills Golf Club
- Minnesota Valley Country Club
- Minneapolis Golf Club
- Rush Creek Golf Club
- Town & Country Club
- Oak Ridge Country Club: Oak Ridge
- Keller Golf Course
- Baker National Golf Course
- Braemar Golf Course: Championship
- Chaska Town Course
- Stonebridge Golf Club
- Meadows at Mystic Lake
- The Jewel Golf Club
The Best Public Golf Courses in Minneapolis
1. The Minikahda Club
- Location: Excelsior Boulevard
- Length: 6,815 yards
- Par: 72
- Architect(s): Willie Watson, Robert Foulis, Thomas Bendelow, and Donald Ross
- Championships: U.S. Open (1916) U.S. Amateur (1927) Walker Cup (1957) U.S. Women’s Amateur (1988) Curtis Cup (1998) U.S. Senior Amateur (2017)
- Year Established: 1898
Minikahda Golf Club has one of the best golf courses in Minneapolis as well as in the state of Minnesota. It is also one of the oldest golf clubs in the west of Mississippi.
Another interesting fact about the club is that it is based on the values of the family, including fellowship, so players feel like part of a large family.
2. Spring Hill Golf Club
- Location: Wayzata
- Length: 7035 yards
- Par: 72
- Architect(s): Tom Fazio (1999) and Dennis Wise (1999)
- Year Established: 1999
- Championships: 2005 Minnesota Men’s Collegiate Invitational
Tom Fazio is one of the most decorated course designers, but the construction of Springs Hill required a lot of manipulation.
For this reason, Fazio had to utilize existing topography to form what is considered one of the most natural designs.
This is evident in how holes are separated by thick forests of evergreens.
3. Interlachen Country Club
- Location: Edina
- Length: 6,981 yards
- Par: 73
- Architect(s): William Watson
- Year Established: 1911
- Championships: the 1930 U.S. Open; the 2002 Solheim Cup; and the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open
Interlachen is one of the toughest courses to play on.
It is characterized by a hilly, tree-lined design with plenty of bunkers and small greens.
Women golfers have been using it to showcase their prowess.
4. Midland Hills Country Club
- Location: Roseville
- Length: 6,867 yards
- Par: 71
- Architect(s): Seth Raynor
- Year Established: 1920
- Championships: 2006 Minnesota State Amateur Championship; Qualification site for the 2024 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship
The overall architecture of the Midland Hills Country Club makes it one of the best public golf courses in Minneapolis.
It has undergone lots of renovations to improve the old, dull, and shrunken course.
Part of this improvement reflected Seth Raynor’s original design for the course, including individual holes and bunkers.
5. White Bear Yacht Club
- Location: Dellwood
- Length: 6,471 yards
- Architect(s): Donald Ross & Willie Watson
- Par: 72
- Year Established: 1912
- Championships: ILYA Championship in 2023; MGA Women’s State Amateur Championship in 2018
Before relocating to Carlifonia, where he participated in laying the foundation of some of the best courses in the state, William Watson was one of the earliest champions of golf in Minnesota.
He was instrumental in laying the first nine holes at White Yacht Club in 1912 on some of the most roly-poly land imaginable.
Several years later, Donald Ross added the remaining nine holes and remodeled the course.
6. Somerset Country Club
- Location: Mendota Heights
- Length: 6728 yards
- Par: 72
- Architect(s): Seth Raynor,
- Year Established: 1921
- Championships: 39th Mid-Amateur Championship in 2022; US Am Tour
This is another cool golf course, known for many things.
It is counted as one of the best golf courses in Minnesota and the region.
We love it because of its spacious fairways and fantastic greens.
7. TPC Twin Cities
- Location: Blaine
- Length: 7,164 yards
- Par: 72
- Architect(s): Arnold Palmer
- Year Established: 2000
- Championships: 3M Open (formerly 3M Championship) in 2018 and 2023
As if destined to be a great golf course, TPC Twin Cities was constructed on the site of a former sod farm just 15 miles north of Minneapolis.
The course plays among native prairie grasses and includes over 20 water bodies.
8. Olympic Hills Golf Club
- Location: Eden Prairie
- Length: 7,400 yards
- Par: 72
- Architect(s): Charlie Maddox and Ron Prichard
- Year Established: 1969
- Championships: U.S. Open: 1987, 1998, 2012; Tour Championship: 1993, 1994; U.S. Women’s Open: 2021; U.S. Amateur: 1981, 2007; U.S. Junior Amateur: 2004; U.S. Amateur Four-Ball: 2015
Architect Ron Prichard found an existing layout by Charles Maddox and completely reformed it into a brand-new course that is counted as one of the best public golf courses in Minneapolis.
9. Minnesota Valley Country Club
- Location: Bloomington
- Length: 6,812 yards
- Par: 73
- Architect(s): Seth Raynor
- Year Established: 1925
- Championships: 121st MGA Amateur Championship in 2024; Minnesota Women’s State Open
Minnesota Valley Country Club is a solid throwback golf course that utilizes old template holes like the Biarritz and Redan.
10. Minneapolis Golf Club
- Location: St. Louis Park
- Length: 7,045 yards
- Architect(s): Willie Park, Jr., and Donald Ross
- Par: 72
- Year Established: 1916
- Championships: the United States Amateur in 1950; the PGA Championship in 1959.
This club is welcoming to all like-minded people who are passionate about golfing, and it has a solid history.
It started as a nine-hole course on a site that was originally the Golden Valley Country Club.
11. Rush Creek Golf Club
- Location: Maple Grove
- Length: 7,306 yards
- Par: 72
- Architect(s): John Fought and Bob Cupp
- Year Established: 1996
- Championships: 2024 Minnesota State Open Championship; the 2004 U.S. Amateur Public Links
This course has plenty of design variety with elevation changes, deep bunkers, and well-placed hazards, creating the much-desired challenge.
Another impressive thing about this course is that it has a scenic layout and has hosted major tournaments, especially in the 1990s.
12. Town & Country Club
- Location: St. Paul
- Length: 6,381 yards
- Par: 72
- Architect(s): Cass Gilbert and Jeff Mingay
- Year Established: 1888
- Championships: the 2038 U.S. Open and the 2045 U.S. Women’s Open
Located beside the Mississippi River, Town & Country Club is just ten minutes away from both Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
And besides being one of the best public golf courses in Minneapolis, it is also the fifth oldest women’s club in the nation and the second oldest west of the Mississippi.
13. Oak Ridge Country Club: Oak Ridge
- Location: Hopkins
- Length: 6612 yards
- Par: 70
- Architect(s): William D. Clark (1921), Garrett Gill, Craig Schreiner, and CE Golf Design
- Year Established:
- Championships: 2024 PGA Professional Championship; 2023 Oakridge Country Club Golf Tournament; 1962 MGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship
Oak Ridge Country Club is among the best public golf courses in Minneapolis, with relaxing and breathtaking scenery.
It also offers a challenging and excellent golf course that is tree-lined with well bunkered greens and plush conditions.
14. Keller Golf Course
- Location: Maplewood
- Length: 6,675 yards
- Par: 72
- Architect(s): Clarence Wigington, Paul N. Coates (1929), and Rich Mandell (2013)
- Year Established: 1929
- Championships: the St. Paul Open from 1930 to 1968; PGA Championships in 1932 and 1954
The historic Keller Golf Course is home to an 18-hole championship-level course with a large driving range and beautiful newly constructed fairways.
On top of this, it has an unmatched history in terms of history and tradition.
15. Baker National Golf Course
- Location: Medina
- Length: 6,762 yards
- Par: 72
- Architect(s): Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
- Year Established: 1986
- Championships: 95 MGCSA Championship in 1995
Baker National Golf is a fantastic tract that features an excellent driving range, practice areas, and a 9-hole evergreen executive course.
Conditions are always excellent, and the layout is out of this world.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A standard golf course usually consists of 18 holes of varied length.
Out of this, four holes are short with an average length of 130–200 yards (par 3), ten holes are average with a length of 350–400 yards, and finally, four long holes have an average length of 450–550 yards (par 5).
In the world of golf, par represents the number of strokes a pro golfer is expected to make on the course or hole.
Usually, every golf hole has an assigned par ranging from 3-5. So, on a par-4 hole, an expert player is expected to take 4 strokes to get his or her ball in the hole.
The Minneapolis metropolis has around 74 golf courses. These include 50 public golf courses and 24 private golf courses.
Further analysis shows that 48 of them are 18-hole golf courses, while 26 are 9-hole golf courses.
Final Thoughts
Minneapolis is one of the most fascinating golf destinations, yet it rarely gets the attention and recognition it deserves. It has some of the best golfing facilities in the region.
Most of them are challenging but fair courses with modern clubhouses that have exceptional service from the employees.
More importantly, some of the best public golf courses in Minneapolis are very affordable and suitable for players of all levels. So, we hope that you will get your preferred golf course from our list.
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