Minnesota has 10,000 lakes, hundreds of highways, and over 400 courses of all shapes and sizes – making it the perfect locale for a do-it-yourself Minnesota golf courses tour designed for weekend warriors, amateur athletes, and golfer wannabes.
The natural beauty and diversity of Minnesota’s terrain provides the landscape for top designers to build impressive courses here, making it the number one golf state per capita. It’s a great place to go and pretend to be a good golfer.
Warroad Estates Golf Course
Warroad, Minnesota was first stop on the Minnesota golf courses tour. Located in a residential setting on Lake of the Woods, Warroad Estates Golf Course caters to beginner and experienced golfers alike with four sets of tees. And it tests everyone with plenty of water and sand throughout. Be sure to take notice of their 9th green, shaped like the home state.
Minakwa Golf Course
Crookston features Minakwa Golf Course. This lovely 9-hole course was established in 1923, contributing to Minnesota’s long golf tradition. It’s home to the University of Minnesota/ Crookston men’s and women’s golf teams, for instance. It also saves the best for last. With the final two holes both being par-5s, and the longest on the course.
Sandhill River Golf Course
The picturesque town of Fertile opened the 9-hole Sandhill River Golf Course in 1996, built by volunteer labour. It’s a pleasure and challenge to play, with the Sand Hill River bordering six of nine holes, and lots of forest throughout. This means you get a fairly private round, while the course gets a bunch of your golf balls.
Wildflower Golf Course
Next destination on the Minnesota golf courses tour was Detroit Lakes, and Wildflower Golf Course. Built in the tradition of Scotland’s seaside golf, Wildflower captures the spirit of tall grass prairie meets lakeside. With noticeable elevation changes, Pelican Lake in view, and charming old farm buildings, the course is scenic and serene.
Thumper Pond
Then it’s on to the town of Ottertail, and Thumper Pond. Guests to this resort can enjoy 18-holes, fine dining, a massive indoor waterpark, and a luxurious spa. Thumper Pond was once touted ‘must-play in Minnesota’ by Golf Magazine, and turned out to be most memorable course for my own golf tour.
I achieved a number of ‘firsts’ here. My first time golfing alongside an actual real-life golf pro. It’s also where I scored my first birdie, won my first closest-to-the-pin challenge, and – with a glorious score of 98 – broke into double digits for the first time.
Oak Crest Golf Course
Our final stop was Oak Crest Golf Course in Roseau. This one has a very homey feel, perhaps because of its close proximity to Canadian soil. Or maybe due to the fact that the pro shop manager was a transplanted Saskatchewanian with fiercely proud prairie roots.
I was glad to emerge from the battle of Oak Crest with 101 – not quite breaking 100, but good enough to make me happy, and proving for the first time that snowmen don’t HAVE to exist in summer.
