x
Skip to main content
Golf Logo
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
The 15 best golf courses in Minnesota (2022/2023)
SHARE
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Golf Logo
  • News
    • Latest
      • News
      • Features
      • Shows
      • PGA Tour Schedule
    • Series
      • Tour Confidential
      • Monday Finish
      • Hot Mic
      • Rogers Report
    • Shows
      • The Scoop
      • Subpar
      • Seen & Heard
  • Instruction
    • Game Improvement
      • Driving
      • Approach Shots
      • Bunker Shots
      • Short Game
      • Putting
      • Rules
      • Fitness
    • Series
      • Top 100 Teachers
      • Rules Guy
      • The Etiquetteist
    • Shows
      • Warming Up
      • Play Smart
      • Short Game Chef
      • Pros Teaching Joes
  • Gear
    • Clubs
      • Drivers
      • Irons
      • Hybrids
      • Fairway Woods
      • Wedges
      • Putters
    • Other Gear
      • Balls
      • Shoes
      • Apparel
      • Golf Accessories
    • Series
      • ClubTest
      • Winner’s Bag
    • Shows
      • Fully Equipped
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • Travel
      • Course Finder
      • Courses
      • Resorts
    • Lifestyle
      • Accessories
      • Celebrities
      • Food
      • Style
      • Betting Advice
    • Shows
      • Super Secrets
      • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Clubs
      • Shafts
      • Training Aids
      • Balls
      • Bags
      • Technology
      • Apparel
      • Accessories
      • Our Picks
      • Shop All
    • Collections
      • The GOLF Collection
      • The Birdie Juice Collection
      • The Fully Equipped Collection
      • Shop All
  • Newsletters
    • Sign Up for GOLF’s Newsletters
      • Hot Mic
      • Monday Finish
      • Play Smart
      • Our Picks
      • Top Stories
      • Sign Up for All
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Features
    • Shows
    • PGA Tour Schedule
  • Instruction
    • All Instruction
    • Driving
    • Approach Shots
    • Bunker Shots
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Rules
    • Fitness
  • Gear
    • All Gear
    • Drivers
    • Irons
    • Hybrids
    • Fairway Woods
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Balls
    • Shoes
    • Apparel
    • Golf Accessories
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • All Travel
    • All Lifestyle
    • Course Finder
    • Courses
    • Resorts
    • Accessories
    • Celebrities
    • Food
    • Style
    • Betting Advice
  • Series
    • Tour Confidential
    • Monday Finish
    • Hot Mic
    • Rogers Report
    • Rules Guy
    • The Etiquetteist
    • ClubTest
    • Winner’s Bag
  • Shows
    • The Scoop
    • Subpar
    • Seen & Heard
    • Warming Up
    • Play Smart
    • Short Game Chef
    • Pros Teaching Joes
    • Fully Equipped
    • Super Secrets
    • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Clubs
    • Shafts
    • Training Aids
    • Balls
    • Bags
    • Technology
    • Apparel
    • Accessories
    • The GOLF Collection
    • The Birdie Juice Collection
    • The Fully Equipped Collection
  • Newsletters
    • Hot Mic
    • Monday Finish
    • Play Smart
    • Top Stories
    • Our Picks
    • Sign Up for All
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
InsideGolf

Over $140 of value - Just $39.99

InsideGOLF
Travel

The 15 best golf courses in Minnesota (2022/2023)

By: GOLF's Course Raters and Ran Morrissett, Architecture Editor
December 25, 2022
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
white bear yacht club

White Bear Yacht Club in White Bear Lake, Minn.

Patrick Koenig

As part of GOLF’s course rating process for 2022-23, our fleet of 100-plus expert panelists identified the best golf courses in Minnesota. Browse the links below to check out all of our course rankings, or scroll down to see the best courses in Minnesota.

GOLF’s other course rankings: Top 100 Courses in the World | Top 100 Courses in the U.S. | Top 100 Courses You Can Play | Top 100 Value Courses in the U.S. | America’s Best Municipal Courses | The 100 Best Short Courses in the World

The best golf courses in Minnesota (2022/2023)

SYMBOL GUIDE
1 = Top 100 Course in the U.S.
P = Public/Resort Course
V = Top 100 Value Course in the U.S.
M = Top 30 Municipal Course in the U.S.

Ed. note: Some courses were omitted from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes.

1. White Bear Yacht Club (White Bear Lake) [1]

William Watson deserves the credit for laying out the holes that are the backbone of today’s course, though the club historian notes that Donald Ross “gave freely of his advice in its development.” The two Scots were surely bewitched by the opportunity to work on this roly-poly landscape. The view from the 1st tee of the 18-foot-deep greenside bunker tells you this is going to be different, though nothing really prepares you for such a one-off hole as the elegant 12h with its long fallaway green. It’s great to see a 6,500-yard course put on a pedestal.

2. Interlachen (Edina)

Interlachen in Edina, Minn. Getty Images

3. Northland (Duluth)

Situated high above Lake Superior, this is one of the more stunning and surprising courses on this list to play. Putts that experienced golfers read as breaking X feet actually break twice that much, such is the invisible pull of the lake. Donald Ross renovated the course in 1927 and in his vast portfolio of courses, this remains one of his most distinctive efforts.

4. Hazeltine National (Chaska)

5. Midland Hills (Roseville)

6. Somerset (Mendota Heights)

7. Minikahda Club (Minneapolis)

The 3rd hole at The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis.
The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis. Courtesy Photo

8. Spring Hill (Wayzata)

9. Rochester (Rochester)

10. Minneapolis GC (St. Louis Park)

11. Windsong Farm (Independence)

12. Giant’s Ridge — Quarry (Biwabik) [P]

The 13th hole at the quarry at giants ridge.
The Quarry course at Giant’s Ridge. GOLF

13. Town & Country (St. Paul)

14. Olympic Hills (Eden Prairie)

15. The Classic at Madden’s (Brainerd) [P]

How we rank our courses

For GOLF’s course rankings lists, each panelist is provided a list of hundreds of courses and “buckets,” or groupings. If they believe the course to be among the best in its category (World, U.S. Value, etc.), they check the corresponding box to place it in a specific bucket. Panelists are also free to write in courses they felt should have been included on the ballot. Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes. From those point tallies, the courses are then ranked accordingly.

The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 117 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and globally. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries.

Because we don’t prescribe a set method to assess courses as other ranks do, no one opinion carries the day — our rank is a democracy. Some panelists believe that enjoyment is the ultimate goal, and thus prioritize design attributes such as width and playing angles, while frowning on upon having to constantly hunt for balls in thick rough. Other panelists value challenge and the demands of hitting every club in the bag. Still others consider a course’s surroundings and overall environment of paramount importance, thereby emphasizing the setting and naturalness of the course. In the end, allowing raters to freely express their tastes is what produces the desired eclecticism in our Top 100 lists.

Panelist integrity is vital. Voters with any ties or associations to eligible courses must flag such conflicts. Panelists also know not to let the quality of their play influence their ballot — same for a luxe experience or clubhouse. While opulence may make for a more a memorable outing, it’s not what GOLF’s course lists are about. Our focus is on design and architecture. We study the course, not the trappings around it.

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate GolfLogix.

Latest In Travel

4 days ago

Royal Dornoch names designer for ambitious masterplan

5 days ago

St. Andrews golf guide: a 5-day dream trip to the Kingdom of Fife

6 days ago

Philadelphia Cricket Club: The 6 most critical shots at the Truist Championship

1 week ago

This war-weary nation's only golf course is short on yards — but long on charm

generic profile image

Golf.com Editor

Related Articles

Travel
The Lido

50 best golf courses in the Heartland | GOLF's 2024-25 ranking

By: GOLF's Course Ratings Panel
Travel
a view of pacific dunes in bandon oregon

50 best golf courses in the West | GOLF's 2024-25 ranking

By: GOLF's Course Ratings Panel
Travel
The 5th hole of the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort.

50 best golf courses in the Southeast | GOLF's 2024-25 ranking

By: GOLF's Course Ratings Panel
Travel
An aerial view of Oakmont.

50 best golf courses in the Northeast | GOLF's 2024-25 ranking

By: GOLF's Course Ratings Panel
Courses
The 17th green at Yeamans Hall golf course in South Carolina

Why this low-country gem was my favorite course I played in 2024

By: Maddi MacClurg
Travel
A look down the 6th hole at the "Old" at Leven.

A course that exists just one day a year inspired our best-read travel story of 2024

By: Josh Sens
Travel
best golf courses in the us

The best golf courses in all 50 states for 2024-25, ranked!

By: GOLF's Course Raters and Ran Morrissett, Architecture Editor
Travel
Shooting Star, Teton Village WY

Best golf courses in Wyoming for 2024-25

By: GOLF's Course Raters and Ran Morrissett, Architecture Editor
Travel
The par-4 2nd hole at Erin Hills.

Best golf courses in Wisconsin for 2024-25

By: GOLF's Course Raters and Ran Morrissett, Architecture Editor
Sign up for GOLF's Newsletters
Get the latest news, the hottest instruction tips, new product releases, golf media insider reports and more delivered directly to your inbox. Choose your favorites now.
Sign Up
Categories
  • News
  • Instruction
  • Gear
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
Services
  • Masthead
  • GOLF Media Kit
  • GOLF Magazine Customer Service
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Opt-out of Ads/Sharing
  • Your Privacy Choices
Social
  • facebook
  • x
  • instagram
  • youtube
Membership
InsideGOLF Logo
More than $140 Value for JUST $39.99

INCLUDES 12 SRIXON Z-STAR XV GOLF BALLS, 1 YR OF GOLF MAGAZINE, $20 FAIRWAY JOCKEY CREDIT - AND MUCH MORE!

LEARN MORE

© 2025 EB Golf Media LLC. An 8AM Golf Affiliated Brand. All Rights Reserved. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

Go to mobile version