The best public-access and private golf courses in Minnesota, ranked

Looking to play the best golf courses in Minnesota? Welcome to our annual Golfweek’s Best ranking of public-access and private courses.

Following are the rankings for both types of courses, as judged by our nationwide network of raters. The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce all our Golfweek’s Best course rankings.

The courses on the first list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required.

KEY: (m) modern, built in 1960 or after; (c) classic, built before 1960. For courses with a number preceding the (m) or (c), that is where the course ranks on Golfweek’s Best lists for top 200 modern and classic courses in the U.S.

* indicates new or returning to the rankings

Best public-access courses in Minnesota

The Classic at Madden’s on Gull Lake in Minnesota (Courtesy of Madden’s on Gull Lake)

1. Giants Ridge (Quarry)
Biwabik (T122m)

T2. Breezy Point Resort (Deacon’s Lodge)
Brainerd (m)
Book your tee time at Breezy Point

T2. Madden’s on Gull Lake (Classic)
Brainerd (m)

4. Wilderness at Fortune Bay
Tower (m)

5. Giants Ridge (Legend)
Biwabik (m)

6. Chaska Town Course
Chaska (m)

7. Meadows at Mystic Lake
Prior Lake (m)
Book your tee time at Mystic Lake

8. StoneRidge
Stillwater (m)

9. The Wilds
Prior Lake (m)

10. Rush Creek
Maple Grove (m)
Book your tee time at Rush Creek today

Best private courses in Minnesota

Hazeltine National in Minnesota (USGA/Russell Kirk)

1. Spring Hill
Wayzata (T47m)

2. Interlachen
Edina (65c)

3. Minikahda Club
Minneapolis (T81c)

4. Hazeltine National
Chaska (T77m)

5. White Bear Yacht Club
White Bear Lake (T89c)

6. Windsong Farm
Independence (T154m)

7. Northland
Duluth (T161c)

8. Somerset
Mendola Heights (c)

9. Minneapolis GC
St. Louis Park (c)

10. Somerby Golf Club*
Byron (m)