Best golf courses: USA - Midwest (Upper)

USA - Midwest (Upper): the table below provides brief details about the top golf courses in this country or region. Each golf club has been visited and/or researched by Where2Golf. Click on the course name below to discover more. The course ratings below range from 5 highest, to 2 lowest. They attempt to provide an indication of the golfing experience you might expect at the course (based on its design, condition and surroundings). Hover your cursor above the Rating Key for the rating definitions.
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Cedar Rapids / Iowa City
Spear, William

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Cedar Rapids / Iowa City

Designer

William J Spear
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Minneapolis / St Paul
Hurdzan, Michael

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Original nine-hole layout dates from the 1960s; extended to 27-holes by Dr Michael J. Hurdzan (1990).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Cedar Rapids / Iowa City
Jones, Rees

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Cedar Rapids / Iowa City

Designer

Rees Jones

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Brainerd
Palmer, Arnold

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brainerd

Designer

An Arnold Palmer Signature Course.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Bismarck
Hurdzan, Michael

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bismarck

Designer

Dr Michael J. Hurdzan

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Cedar Rapids / Iowa City
Ross, Donald

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Cedar Rapids / Iowa City

Designer

Original design by Donald Ross (1915); restored by Ron Prichard (2015).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Minneapolis / St Paul
Hills, Arthur

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Arthur Hills
4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Brainerd
Jones II, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brainerd

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Jr designed the Dutch Legacy course (1998) and Bobby's Legacy course (1998).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Minneapolis / St Paul
Jones, Rees

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Rees Jones

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Des Moines
Dye, Pete

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Des Moines

Designer

Original 36-holes at this location laid out in 1958 by Bill Byers (Des Moines G&CC's course superintendent). Pete Dye designed the current North Course (1968) and South Course (1969). Pete Dye and his associate Tim Liddy renovated all 36-holes (2013-16).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
North Platte
Nicklaus & Doak

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

North Platte

Designer

Jack Nicklaus (White course, 2006) / Tom Doak of Renaissance Golf Design (Red course, 2013).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Minneapolis / St Paul
Jones II, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Jr

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Duluth
Brauer, Jeff

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Duluth

Designer

Jeffery D. (Jeff) Brauer

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Duluth
Brauer, Jeff

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Duluth

Designer

Jeffery D. "Jeff" Brauer

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Des Moines
Fazio, Tom

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Des Moines

Designer

Tom Fazio

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Brainerd
Goldstrand, Joel

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brainerd

Designer

Joel Goldstrand

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Brainerd
Helbling & Morley

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brainerd

Designer

Dan Helbling & Mike Morley

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Rapid City
Wyss, Patrick

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Rapid City

Designer

Patrick Wyss
5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Des Moines
Foster, Keith

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Des Moines

Designer

Keith R. Foster

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Bismarck
Engh, Jim

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bismarck

Designer

James (Jim) Engh

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Minneapolis / St Paul
Jones Sr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Original design by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1962); modifications by his son Rees Jones (2010).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Sioux Falls
Fieldhouse & Adams

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Sioux Falls

Designer

Homer Fieldhouse (1953), later revised by Chic Adams.
Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Minneapolis / St Paul
Watson, Willie

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Original design by William "Willie" Watson (1911); remodelled by Donald Ross (1921); modifications by Brian Silva (2006).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Omaha
Bates, Gene

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Omaha

Designer

Gene Bates
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Grand Forks
Palmer, Arnold

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Grand Forks

Designer

An Arnold Palmer Signature Course.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Minneapolis / St Paul
Gill-Miller Design.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Garrett Gill & Paul Miller of Gill/Miller Design.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Bismarck
Kay, Stephen

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bismarck

Designer

Stephen Kay

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Brainerd
Hoffman, Scott

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brainerd

Designer

Scott Hoffmann (course superintendent) in consultation with Geoffrey Cornish, John Harris & Warren Rebholz.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Rapid City
Gill, David

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Rapid City

Designer

David Gill

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Minneapolis / St Paul
Gill-Miller Design.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Garrett Gill & Paul Miller of Gill/Miller Design.
4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
North Platte
Lehman & Brands

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

North Platte

Designer

Tom Lehman & Chris Brands

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
North Platte
Marsh, Graham

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

North Platte

Designer

Graham Marsh

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Des Moines
Norby, Kevin

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Des Moines

Designer

Kevin Norby of Herfort Norby & Assocs.
4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Omaha
LaFoy, John

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Omaha

Designer

John LaFoy

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Rapid City
Farris, Ron

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Rapid City

Designer

Ron Farris

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Minneapolis / St Paul
Cupp & Fought

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Co-designed by Bob Cupp & John Fought.

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
North Platte
Coore & Crenshaw

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

North Platte

Designer

Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Cedar Rapids / Iowa City
Jacobson, Rick

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Cedar Rapids / Iowa City

Designer

Rick Jacobson

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Minneapolis / St Paul
Fazio, Tom

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Tom Fazio

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Minneapolis / St Paul
Weed, Bobby

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Bobby Weed

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Des Moines
Palmer, Arnold

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Des Moines

Designer

An Arnold Palmer Signature Course.

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Minneapolis / St Paul
Palmer & Lehman

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Arnold Palmer & Ed Seay in consultation with Tom Lehman.

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Minneapolis / St Paul
Ross, Donald

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Founded as a sailing club in 1889, White Bear YC introduced golf in 1912 with a 9-hole course designed by William "Willie" Watson. Course redesigned and extended to a full 18 by Donald Ross (1915).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Duluth
Brauer, Jeff

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Duluth

Designer

Jeffery D. "Jeff" Brauer

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Omaha
White, Jim

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Omaha

Designer

Jim White
4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
North Platte
Axland & Proctor

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

North Platte

Designer

Dave Axland & Dan Proctor

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Minneapolis / St Paul
Weiskopf & Morrish

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish
4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Minneapolis / St Paul
Gill-Miller Design.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Minneapolis / St Paul

Designer

Garrett Gill & Paul Miller of Gill/Miller Design.
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Omaha
Brauer, Jeff

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Omaha

Designer

Jeffery D. (Jeff) Brauer

Find a course

Or

Tournaments

124th US Open: the No.2 Course at Pinehurst once again plays host to this most illustrious championship (June 13-16). Wyndham Clark defends his title, having won at Los Angeles CC in 2023.

79th Women’s US Open: the second women’s major championship of the season gets underway at Lancaster CC in Pennsylvania. It’s the second time the championship has been held here.
(May 30-June 2).

Who's Who

Nelly Korda: won the Mizuho Americas Open (May 16-19) at Liberty National GC, continuing her extraordinary form in LPGA events. This was her sixth win in seven starts in 2024.

Xander Schauffele: recorded his first major championship win, and second record-equalling low score of 62 in a major. Only he, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry have achieved this feat in a men’s major championship.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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