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

1. Giants Ridge (Quarry)

Biwabik (T122m)

T2. Breezy Point Resort (Deacon’s Lodge)

Brainerd (m)

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)

8. StoneRidge

Stillwater (m)

9. The Wilds

Prior Lake (m)

10. Rush Creek

Maple Grove (m)

Best private courses in Minnesota

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)