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Hardest Golf Courses in Minnesota

The 25 most challenging golf courses in Minnesota, ranked by maximum slope rating.

The hardest golf course in Minnesota on Stymie is Meadow Greens Golf Course in Lansing Township, designed by Larry Grinstead (opened in 1993). It carries a maximum slope rating of 152, stretching 3,900 yards from the back tees, placing it well above the USGA's neutral 113 and into the territory where bogey golfers should expect to lose 8-12 strokes versus their handicap. These 25 courses below are ranked by maximum slope rating, the single best proxy for "how punishing this course is" for the average golfer.

Across the full Stymie directory, the average maximum slope in Minnesota is 130 — above the typical US state benchmark around 125. 42 courses in Minnesota carry a slope of 140 or higher; a slope of 140+ is considered very difficult and demands accurate driving, distance control on iron shots, and patience around the greens.

If you're testing yourself or planning a buddy trip built around difficulty, start at the top of this list and play from a tee one set forward of your normal handicap range. Course difficulty is not the same as course quality — many of the hardest courses below also rank among the most enjoyable in the state, but the slope rating tells you to bring your A-game.

Ranked

Peak slope

152

Avg max slope

130

Slope 140+

Hardest Easiest Longest Oldest Newest

#	Course	City	Par	Slope
1	Meadow Greens Golf Course Blue-Meadow tees · 3,900 yds · Rating 42.2 · Par 36 · Larry Grinstead · 1993Lansing Township	Lansing Township	36	152
2	Interlachen Country Club#64 GD Black tees · 6,981 yds · Rating 80.6 · Par 72 · Willie Watson · 1911 · PrivateEdina	Edina	72	151
3	Rush Creek Golf Club Duncan tees · 7,290 yds · Rating 75.7 · Par 72Corcoran	Corcoran	72	149
4	Spring Hill Golf Club Championship tees · 7,035 yds · Rating 74.2 · Par 72 · PrivateOrono	Orono	72	149
5	Hazeltine National Golf Course Tournament tees · 7,674 yds · Rating 77.8 · Par 72 · Robert Trent Jones · 1962Chaska	Chaska	72	148
6	Willingers Golf Club Black tees · 6,809 yds · Rating 74.2 · Par 72 · Garrett Gill · 1991Northfield	Northfield	72	148
7	Golden Valley Country Club White tees · 6,486 yds · Rating 78.1 · Par 73 · A. W. Tillinghast · 1926Golden Valley	Golden Valley	73	148
8	Savannah Oaks Golf Club Blue tees · 3,267 yds · Rating 39.0 · Par 36Lynd	Lynd	36	148
9	TPC Twin Cities Black tees · 7,513 yds · Rating 77.2 · Par 72 · Arnold Palmer · 2000Blaine	Blaine	72	146
10	Olympic Hills Golf Club Olympic tees · 7,487 yds · Rating 76.3 · Par 72 · Charles Maddox · 1960 · PrivateEden Prairie	Eden Prairie	72	145
11	StoneRidge Golf Club Black tees · 7,013 yds · Rating 74.3 · Par 72 · Bobby Weed · 2000Stillwater	Stillwater	72	145
12	The Wilds Black tees · 7,012 yds · Rating 74.0 · Par 72 · Tom Weiskopf · 1995Prior Lake	Prior Lake	72	145
13	Dacotah Ridge Golf Club Tournament tees · 7,109 yds · Rating 74.7 · Par 72 · Rees Jones · 2000Redwood Falls	Redwood Falls	72	144
14	Bearpath Nicklaus tees · 7,047 yds · Rating 74.5 · Par 72 · Jack Nicklaus · 1996 · PrivateEden Prairie	Eden Prairie	72	144
15	Somerby Golf Club Gold tees · 7,209 yds · Rating 74.6 · Par 72Byron	Byron	72	143
16	The Wilderness at Fortune Bay Gold tees · 7,207 yds · Rating 75.5 · Par 72 · Jeff Brauer · 2004Greenwood Township	Greenwood Township	72	143
17	Wayzata Country Club Herron tees · 7,109 yds · Rating 80.9 · Par 72 · Robert B. Harris · 1958 · PrivateWayzata	Wayzata	72	143
18	Northfield Golf Club Black tees · 6,721 yds · Rating 73.1 · Par 72 · Paul N. Coates · 1926Northfield	Northfield	72	143
19	North Oaks Golf Course Black tees · 6,698 yds · Rating 79.2 · Par 74 · Stanley Thompson · 1951North Oaks	North Oaks	74	143
20	The Pines White tees · 6,185 yds · Rating 76.1 · Par 72Nisswa	Nisswa	72	143
21	Windsong Farm Golf Club Championship tees · 7,552 yds · Rating 76.0 · Par 71Independence	Independence	71	142
22	Legends Golf Club Silver tees · 7,126 yds · Rating 74.5 · Par 72Prior Lake	Prior Lake	72	142
23	Deacon's Lodge Black tees · 6,943 yds · Rating 74.1 · Par 72 · Palmer Course Design Co. · 1999Breezy Point	Breezy Point	72	142
24	Mountain Lake Golf Course Black tees · 6,927 yds · Rating 74.2 · Par 72 · 1970Jackson	Jackson	72	142
25	Braemar Golf Course Championship tees · 6,916 yds · Rating 78.8 · Par 72 · Gerry PirklEdina	Edina	72	142

Frequently asked questions

What is the hardest golf course in Minnesota?

Meadow Greens Golf Course in Lansing Township, Minnesota is the hardest ranked course with a maximum slope rating of 152. Slope rating measures the difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer relative to a scratch player — 113 is average, 140+ is very difficult, and 155 is the maximum.

How many golf courses in Minnesota have a slope rating of 140 or higher?

42 golf courses have a max slope rating of 140 or higher in Minnesota based on the scorecards in the Stymie directory. A slope of 140 or above is considered very challenging for bogey golfers.

How does Minnesota's average difficulty compare to the rest of the US?

The average maximum slope rating across golf courses in Minnesota is 130, versus a US average around 125. A higher state average indicates courses that are, on the whole, tougher for mid-to-high handicap golfers.

What makes a golf course hard?

Course difficulty is driven primarily by slope rating (how much harder it plays for a bogey golfer than a scratch golfer), course rating (how a scratch golfer would score), total yardage, hazards (water, bunkers, forced carries), green speed, and rough length. Slope rating is the single best proxy for "how tough this course is."