South Dakota, despite its relatively small population, has quite a lot of golf courses. You can find 130 golf courses in total, 85 of which are public, 37 are municipal, and 8 are private.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the best golf courses in the Mount Rushmore State. We’ll mainly focus on public golf courses because our blog means to serve as an introduction to South Dakota golfing for people living outside the state, but we’ll also mention some famous private courses.
Our list will include golf courses with high ratings from experts, as well as courses which might not top the lists of famous publications but are nonetheless popular with tourists.
Sutton Bay Golf
Sutton Bay is often mentioned in respectable golf publications as the absolute best course in all of South Dakota. Located in Sutton Bay, in the town of Agar, the Sutton Bay Golf Club is the stuff of golf dreams. Membership is naturally costly, but the golf club allows for non-member bookings as well.
The golf course sits above the landforms of the Missouri River and next to the beautiful Lake Oahe. The terrain is near perfect for golfing and the views will leave you speechless. If you’re an avid golfer, we highly recommend visiting this top-rated golf course in the heart of South Dakota.
Address: 28950 Sutton Bay Trail, Agar, SD 57520
The Golf Club at Red Rock
The Golf Club at Red Rock is a public golf course in Rapid City, SD. The course was designed by architect Ron Farris and it’s been open to the public for two decades now. The Red Rock course is located on the edge of the Black Hills National Forest and it combines the wilderness of virgin nature with a highly-stylized minimalist approach to course design.
It’s one of the best golf courses in the States that is laid out on a mountain slope and it would make for an exciting game of golf. Get ready for some really intense downhill and uphill shots that would make the game all the more worth it.
Address: 6520 Birkdale Rd, Rapid City, SD 57702
The Bluffs Golf Course
The Bluffs Golf Course, located in Vermillion, SD, is a favorite of locals and tourists alike. It might not have the spectacular views that Sutton Bay provides, but there’s a reason why golfers keep going back there. Reason one – it’s incredibly fun.
The Bluffs, a public golf course which opened to the public in 1996, is known for its tricky holes that spice up the gameplay. Seven of the holes involve water play which is why so many people, especially tourists, flock to the course.
Address: 2021 E Main St, Vermillion, SD 57069
Minnehaha Golf Club
Minnehaha Golf Club is among the oldest golf courses in South Dakota. Having been designed in 1917 by architects William Langford and Theodore Moreau, the golf course looks almost the same a century later, excluding the renovation work done to prevent floods to the area in 2010.
Minnehaha Golf Course in Sioux Falls, SD is a historical course that often hosts world-class events such as PGA Tour events. It’s a private country club which unfortunately is not open to the wider public, but we just had to mention it on the list as it’s spectacular.
Address: 3101 W 22nd St, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
Prairie Green Golf Course
For those of you vacationing in Sioux Falls who are not members of Minnehaha Country Club, there’s some good news – the Prairie Green Golf Course is right there and it’s public.
Don’t think that you have to sacrifice a good time just because you’re not a member of the exclusive country club because Prairie Green is also often mentioned as one of the top courses in the state.
Just as the name suggests, Prairie Green offers luscious green slopes and two distinctive circuits, one of which binds nine holes close together, and the other places the other nine holes on a vast area. The 15th hole is the highlight of the course and it takes your ball from a pretty peninsula into a small lake.
Address: 600 E 69th St, Sioux Falls, SD 57108
Meadowbrook Golf Course
Meadowbrook in Rapid City, SD is another public golf course which receives high praise from avid golfers. Designed in the 1970’s by architect David Gull, the course has hosted many tournaments including the US Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship in 1986.
The golf course is noted for the diverse nature that encircles it. Many holes involve water play, while others are located among the tall pine trees and stands of cottonwood and spruce. Meadowbrook Golf Course is designed with nature in mind for an enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing golf experience like no other.
Address: 3625 Jackson Blvd, Rapid City, SD 57702
Lee Park Golf Course
The Lee Park Golf Course in Aberdeen, SD is famous for being the course where the world-renowned Bauer sisters got their start as it was owned by their father in the mid-20th century. Lee Park is a pretty standard municipal golf course which might not immediately make you gasp, but it provides really good golf conditions and it’s a great spot for amateur golfers.
Address: 1028 8th Ave NW, Aberdeen, SD 57401
Conclusion
Have you visited any of the golf courses mentioned in the article? Do you want to visit one after reading it? Let us know!