GolfPass Icon
Rating Index Rating
Tooltip Information Icon
4.9
19 Reviews (19)
5 Stars
17
4 Stars
2
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.8
Layout
4.9
Friendliness
4.4
Pace
4.0
Amenities
4.3
100.0%
Recommend this course
19 out of 19 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
0
5 Stars
0
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
0
Value
0
Layout
0
Friendliness
0
Pace
0
Amenities
0
0%
Recommend this course
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
0
5 Stars
0
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
0
Value
0
Layout
0
Friendliness
0
Pace
0
Amenities
0
0%
Recommend this course
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Public
Par 72
Length 6809 yards
Slope 148
Rating 74.2

Course Details

Year Built 1991
Fairways Arcadia & Touchdown Bluegrass
Greens Penncross Bent Grass
Golf Season Open: 4/15 Closed: 11/01

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes
GPS Yes
Pull-carts Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Caddies No
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes

Food & Beverage

Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities

Reviews

4.9
19 Reviews (19)
Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
5.0
Previously Played

Best Value in the South Metro

The course is always immaculate. As always, the colors are wonderful in the fall and on Tuesday's this year, they reduced the price of a round w/cart and included lunch as a complete package. If I was retired, that would be my go to course EVERY Tuesday.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Hidden gem

Great course and excellent value. A short drive south of the metro area. Excellent design and layout. This should be a must play for all metro area golfers and visitors to the MSP area.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Great Golf course

just South of the twin cities great course great people that run it . challenging course during the fall we have seen plenty of Deer

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Beautiful course, good golf experience

Rolling hills, beautiful woodland course south of Twin Cities. Plenty challenging, nice layout. Good to excellent condition. Friendly pro shop staff and very accommodating starter. I think this course is a real gem and played it twice during my brief stay in Northfield.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 18
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Top 10 Public Course in Minnesota

Gets my vote as a top 10 public course in Minnesota. One of my favorite places to bring golf events. No houses. Fun layout and always in great shape.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 54
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 1000 Contributor
Minnesota Advisor
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

A tough course but a real treat to play

I made a goal for myself to play Willingers this season and I fulfilled that goal today and I am glad that I did. This course is beautifully maintained and
I love the layout of it. The clubhouse is very nice, pro shop isn't huge but they have a nice selection and everything is fairly priced. They have a very nice driving range and one of my favorite parts, they have a practice bunker. We don't see a lot of those in MN. Pace of play was pretty good, only slowed down once but they allowed us to pass. Staff was very welcoming and made me feel like a valued customer. Greens were quick and they have white sand bunkers, which I love. This course is awesome but it will make you work. A lot of dog legs, water and tough bunkers. Plenty of elevated tees and greens, and some very memorable holes. I will absolutely be back to patronize Willingers and am looking forward to it.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 109
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 250 Contributor
Minnesota Advisor
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Difficult Course, Worth the Drive

Willinger's Golf Club is a beautiful, difficult, and totally fun course to play. Located in a rural area about 35 miles from the Twin Cities, the course is totally isolated from housing developments and traffic. Wiillinger's is visually striking, with some rolling topography, water, marshes and beautiful wooded areas. The course is not excessively long: 6,809 yards from the back “tournament” tees, while the “championship” and “regular” tees play to 6,310 and 5,936 yards. But as I'll describe later, the length isn't what makes the course difficult. And with ratings of 74.3, 72.3, and 70.5 and slopes of 147, 143 and 142 respectively for the three sets of tees, the course is difficult. (There is also a forward set of tees at 5,167 yards, so a lack of length should not deter golfers from playing the course.) The first thing that catches your eye on the first tee is the water that borders the right side of the fairway for about the first 200 yards. Since the hole is a dogleft right, the last thing you want to see on your first drive is the dreaded slice. If you don't hit the fairway, you'll notice that there is no intermediate cut of rough off the fairway. There is fairway and there is rough, and the rough is high enough to completely obscure your ball. Unless you get lucky with the lie, you won't be hitting any more than a short iron to return to the fairway. The water on the first hole is a harbinger of things to come, as water comes into play on about half of the holes. Where there isn't water bordering the fairway, you'll find woods and other stuff you don't want to be in. This course will punish you if you don't find the fairway. The second hole, a par 5, illustrates another of the features that makes the course difficult. The fairway varies significantly in width, from generous to very stingy. You must choose your club carefully and be sure of your distances in order to reach the preferred landing areas, unless you are accurate enough to hit the narrow parts of the fairway. Be sure to pick up a yardage guide that is provided in the pro shot in order to see exactly how the fairways vary in width so you can pick the right club. And pay attention to the Pro's Advice for each of the holes. This advice is especially handy when dealing with the significant elevation changes on the back nine. Several holes have you driving from an elevated tee and then back up to an elevated green. Unfortunately, the Pro can't help you once you reach the green. These greens are large, averaging 7,750 square feet, so you need to be aware of the pin placement in order to choose the right club for your approach shot. They are also undulating, smooth, and fast. It took a while for our foursome to adjust to the speed, especially on downhill putts that would not stop until they were well past the hole. Did I say the course was difficult? This was my first time to play the course, and I have to admit that the course won. But with very reasonable green fees for a high quality golfing experience, I'll gladly make the drive to come play again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 69
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 500 Contributor
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Great course

This was one of the best golf courses I've played in some time. Layout was challenging but playable, course conditions were excellent, cost was ok, staff was nice. I don't know why it's not rated in top public courses in MN.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Fun challenge

I hadn't played here for years and I'm glad I went back. It's prettier than I remember and a lot of fun. I like a challenging course, but not too long, and from the white tees, it was perfect for me. It's not a course for beginners.
The variety of holes is excellent, the condition was very good and I like the clubhouse redo. The food was good, greens fees are moderate (good value) and the practice facilities are nice. If I had one complaint it's that the greens were a little slow for me, but probably just fine for most golfers.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

Great course and value just south of the Metro.

This was the second time I have played Willingers in the past 3 weeks, and this is a hidden gem near the Twin Cities. Prices are very reasonable, the course definitely is a "Top 10" Minneapolis public course as it is challenging and fun for any handicapper.

I'm looking forward to heading back down for a few rounds in 2013!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

Willinger's remains a great value and great golf.

Great golf, friendly staff and a good value. Greens were in super condition. Good fall golf

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

Very Impressed with course conditions, even in the late fall.

I have heard many good things about Willingers, however I had never played this course until now. On the 26th of October this course was still in very good shape considering the weather conditions. I was very impressed with the course layout, it was challenging which I enjoyed. I would recommend playing this course and am planning on playing again at least once before winter.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

As usual Great course and now at a discount with golf now

Love the open yet challenging fairways and protected greens.
Course condition was very good for lat fall play.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

One of Minnesota's Best

Love, Love this course. It's a scenic heaven, no jumbo homes along side fairways, just nature, you and golf. I spend my summer playing different courses throughout Minnesota. This course is very well maintained and in my opinion has some of the best greens. I'm an average player shooting from low to high 80's and this course is so much fun because I can get par's, chances at birdies and eat up my game quickly when I make poor decisions and poor shots. If I could afford it, I would play here alot more.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser

Great condition for mid october!

The greens had just been punched a week prior, but you would never have been able to tell by speed and consistancy alone. great value for mid october golf!

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 27
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

scenic and a tough but fair challenge

great layout with tons of variety. you must play smart but can take risk/reward shots on some holes. good practice facilitys and clubhouse. very scenic, always in great shape. premium course at very moderate price.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

Well groomed course

I like this couse because every hole presents different challenges...water, trees, sand, etc. Fairways and greens are well kept. Staff is friendly and helpful. I love this course...try to play it 2 to 3 times a season.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 13
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0

All around fantastic facility

This club has a wonderful golf course, clubhouse and staff. The course is always in great shape and plays fair. And so does the staff. They are friendly, courteous, helpful and accomodating. What goes on here should be emulated by other metro area clubs.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

Hidden Gem in MN

Willinger's is a challenging course that is always well maintained. Each hole is unique and tests your skills, but are very playable from the white tees for a high handicapper.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Nearby Courses
Elko, Minnesota
Public
3.6327
49
Northfield, Minnesota
Semi-Private
4.3542
48
Lakeville, Minnesota
Public
3.9329764706
234
New Prague, Minnesota
Public
3.9143705882
310
Prior Lake, Minnesota
Public
3.3516571429
14
Faribault, Minnesota
Semi-Private
4.3971823529
32
New Prague, Minnesota
Public/Municipal
4.3464142857
106
Montgomery, Minnesota
Public
4.1505
93
Faribault, Minnesota
Public
4.4515647059
165
Farmington, Minnesota
Public
3.0
1
Lakeville, Minnesota
Private
5.0
1
Prior Lake, Minnesota
Public
3.0
3
Now Reading