Summer in Grand Forks is an amazing time of year. One of the best ways to enjoy the warm weather and sunshine is by playing a round of golf with your friends and family. I personally try to get out on the course as much as possible. It’s on my bucket list to play every course in North Dakota, so I’m familiar with our local courses along with many others in the area. Here are 5 of my favorite local courses, in no particular order. Get out your clubs and get on the green!

1. Valley Golf Course (East Grand Forks, MN)

This course located on the east side of the river is my “home” course where I play most of my golf throughout the summer, and is a favorite due to the variety of conditions you’ll find. You get a links style course on the front nine and a more traditional wooded river course on the back nine holes. It is well maintained and always a fun time! There’s even a putting green located near the clubhouse and anyone can practice for free – a great feature for an afternoon with kids.

2. King’s Walk Golf Course (Grand Forks, ND)

In my opinion, King’s Walk isn’t just Grand Forks’s best public course, it’s also one of the best courses in the state. The great Arnold Palmer designed this course and modeled it after the links style courses of Ireland and Scotland. It is not without its challenges – their fescue style rough is some of the toughest grass I’ve ever attempted to hit a ball out of. I would make sure you have a couple extra golf balls before you give this course a try!

And if you’re looking for a different kind of course, don’t forget to check out the Eagle’s Crest Grill in the King’s Walk clubhouse while you’re there.  They’ve got some great eats like battered walleye, 14 different kinds of lahvosh, and an excellent Cuban sandwich.

3. Ray Richards Golf Course (Grand Forks, ND)

The University of North Dakota’s own golf course located on the south end of their campus offers a great time. It is not overly challenging and has a family-friendly feel. They recently added a frisbee golf course alongside their original golf course, so you have that option as well. It’s my favorite place to play a quick nine holes, maybe it will become one of yours as well!

4. Larimore Golf Course (Larimore, ND)

This hidden gem is located about 20 minutes west of the City of Grand Forks. The hills and trees of the Turtle River valley give it a unique feel difficult to find anywhere else in our area. I look forward to playing this one at every opportunity, and it is well worth the short drive. Give this one a shot if you want to mix it up and play something a little different, while being truly surrounded by nature.

5. Whispering Oaks Golf Course (Manvel, ND)

Another great small-town course in our area located just 15 minutes north of Grand Forks. They recently remodeled their clubhouse and added some great food items like hearty steak tips and mashed potatoes or grilled smoked chicken and stuffing. This course offers plenty of wooded areas and water throughout most of the course, giving it a more traditional feel. A unique feature of this course is that they have two different sets of tee boxes. This allows them to change tees every week giving you a different look. It’s a friendly course and always a great time!

These are just five of my personal favorites but there are many more great courses in the Grand Forks area to check out. A few of my honorable mentions would be Lincoln Golf Course, Sandhill River Golf Course, and Oak Knolls Golf Club. So find a nice day, grab a few friends, and enjoy some golf!