RUM RIVER HILLS GOLF CLUB

The undulating prairie terrain north of the Twin Cities creates natural amphitheaters for golf, and this Tom Lehman design maximizes every elevation change with strategic bunkering that punishes wayward drives while rewarding precise iron play. Water hazards snake through seven holes without feeling contrived, particularly the risk-reward par-5 finishing hole where the Rum River itself guards the green's left side. Minnesota's notoriously fickle winds make club selection a constant chess match, but the generous fairways give weekend warriors a fighting chance while still testing scratch players from the tips.