Rank The Midwest States For Golf

[Golf10]

Guys,

 

I've lived all over the country and I believe the Midwest has some of the best golf anywhere.  What do you think the best Midwest golf states are.  I'm gonna stick with the old school Big 10 states here - Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa.

 

According to Golf Digest these are the best Midwest courses:

 

#13 - Crystal Dows (MI)

#14 - Chicago GC (IL)

#16 - Muirfield Village (OH)

#20 - Oakland Hills S (MI)

#21 - Whistling Straits (WI)

#38 - The Golf Club (OH)

#42 - Erin Hills (WI)

#43 - Victoria National (IN)

#44 - Camargo Club (OH)

#47 - Butler National (IL)

#53 - Medina III (IL)

#55 - Shoreacres (IL)

#57 - Scioto (OH)

#58 - Interlachen (MN)

#62 - Canyata (IL)

#68 - Arcadia Bluffs (MI)

#74 - Milwaukee (WI)

#75 - Olympia Fields S (IL)

#88 - Inverness (OH)

#92 - Double Eagle (OH)

#93 - Spring Hill GC (MN)

#94 - Rich Harvest Links (IL)

#97 - Blackwolf Run (WI)

#99 - Crooked Stick - (IN)

 

Best in state (Golf Digest):

 

KEY
(2017-’18 ranking in parentheses)
• America’s 100 Greatest Course
≍ America’s Second 100 Greatest Course
^ Public course
NR Not rated in 2017-’18

 

Michigan

1 . (1) Crystal Downs C.C. (pictured above), Frankfort •
2. (2) Oakland Hills C.C. (South), Bloomfield Hills •
3. (3) Arcadia Bluffs G.C., Arcadia • ^
4. (4) Kingsley Club, Kingsley ≈
5. (5) Forest Dunes G.C., Roscommon ≈ ^
6. (6) Lost Dunes G.C., Bridgman ≈
7. (7) True North G.C., Harbor Springs
8. (New) The Loop (Black), Roscommon ^
9. (9) Point O'Woods G. & C.C., Benton Harbor
10. (New) The Loop (Red), Roscommon ^
11. (11) Lochenheath G.C., Williamsburg
12. (10) Marquette G.C. (Greywalls) ^
13. (14) Oakland Hills C.C. (North), Bloomfield Hills
14. (12) Tullymore G.C., Stanwood ^
15. (17) Orchard Lake C.C.
16. (13) Franklin Hills C.C., Franklin
17. (15) Bay Harbor G.C. (Links/Quarry), Bay Harbor ^
18. (19) Belvedere G.C., Charlevoix
19. (21) Indianwood G. & C.C. (Old), Lake Orion
20. (23) Boyne Highlands Resort (Heather), Harbor Springs ^
21. (16) Grand Traverse Resort And Spa (The Bear), Acme ^
22. (20) Wuskowhan Players Club, West Olive
23. (22) Barton Hills C.C., Ann Arbor
24. (18) Eagle Eye G. Cse., Bath
25. (NR) Meadowbrook C.C., Northville

 

Ohio

1 . (1) Muirfield Village G.C. (11th hole pictured above), Dublin •
2. (2) The Golf Club, New Albany •
3. (4) Camargo Club, Indian Hill •
4. (3) Scioto C.C., Columbus •
5. (6) Inverness Club, Toledo •
6. (5) Double Eagle Club, Galena •
7. (7) Brookside C.C., Canton
8. (8) Kirtland C.C., Willoughby
9. (9) Canterbury G.C., Beechwood ≈
10. (15) Moraine C.C., Dayton ≈
11. (10) Mayfield Sand Ridge Club (Sand Ridge), Chardon
12. (12) The Country Club, Pepper Pike
13. (11) NCR C.C. (South), Kettering
14. (13) Firestone C.C. (South), Akron
15. (14) Coldstream C.C., Cincinnati
16. (17) The Virtues G.C., Nashport ^
17. (16) Firestone C.C. (North), Akron

18. (18) The G.C. at Stonelick Hills, Batavia ^
19. (NR) Shaker Heights C.C.
20. (NR) Ohio State University G.C. (Scarlet), Columbus

 

Indiana

1 . (1) Victoria National G.C. (17th hole pictured above), Newburgh •
2. (2) Crooked Stick G.C., Carmel •
3. (3) The Pete Dye Cse. At French Lick Resort ≈ ^
4. (4) Sycamore Hills G.C., Fort Wayne ≈
5. (6) The Donald Ross Cse. At French Lick Resort ^
6. (9) Birck Boilermaker G. Complex (Kampen), West Lafayette ^
7. (7) Brickyard Crossing G. Cse., Indianapolis ^
8. (8) South Bend C.C., South Bend
9. (10) The Sagamore Club, Noblesville
10. (11) Prairie View G.C., Carmel ^
11. (NR) Birck Boilermaker G. Complex (Ackerman-Allen), West Lafayette ^
12. (12) Rock Hollow G.C., Peru ^
13. (NR) Warren G. Cse., Notre Dame ^
14. (14) Woodland C.C., Carmel
15. (15) The Fort G. Cse., Indianapolis ^

 

Illinois

1 . (1) Chicago G.C., Wheaton •
2. (2) Butler National G.C., Oak Brook •
3. (3) Medinah C.C. (No. 3) (2nd hole pictured above)•
4. (5) Shoreacres, Lake Bluff •
5. (4) Canyata G.C., Marshall •
6. (6) Olympia Fields C.C. (North), Olympia Fields •
7. (7) Rich Harvest Links, Sugar Grove •
8. (NR) Old Elm Club, Highland Park
9. (9) Skokie C.C., Glencoe
10. (8) Conway Farms G.C., Lake Forest
11. (10) Olympia Fields C.C. (South), Olympia Fields
12. (12) Cog Hill G. & C.C. (No. 4), Lemont ^
13. (11) Beverly C.C., Chicago
14. (13) Medinah C.C. (No. 1)
15. (22) Butterfield C.C. (White/Blue), Oak Brook
16. (14) Black Sheep G.C. (1st/2nd), Sugar Grove
17. (18) North Shore C.C., Glenview
18. (16) Wynstone G.C., North Barrington
19. (25) Merit Club, Libertyville
20. (15) Bull Valley G.C., Woodstock
21. (23) Bob O'Link G.C., Highland Park
22. (19) Knollwood Club, Lake Forest
23. (21) Exmoor C.C., Highland Park
24. (20) Flossmoor C.C.
25. (NR) Chicago Highlands G.C., Westchester

 

Wisconsin

1 . (1) Whistling Straits (Straits), Haven • ^
2. (2) Erin Hills G. Cse. • ^
3. (3) Milwaukee C.C., River Hills •
4. (4) Blackwolf Run (River), Kohler • ^
5. (NR) Sand Valley, Nekoosa ≈ ^
6. (NR) Mammoth Dunes, Nekoosa ≈ ^
7. (6) Whistling Straits (Irish), Haven ^
8. (5) Sentryworld G. Cse., Stevens Point ^
9. (7) Blue Mound G. & C.C., Wauwatosa
10. (9) Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys), Kohler ^

 

Minnesota

1 . (1) Interlachen C.C. (6th hole pictured above), Edina •
2. (2) Spring Hill G.C., Wayzata •
3. (3) Hazeltine National G.C., Chaska ≈
4. (4) The Quarry At Giants Ridge, Biwabik ^
5. (5) White Bear Yacht Club, White Bear Lake ≈
6. (7) Windsong Farm G.C., Independence
7. (8) The Minikahda Club, Minneapolis
8. (6) Northland C.C., Duluth
9. (10) The Classic At Madden's Resort, Brainerd ^
10. (9) The Wilderness At Fortune Bay, Tower ^
11. (13) Somerset C.C., Mendota Heights
12. (12) Minneapolis G.C., St. Louis Park
13. (11) Olympic Hills G.C., Eden Prairie
14. (18) Woodhill C.C., Wayzata
15. (14) Golden Valley C.C.
16. (16) The Legend At Giants Ridge, Biwabik
17. (15) Deacon's Lodge G. Cse., Breezy Point
18. (17) Dacotah Ridge G.C., Morton
19. (20) Rochester G. & C.C.
20. (19) Somerby G.C., Byron

 

1 . (1) The Harvester G.C. (pictured above), Rhodes
2. (6) Cedar Rapids C.C.
3. (9) Davenport C.C., Pleasant Valley
4. (3) Des Moines G. & C.C. (South), West Des Moines
5. (2) Des Moines G. & C.C. (North), West Des Moines
6. (5) Wakonda Club, Des Moines
7. (4) Glen Oaks C.C. West Des Moines
8. (7) Spirit Hollow G. Cse., Burlington ^
9. (8) Blue Top Ridge At Riverside ^
10. (10) Tournament Club Of Iowa, Polk City ^

 

And now my rankings:

 

1 - Ohio: So many great courses I have to give Ohio the nod, even as a native Michigander.  Too bad so many are private

2 - Michigan: The best depth of any state in the Midwest.  Great public courses all across the state and two in the US top 20.

3 - Wisconsin: Yes I'm ranking it over Ill.  So many great courses have been built there in the last few decades.  Plus it has one of my all time favorites in Lawsonia

4 - Illinois: Insanely good courses like Chicago GC and Shoreacres.  Too bad almost nobody gets to play them.  Doesn't quite have the beauty of states like MI, WI, MN

5 - Minnesota: Lots of good courses that very few have heard of like White Bear and Duluth.  Excellent golf state

6 - Indiana: Also a good golf state but competing against the titans.  French Lick Ross is an amazing good course

7 - Iowa: Still lots of good courses, just a little short of its competitors

 

Thanks for reading.  What are your rankings?

[Argonne69]

Based on public alone, I'd rank them 1) Wisconsin, 2) Michigan, 3) Illinois, 4) Indiana, 5) Minnesota, 6) Ohio, and 7) Iowa.

 

 

[CMCSGolf]

2 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Based on public alone, I'd rank them 1) Wisconsin, 2) Michigan, 3) Illinois, 4) Indiana, 5) Minnesota, 6) Ohio, and 7) Iowa.

 

 

Argonne is 100% right on #1 and #2.  Beyond that, I'm not really sure any are real standouts.  Then it becomes a question if you're rating the cream of the crop or what golf is like for normal weekend play?  Ohio and Illinois have big populations so there are a lot of really solid courses.

 

Including privates, it's pretty easily Chicago then probably followed by Ohio.  The shear number of courses in these two states make it hard for less populous states to compare with a big list.  

[Golf10]

2 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Based on public alone, I'd rank them 1) Wisconsin, 2) Michigan, 3) Illinois, 4) Indiana, 5) Minnesota, 6) Ohio, and 7) Iowa.

 

 

Yeah it's too bad most of the highly ranked courses are private.

[UCBananaboy]

OH and IL win in the private sector. Ohio's private clubs are much easier to get on via reciprocity than IL in my experience.

 

 

[mci711]

Wisconsin may be the best public golf state in the entire country... It is top 3 for me at least (Oregon/CA/WI - NC). 

 

When looking at private+public I think it goes to Illinois. Public Illinois is miles ahead of Ohio, Ohio doesn't have a public course that is worth a $75 tee time. Private Illinois/Ohio is about even. I'd play Chicago GC over anything Ohio. In my opinion it is the best course either state has to offer AND IL is much deeper. Like having Lebron and a much deeper bench and role players.    

 

Also, a member at Butler and Chicago GC could have a tee time at any course they want in OH tomorrow. Can't say that the other way around. 

Edited October 23, 2020 by mci711

[Argonne69]

The Virtues Golf Club, aka Longaberger, is worth $75. It's a very nice Arthur Hills design. 

[CMCSGolf]

Yeah, there are several other courses in OH that are worth that. Fowler's Mill is a Pete Dye that is very good.  Eagle Sticks in Zanesville is also good.  Manakiki and Sleepy Hollow in Cleveland are better versions of Ravisloe.  If they were not run by the park district and in a city as expensive as Chicago, they would be pricy.  In IL and OH, public golf is really solid, but there aren't any great courses in either.  Mistwood, Dubs, and a few others are very good, but not exceptional.  I've played over 100 courses in both states and find them to be comparable.   Both are far short of WI and probably MI, but I haven't played much there. 

 

Ignoring exclusivity, I would say IL privates are a bit better, mostly because the top few in Chicago are phenomenal (Chicago GC, Shoreacres).  Once you get beyond that, I think the states  are relatively comparable.  The next 10 in Chicago (which is quite debatable) would line up relatively easy with the 10 best in OH (Inverness, Canterbury, Pepper Pike, Country Club, The Golf Club, Muirfield Scioto, Camargo, Double Eagle).  Going beyond that it's hard to compare and you're getting into neighborhood clubs, so I'm not sure how that shakes out.  I've played a few really nice courses in IL (like Evanston or Bull Valley) and similar ones in OH (Shaker Heights CC or Columbus CC) that are really nice and I don't know how you compare the quantity that exists in that mid range.  Also, I think The Golf Club is more similar to Butler than you think.

[mci711]

Sorry the $75 line was a bit hyperbolic. I just don't really think it is close between the 2 states. Argonne, does Virtues crack the top ten in Illinois? (Public). 

 

The more I think about Michigan the better it is as well. 

[Argonne69]

23 minutes ago, mci711 said:

Sorry the $75 line was a bit hyperbolic. I just don't really think it is close between the 2 states. Argonne, does Virtues crack the top ten in Illinois? (Public). 

 

The more I think about Michigan the better it is as well. 

 

Yeah, I think it might crack the Illinois Top 10. 

[UCBananaboy]

6 hours ago, mci711 said:

Also, a member at Butler and Chicago GC could have a tee time at any course they want in OH tomorrow. Can't say that the other way around. 

Eh, not sure that's entirely true.

 

One of the top clubs in OH turned down a round by a current Top 50 in the world Major winner this past summer. If he can't get on, I doubt members from Butler or Chicago GC would have much success.

 

I tend to agree that IL public golf is much stronger than OH. OH has the advantage in that prices are much better and the lower population affords more convenience from traveling to public courses + getting tee times. 

Edited October 23, 2020 by UCBananaboy

[Apindara]

4 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Yeah, I think it might crack the Illinois Top 10. 

What is better Arthur Hills. Virtues or Stonewall Orchard?

[Argonne69]

2 hours ago, Apindara said:

What is better Arthur Hills. Virtues or Stonewall Orchard?

 

Tough call, but I'd have to lean towards The Virtues. The Virtues has made Golf Digest's Top 100 Public Golf list for 17 years. Stonewall is not on the list. 

 

 

Edited October 24, 2020 by Argonne69

[Schley]

Chicago privates push Illinois into no. 1.

 

I like public in Wisconsin for sure.

 

Ohio has very strong privates as well.

[mci711]

Deleted. 

Edited October 24, 2020 by mci711

[Chanceman]

We have had to postpone our Wisconsin trip (Erin Hills, Lawsonia, Sand Valley, Whistling Straits) for 12 months but when it does happen we are going to extend into Michigan which looks great.

 

Greywalls, Arcadia Bluffs, Forest Dunes, The Loop, Tullymore, Pilgrims Run, Stonebrae is a terrific lineup.

 

Is there a better group of 8 public courses?

[mci711]

15 minutes ago, Chanceman said:

We have had to postpone our Wisconsin trip (Erin Hills, Lawsonia, Sand Valley, Whistling Straits) for 12 months but when it does happen we are going to extend into Michigan which looks great.

 

Greywalls, Arcadia Bluffs, Forest Dunes, The Loop, Tullymore, Pilgrims Run, Stonebrae is a terrific lineup.

 

Is there a better group of 8 public courses?

 

Whistling Straits, Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, Lawsonia Links, Erin Hills, SentryWorld, Blackwolf Run, Whistling Straits Irish...Troy Burne, University Ridge. After the courses at Arcadia Bluffs and Forest Dunes MI falls off a little bit. Wisconsin has 5 courses that 5 different people can think is the best in the state (midwest?) public wise. 

[Chanceman]

2 hours ago, mci711 said:

 

Whistling Straits, Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, Lawsonia Links, Erin Hills, SentryWorld, Blackwolf Run, Whistling Straits Irish...Troy Burne, University Ridge. After the courses at Arcadia Bluffs and Forest Dunes MI falls off a little bit. Wisconsin has 5 courses that 5 different people can think is the best in the state (midwest?) public wise. 

I should have said is there a better group of 8 outside Wisconsin, which is clearly tops with EH and WS as well as SV etc? And also is that the best G8 in Michigan itself?

[Argonne69]

1 hour ago, Chanceman said:

I should have said is there a better group of 8 outside Wisconsin, which is clearly tops with EH and WS as well as SV etc? And also is that the best G8 in Michigan itself?

 

I'd throw Bay Harbor and Treetops Signature on the list. Tullymore doesn't seem to get a lot of love in these parts.

 

[mci711]

2 hours ago, Chanceman said:

I should have said is there a better group of 8 outside Wisconsin, which is clearly tops with EH and WS as well as SV etc? And also is that the best G8 in Michigan itself?

 

Ah, sorry, I miss understood. 

[nitram]

Sticking with the Big 10 theme you forgot/overlooked Nebraska. Sand Hills is a Top 100 in the country and has to be included. The Prairie Club Dunes in Valentine is a must play as well.

[Argonne69]

4 hours ago, nitram said:

Sticking with the Big 10 theme you forgot/overlooked Nebraska. Sand Hills is a Top 100 in the country and has to be included. The Prairie Club Dunes in Valentine is a must play as well.

 

'Definitely think Nebraska has some excellent public golf. The Prairie Club is wonderful. Wild Horse is a stone cold bargain. However, us Midwesterners don't consider Nebraska to be a Midwest state. Event the mods have the state listed under the 'Prairie State' category.

 

[nitram]

Just going by the Big 10 reference. 

[mci711]

43 minutes ago, nitram said:

Just going by the Big 10 reference. 

 

"Old school big 10" - Nebraska joined in 2011. Not that it really matters, but that is what the OP was going for.

 

I haven't been to Nebraska yet, but Sand Hills may be top 3 or so of my all time bucket list and the public options are good too. The new King Collins course should be solid too. 

[CMCSGolf]

I just checked my list of courses and I'll update my Ohio/IL comment on publics.  Of the top 20 public courses between those two states, 12-15 would be from IL vs OH. I've played nothing in Cincinatti, but I don't think there is too much good stuff there.  

 

The states all offer such different things.  If you rated public courses between WI and IL, WI might have the top 10, then IL could have the next 20.  Tons of great top end golf in WI, but not that much for the every day golfer.  Chicagoland is a very nice place to be a weekend player, minus the weather...

 

Best Privates: IL then OH, but not by as much as is conventionally thought.

Best Publics: WI, MI, IL, OH

[groach]

I can't speak for other areas except MN. I can tell you that at one point we were a top 3 or 4 state for golf courses per capita. Obviously we're not going to have more courses that Illinois or Michigan based on sheer population size, I get that. However, I live in the SE section of the Twin Cities Metro area. There are 17 courses within a 20 minute drive from my house, only one of which is private.

[Florida Gator]

I’d have to give the nod to Michigan where I live now, or Wisconsin. The public course options in both are much deeper than the list shows.  Hell, Stoatin Brae isn’t even on this Michigan list and I’d say that’s on par with the Loop courses.  The depth of the public courses is great in both states, and I still have a membership in the Detroit area to avoid the 5 hour weekend rounds.

 

Prior to relocating to Michigan in late 2018, I lived in the Columbus Ohio area for 10 years and was a member at a private club.  I’ve played half of Ohio’s list and can say that you really need to be a private club member to really play great courses in Ohio, most public’s are overcrowded and poorly maintained goat paths.
 

 

[mgoblue83]

On 4/3/2021 at 11:47 AM, Florida Gator said:

I’d have to give the nod to Michigan where I live now, or Wisconsin. The public course options in both are much deeper than the list shows.  Hell, Stoatin Brae isn’t even on this Michigan list and I’d say that’s on par with the Loop courses.  The depth of the public courses is great in both states, and I still have a membership in the Detroit area to avoid the 5 hour weekend rounds.

 

Prior to relocating to Michigan in late 2018, I lived in the Columbus Ohio area for 10 years and was a member at a private club.  I’ve played half of Ohio’s list and can say that you really need to be a private club member to really play great courses in Ohio, most public’s are overcrowded and poorly maintained goat paths.
 

 

 

Be careful, the Illinois AD will write a strongly worded letter declaring Illinois public golf as the rightful champion amongst B1G states...

[Argonne69]

2 hours ago, mgoblue83 said:

 

Be careful, the Illinois AD will write a strongly worded letter declaring Illinois public golf as the rightful champion amongst B1G states...

 

I dunno. I don't think anyone in Illinois thinks we outrank Wisconsin or Michigan for public courses. Private is a whole different ballgame.

 

[mgoblue83]

10 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

I dunno. I don't think anyone in Illinois thinks we outrank Wisconsin or Michigan for public courses. Private is a whole different ballgame.

 

 

It was a reference to the B1G basketball regular season championship this year and the "strongly worded letter" the Illinois AD wrote complaining about Michigan winning... lol