Fall is the Perfect Time for Minnesota Golf

Minnesotans are wild about golf. The state is typically at or near the top in the country for the percentage of golfers in the state. But in the fall of the year, when temperatures cool a bit from the hot summer, many Minnesota golfers start doing other activities—leaving the courses more accessible. That’s just one of the reasons why fall golf in Minnesota is so great.

In the fall, Minnesotans start preparing for hunting season, younger golfers are heading back to school and on most Sunday afternoons many would-be golfers are ensconced in front of their wide-screen televisions taking in the Vikings game, so that is the perfect time to get out.

But accessibility is just the beginning. Cooler temperatures in the mid-seventies (after a blistering hot and muggy summer) are perfect golfing weather. These are indeed the ideal days to hit the links in Minnesota.

And there are plenty of great golf courses to play: from historic muni’s (such as Keller Golf Club) to award-winning high-end Twin Cities (e.g. The Wilds and The Legends) and resort courses up north (such as Giants Ridge and Wilderness at Fortune Bay). Plenty of Minnesota courses show up on the national “Best of” lists and a decent percentage of the top golf courses in Minnesota are public access.

The biggest boon for fall golfers in Minnesota is course conditioning. Minnesota is loaded with hundreds of great golf courses that are well-tended, but this time of the year makes the conditioning rise to another level of excellence. In September in Minnesota, it is the peak growing season for the area, and many golf courses are in the best shape they are all season.

The conventional misconception is that Minnesota is under ice and snow most of the year and that golf in the fall is played on skates with orange golf balls and thermal underwear. But in fact, Minnesotans know that fall golf is arguably the best time to play in the state and it is one of the area’s best-kept secrets. People think it is a short golf season here, but anyone who has spent time in the area knows the truth—including a golfing giant who has built some courses in Minnesota.

“Minnesota is very golf-wise,” Arnold Palmer said. “There’s a misconception that the season is so short. But if you don’t mind a little cool weather, you can get even months of golf in and there are not many places in the U.S. where you can play golf longer than that comfortably. So it doesn’t surprise me that Minnesota is becoming a golf mecca.”

The King knows. And now you do, too. Just don’t tell anyone.