Our Picks for The 10 Best Golf courses in South Dakota
1. Sutton Bay
Address: 28950 Sutton Bay Trail, Agar, South Dakota (SD) 57520, USA
Type of field: Links
Course access: Private
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 147
Course Rating: 74.9
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,287
Scorecard: Link
Golf at Sutton Bay is just one sporting component in a vast private estate that’s also devoted to hunting and fishing and the 18 holes here sit on a spectacular cliff top overlooking Lake Oahe, formed when the Missouri River was dammed in the 1960s. Golf pro turned designer Graham Marsh brought a considerable breadth of experience to South Dakota when he first looked over the site for this course back in 1999.
2. Dakota Dunes Country Club
Address: 709 Cherry Hills Lane, North Sioux City, SD 57049, USA
Type of field: Links
Course access: Private
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 134
Course Rating: 74.4
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,165
Scorecard: Link
Designed by golf legend Arnold Palmer, Dakota Dunes Golf Country Club has been rated a top course in the state by both Golf Digest and Golf Week Magazine. It debuted in 1991 when Arnie played a round to officially open the layout. Dakota Dunes Country Club lies within a large residential and business park development in the south east extremity of The Mount Rushmore State.
3. Minnehaha Country Club
Address: 3101 West 22nd Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota (SD) 57105, USA
Type of field: Parkland
Course access: Private
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 132
Course Rating: 71.3
Total par (men’s tees): 71
Total yardage (men’s tees): 6,437
Scorecard: Link
Formed in 1905, Minnehaha’s course was designed by William Langford and Theodore Moreau in 1922. Not much changed with the layout over many years until the local authorities in Sioux Falls embarked on a major flood prevention civil engineering project in 2010, requiring four acres of land on the golf course to be used for a diversion channel along the adjacent river.
4. The Golf Club At Red Rock
Address: 6520 Birkdale Road, Rapid City, South Dakota (SD) 57702, USA
Type of field: Parkland
Course access: Public
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 142
Course Rating: 73
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,006
Scorecard: Link
Designed by architect Ron Farris and opened for public play in 2003, the Golf Club at Red Rock golf course lies on the edge of the Black Hills National Forest, near the historic mining town of Rapid City. The Golf Club at Red Rock has repeatedly been ranked the #1 Golf Course in South Dakota by GolfWeek. was also ranked in the Top 200 Residential Golf Courses in the US for 2019 by GolfWeek, and voted 2019 and 2020 #1 Best Golf Course in the Black Hills by local residents.
5. Hart Ranch
Address: 23645 Clubhouse Dr, Rapid City, SD 57702, USA
Type of field: Parkland
Course access: Public
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 127
Course Rating: 72.5
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 6,841
Scorecard: Link
Hart Ranch is nestled against foothills of ponderosa pine creating a beautiful Black Hills golfing resort. After expanding to 18 holes in 1995, Hart Ranch has hosted numerous regional Black Hills Tournaments and South Dakota State Championship events. Hart Ranch is where award-winning design provides both the novice and the scratch handicapper a memorable and genuine Black Hills golfing experience.
6. Meadowbrook Golf Course
Address: 3625 Jackson Boulevard, Rapid City, South Dakota (SD) 57702, USA
Type of field: Parkland
Course access: Public
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 138
Course Rating: 73
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,054
Scorecard: Link
Meadowbrook was honored to host the 1984 USGA Women’s Public Links Championship, and the 2009 & 2010 NAIA College Women’s National Golf Championships. Meadowbrook Golf Course is a 1970s David Gill design that brings the waters of Rapid Creek into play at a handful of holes. The course is owned and operated by the Parks and Recreation Department of Rapid City. It first opened for play in 1977, designed by David Gill.
7. Southern Hills Golf Course
Address: 1130 Clubhouse Drive, Hot Springs, South Dakota (SD) 57747, USA
Type of field: Parkland
Course access: Public
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 132
Course Rating: 70.4
Total par (men’s tees): 70
Total yardage (men’s tees): 5,902
Scorecard: Link
Owned and operated as a municipal golf facility by the City of Hot Springs, it started out as a 9-hole layout in the late 1970s before subsequent expansion created the 18-hole layout that’s now in play. Southern Hills expanded to become a premier public golf destination for the experienced and recreational golfer alike.
8. Prairie Green Golf Course
Address: 600 East 69th Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota (SD) 57108, USA
Type of field: Links
Course access: Public
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 134
Course Rating: 74.2
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,179
Scorecard: Link
Located in southern Sioux Falls, the Prairie Green Golf Course is the best of three terrific public layouts that are operated by Landscapes Golf Management on behalf of the Sioux Falls City Council. Prairie Green is a mid-1990s 18-hole layout designed by Dick Nugent. The course at Prairie Green is laid out in two distinct circuits, with the front nine holes clustered together in one large compartment, then the back nine routed in a large circle around housing to the north of the clubhouse, with an underpass connecting the two properties.
9. The Bluffs Golf Course
Address: 2021 East Main Street, Vermillion, South Dakota (SD) 57069, USA
Type of field: Parkland
Course access: Public
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 123
Course Rating: 72.4
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 6,684
Scorecard: Link
Designed by Patrick H. Wyss, the Bluffs golf course opened in 1996. Built in 1996, the course is a favorite destination point for golfers of all skill levels. The course is routed around a residential community, with housing units located at a discreet distance close to several of the fairways.
10. Elkhorn Ridge Golf Club
Address: 6845 St Onge Rd, Spearfish, SD 57783, USA
Type of field: Links
Course access: Public
Length of play: 18-hole course
Slope index: 137
Course Rating: 74.6
Total par (men’s tees): 72
Total yardage (men’s tees): 7,200
Scorecard: Link
The front nine of Elkhorn Ridge Golf Club is nestled on the side of a mountain, giving way to incredible views of the Centennial Valley, while the back nine winds through the Polo Creek Canyon and its rock wall backdrops. Designed by Patrick Wyss, the course at Elkhorn Ridge Golf Club is laid out within Frawley Ranch, a National Historic Landmark.
