Hazeltine National

The verdict

Hazeltine National is one of the great championship venues in American golf, a Robert Trent Jones design that opened in 1962 in Chaska, southwest of Minneapolis. Conceived from the start to host major championships, it has done exactly that, and its early reputation for severity was answered over the decades by careful refinement, much of it by Rees Jones, who softened blind shots and rebuilt for the modern professional game. It plays as a par 72 reaching about 7,674 yards from the championship tees.

The roll of honor is extraordinary. Hazeltine staged the U.S. Open in 1970 and 1991, the PGA Championship in 2002 and 2009, and in 2016 it became the stage for one of the most memorable Ryder Cups in recent memory, with the matches due to return in 2029. For the traveling golfer it is a private club, but one whose history, scale and tournament conditioning make a round here a genuine bucket list experience when access can be arranged through the right channels.

The holes worth the trip

Hazeltine is a long, muscular parkland test that asks for length and control in equal measure. The fairways roll through gently rising ground with mature trees, water and deep bunkering framing the lines, and the closing stretch beside Lake Hazeltine has decided more than one championship. The 16th, a par 4 that bends around the water, is the signature, a hole where the bold line off the tee shortens a dangerous approach and the safe line lengthens it.

The greens are large and firm at tournament speed, and the Rees Jones work gave the course definition and fairness without taming its scale. The par 3s are stout and well defended, the par 5s reachable for the strong player but guarded for the greedy, and the wind that crosses the open Minnesota terrain adds a layer that scorecards never show. From the members' tees it remains a fair and rewarding round; from the back it is a true major championship examination.

What visitors remember is the sense of occasion. Standing on tees that have hosted Trevino, Stewart, the 2009 PGA and the roaring galleries of the 2016 Ryder Cup, you feel the weight of the place. It is a course built for the biggest moments in the game and conditioned to match, and that pedigree is the heart of its appeal.

Where to stay nearby

Most visitors base themselves in Minneapolis, about 40 minutes northeast, where downtown and the lakeside neighborhoods offer the full range of luxury hotels, dining and culture for a rewarding golf trip. A Twin Cities base also keeps the other great Minnesota courses within reach for a multi day itinerary.

Closer to the club, the southwest suburbs around Chaska, Chanhassen and Eden Prairie offer comfortable hotels for golfers who want to be near the first tee for an early round. It is an ideal region to build a Minnesota golf trip around, pairing Hazeltine with the best of the Twin Cities. We can build the lodging and the routing around the round you want to play.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Minneapolis and the southwest suburbs.