Interlachen Country Club
Interlachen is a Donald Ross masterpiece in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina, and a course written into the history books. Here in 1930 Bobby Jones won the U.S. Open on the way to the only Grand Slam the game has known, and the classic Ross layout still tests the best.
Photo: Interlachen Country Club via Google.
The verdict
Interlachen Country Club is one of the Midwest's great classic courses, a Donald Ross design whose current 18 opened in 1921 in Edina, just west of Minneapolis. Ross routed it over gently rolling, glacially shaped ground with the green complexes that make his work so enduring, crowned surfaces and subtle false fronts that punish a careless approach. It plays as a par 72 of about 6,900 yards, a length that proves a great course need not be enormous to test a great player.
Its place in history is secure. In 1930 Bobby Jones won the U.S. Open at Interlachen, the third leg of the Grand Slam he would complete weeks later, and the club has since hosted the 2002 Solheim Cup and major amateur championships. For the traveling golfer it is a private members club, reached through a connection, but a round here is a walk through one of the defining chapters of American golf, on a Ross layout lovingly preserved.
Interlachen Country Club at a glance
- Opened
- 1921
- Designer
- Donald Ross
- Type
- Classic parkland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 6,900 yds
- Green fee
- Members and guests
Designer, opening year, par and length verified June 2026 from the club and leading course databases. Interlachen's Donald Ross 18 opened in 1921, a par 72 of about 6,900 yards in Edina, Minnesota; the club itself dates to 1909. It is a private club; access is generally only through a member or an arranged visit, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Interlachen is a study in classic strategic design, where the challenge lives less in length than in the angles into Ross's green complexes. The fairways move across rolling terrain with mature trees and the occasional water hazard, and the putting surfaces are firm, contoured and quick, demanding the right side of the fairway to open the safe line in. Miss in the wrong place and the up and down becomes a genuine test of touch.
History clings to several holes, none more than the par 5 ninth, where in the 1930 U.S. Open Bobby Jones thinned a long iron that skipped across the pond and onto the green, the famous lily pad shot that helped carry him toward the Grand Slam. The hole and the water remain, and standing on that tee is part of the pilgrimage. Throughout, the bunkering frames the line beautifully and the greens reward the player who flights the ball and thinks a shot ahead.
What visitors remember is the marriage of history and design quality. Interlachen is no museum piece; it is a living Ross layout that still examines the modern game, and the sense of playing where Jones, and later the world's best women at the Solheim Cup, competed gives the round a resonance few courses can match.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private members club; not generally open to public play, with access usually through a member or an arranged visit |
| Green fee | No published public fee; any guest play is arranged through the club and a host (indicative, 2026) |
| Booking | An introduction and arrangement well in advance through your host is essential |
| On the day | Walking suits the classic routing; caddies available; collared shirt and a traditional dress code expected |
| Getting there | Edina, just west of Minneapolis, about 20 minutes from downtown and from Minneapolis Saint Paul Airport |
| Best months | May through October, with high summer the most reliable for warm, settled golf |
Access arrangements verified June 2026; Interlachen is a private club and policies change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit with the club or your trip planner.
Where to stay nearby
Most visitors base themselves in Minneapolis, about 20 minutes east, 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 keeps the other great Minnesota courses within reach for a multi day itinerary.
Closer to the club, Edina itself and the southwest suburbs offer refined 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 Interlachen 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 Edina.
Build a Minnesota golf trip
We help arrange access where we can, pair Interlachen with the best of Twin Cities golf and book the lodging and transfers around your rounds. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Interlachen Country Club questions
Who designed Interlachen Country Club and when did it open?
Interlachen's current 18 hole course was designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1921 in Edina, Minnesota, near Minneapolis; the club itself was founded in 1909.
What is the par and length of Interlachen?
Interlachen is a par 72 of about 6,900 yards, a classic Ross layout whose challenge lies in its angles and green complexes rather than sheer length.
Why is Interlachen famous in golf history?
In 1930 Bobby Jones won the U.S. Open at Interlachen, the third leg of his Grand Slam, including the celebrated lily pad shot at the ninth; the club later hosted the 2002 Solheim Cup.
Can visitors play Interlachen?
Interlachen is a private members club and is not generally open to public play. Access is usually only through a member or an arranged visit, so contact well in advance is essential.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; 1930 U.S. Open and Solheim Cup history verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.