Golfweek’s Best 2022: Top public and private courses in North Dakota

Wide-open skies and a river valley add to the scene at the No. 1-rated public course in North Dakota.

The Links of North Dakota, opened in 1995 near the small city of Ray, is the top-rated public-access golf course in North Dakota. Built by Stephen Kay on bluffs above Lake Sakakawea – part of the Missouri River – the Links of North Dakota features panoramic scenery that includes the river valley and rolling hillsides.

Golfweek’s Best offers many lists of course rankings, with that of top public-access courses in each state among the most popular. All the courses on this list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time.

Also popular are the Golfweek’s Best rankings of top private courses in each state, and that list for North Dakota’s private offerings is likewise included below.

MORE: Best Modern | Best Classic | Top 200 Resort | Top 200 Residential | Top 100 Best You Can Play

(m): Modern course, built in or after 1960
(c): Classic course, built before 1960