Dacotah Ridge

The Dacotah Ridge Golf Course offers a number of geographical sleights-of-hand in its name. For one, it’s located in southwest Minnesota and not quite near either of the Dakota states. The Wabash is a river best known as the principal water passage of Indiana, but here the Wabasha Creek serves as the principal water hazard at this Rees Jones-designed course. If you’re not keen on such trivia, and only upon finding an adventurous round of golf in the Minnesota foothills, then continue reading.

Jones has constructed a number of casino-affiliated courses for golfers looking to live large, potentially losing as many golf balls as they do chips at the poker table. Dacotah Ridge may provide such an opportunity, as both the Wabash and a series of irrigation ponds will require either well-judged carries or well-placed approach shots. Although the large fairway bunker complexes around the course will certainly not help your score get any lower, they’ll at least help you find your ball.

The course is located just four miles and, with a peak season rate of less than $70, perhaps it's wise to skip the casino altogether and just camp out at the golf course?