Interlaken Golf Club

Interlaken Golf Club carries one of the more distinguished design pedigrees in southern Minnesota. The original layout was the work of Thomas Bendelow, the Scottish-born architect who designed more American courses than anyone of his era — working at a pace that saw him shape over 700 courses across the country in the early twentieth century. His hand here dates to 1919, when Fairmont's golf community established the club along the banks of Amber Lake. Don Herfort, the prolific Minnesota-based architect responsible for dozens of courses across the upper Midwest, then refreshed the layout in 1967, smoothing Bendelow's original contours into the 18-hole championship track that plays today.

The course occupies rolling terrain on the south edge of Fairmont, with Amber Lake threading through the setting and providing both visual character and genuine hazard across several holes. Fairways are lined by mature trees throughout — a quality that gives the layout a denser, more enclosed feel than the open prairie courses typical of the region. The greens are small by modern standards and carry the undulating character associated with early-twentieth-century design: not brutally difficult, but demanding in their subtlety, particularly for players who miss on the wrong side.

At 6,453 yards from the blue tees and par 72 with a rating of 71.4 and slope of 133, Interlaken plays more demanding than its length might suggest. The slope figure is notably high for a course of this yardage — reflecting the combination of tight tree-lined corridors, a consistently challenging green complex, and the strategic positioning typical of both Bendelow and Herfort's work. There is little room to spray the ball and escape without damage.

The course has a competitive history to match its heritage. Interlaken has hosted multiple Minnesota Golf Association and Minnesota Women's Golf Association championships over the decades, as well as college and high school state events — a record that reflects the course's standing within the region rather than the star-heavy draw of the major metro clubs. It remains a semi-private facility open to the public, which means the quality of the design — a Bendelow original with Herfort's refinement — is accessible at a daily-fee price, a combination that's increasingly rare anywhere in the country.