White Bear Yacht Club

On the shores of White Bear Lake, twenty miles northeast of St. Paul, nestles one of the best but least well-known classical golf courses in the USA.

The White Bear Yacht Club dates back to 1889 and according to club records, William Watson added a 9-hole golf course to the club's recreational portfolio in 1912. Three years later, Donald Ross was commissioned to construct a second nine and to redesign the original layout.

The club has a rich and interesting history: Walter Hagen held the White Bear course record for years and Tom Vardon, younger brother of six-time British Open champion Harry, was the club professional. In 1929 White Bear member Harrison Johnston won the US Amateur Championship at Pebble Beach. Defending champion, Bobby Jones was the favourite to win the 1929 US Amateur, making it three-in-a-row but he was knocked out in the first round. More recently, Tom Doak declared that the course at White Bear Yacht Club comprises some of the best Donald Ross designed holes he has ever seen.

Writing in The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses, Doak commented as follows: “Our favorite course in the Twin Cities, White Bear Yacht Club is one of the last hidden gems in America – a great course that hardly anyone mentions. Likely part of the reason for its anonymity is that from the big par-4 1st hole to the blind tee shot on the 18th, it is a walk on the wild side, with fairway undulations that would require a small craft advisory, and greens that would make Perry Maxwell blush.”

With modest length, White Bear requires accuracy rather than length from the tee. If you suffer from a lack of balance, White Bear might not be the course for you as you will seldom get a flat stance.