The Links of North Dakota

This course is located apx 30 minutes away from my hometown of williston. So i am no stranger to the links of ND. That being said i still consider it a treat every time i get the opportunity to get out and play here. And this year i can honestly say it is in AMAZING shape especially for how early on in the year it was when i played. The greens were absolutely impeccable and the course just overall in one of the best all around conditions i have seen it in years. I believe there has been a recent change in management and it shows virtually everywhere! The wind was absolutely howling which is not uncommon for this true links style of course and with virtually no trees and a few bushes here and there your going to feel every bit of it. The course was virtually empty and we hardly even saw another person on the course needless to say at not point did we hit any traffic which also is not necessarily uncommon for this course being located 30 miles from Williston especially if you can make it out here on a weekday. For being a top 100 course i would say that is probably not the norm for most of them but makes for a fun relaxed round of golf on an amazing course with big greens and beautiful scenery if you hit it at the right time. The price for a round is also exceptionally low for as amazing of a course it is and probably about half price of what most people are used to when playing a course of this caliber. If you are ever in the area or traveling through and have never played here i highly recommend making the detour. One generally does not have a problem locking in a tee time however it is always smart to call ahead of time to do so in case of any events or anything they may have going on. The staff is ND friendly and more than accommodating, with a nice little pro shop, snack bar, drink cart on the course and usually something good cooking in the little kitchen for a bite to eat at the turn. Dont miss out on this hidden gem as it is a course you will not forget and certainly wont regret making the drive out to Red Mike!

It’s worth the effort to find The Links. True links course with no trees or water, but watch for the wind!! Always rated as the top couple courses in NDak and that’s accurate. Staff is helpful and courteous. You will not regret playing The Links

This course has the potential to be the best course in the state. The views of Lake Sakakawea on nearly every hole, the drastic elevation changes(one par 3 feels similar to the famous one at Torrey Pines), the bunkering, the beautiful fescue create such an incredible atmosphere of feeling like you're the only person within 100 miles... and then you get to the greens.

The complexes themselves are good, even interesting, however the amount of winter kill on them for a round at the end of June is unacceptable. A local told me that they took the tarps off too late but these greens aren't even close to being acceptable.

I fancy myself a pretty solid golfer(hover right around a 1 handicap) but I couldn't even sniff the hole on the 6 or 7 birdie chances I had within 8 feet of the hole. They were so bad it started to get in your head by the end of the round.

This course has unlimited potential but the greens need to be brought under control if they want repeat business from golfers like myself driving across the state to play it. If they could do this, people may travel across the country to play it.

Of the three big courses in ND, this one would have to be my favorite. Bully Pulpit and Hawktree are great but this one is truly special.
I showed up on a day that had an 80 person group outing tee off several hours before I arrived so it was still backed up when I teed off. I started out by myself but ended up playing with 3 locals who were fantastic to play with and life long friends. My thanks go out to them for all the insight into the course and the use of their rangefinder.
This course unfortunately does not have GPS in the carts which is my only knock on this course. A rangefinder is helpful but there are several holes that you an't see from the tee boxes. Plus there are no yardage signs in the fairways.
The course is a links style with fescue separating the holes. There are many elevated holes and blind shots. The views of Lake Sakakawea are everywhere and quite breathtaking. As long as you stay out of the rough the course plays fairly easy. The greens are big and very sloped. Sand bunkers are everywhere with no water hazards. I felt good walking away with an 83 since I never used my driver or fairway woods for teeing off with.
I developed some mental thing with them as this was the 28th and final course I played in 7 days. I guess bad habits and mental fatigue will creep in eventually. This was a perfect way to end my trip with a course of this challenge and beauty. There wasn't even a breeze blowing that day and the locals told me this is fairly common there, shattering the stereotype of constant wind.
If you are in the Williston area, you have to drive out of the way to play this course. You'll never forget it or regret it.