TCG Ultimate Golf Buddy Trips - North Dakota
play The 5 Best Public Golf Courses in North Dakota
Here’s a full Golf Buddy Trip itinerary from Minnesota that visits the 5 best public courses in North Dakota and gives you best nearby places to eat, drink and sleep!
QUICK SUMMARY:
Twin Cities → Grand Forks (King’s Walk GC) → Ray/Williston area (The Links of North Dakota) → Medora (Bully Pulpit) → South Heart/Dickinson (Pheasant Country GC) → Bismarck (Hawktree GC) → Twin Cities
🏌️COURSE #1 - King’s Walk Golf Course (Grand Forks, ND)
Why start here: It is the natural first stop coming out of the Twin Cities and gives you a strong opening round on an Arnold Palmer design before you turn west. King’s Walk is an 18-hole Arnold Palmer Signature course with a prairie-links feel, sculpted bunkers, bentgrass greens, practice area, pro shop, and Eagle’s Crest Grill on site.
🏠 Stay:
Best bets are to stay in the main Grand Forks hotel zone. Good practical options from official tourism listings include Hilton Garden Inn Grand Forks/UND and Grand Forks Lodge & Suites.
🍽️ Eat:
Best easy post-round move is Eagle’s Crest Grill at the course.
🍺 Drink:
For craft beer afterward, Half Brothers Brewing Company is a strong downtown stop, and Grand Forks tourism also highlights its brewery scene broadly.
🚗 Drive after golf:
Grand Forks to the Ray / The Links area is roughly a half-day drive west across the northern tier, so this is a good overnight city before heading to stop No. 2.
🏌️course #2 - The Links of North Dakota (Ray, nd)
Why 2nd? It keeps you moving west instead of dropping south too early. The Links sits above Lake Sakakawea and is one of the state’s signature destination rounds. The course describes itself as a true links-style layout with minimal earth-moving, strong wind exposure, five tee sets, and lodging on site via cabins and RV stalls.
🏠 Stay:
Best play is onsite cabins at The Links if available. If you want a fuller hotel setup, base in Williston; official tourism listings include the Grand Williston Hotel & Conference Center.
🍽️ Eat:
If you stay on property or in Williston, Tavern at The Grand is a solid convenient dinner choice with steaks, burgers, pasta, and award-winning appetizers.
🍺 Drink:
Williston’s official tourism guide points visitors to a broad food-and-drink scene, and 701 Chophouse is one of the city’s featured upscale options.
🚗 Drive after golf:
From here, head south/southwest into the Badlands for Medora. That progression is cleaner than trying to insert Bismarck here, because Bully Pulpit and Pheasant Country naturally pair together geographically.
🏌️course #3 - Bully Pulpit Golf Course (Medora, nd)
Why 3rd? Once you’ve come down from the northwest, Medora is the obvious marquee stop. Bully Pulpit is the Badlands round—dramatic terrain, Little Missouri River setting, and the famous finishing stretch through the buttes. North Dakota Tourism highlights holes 14–16 as the signature Badlands holes, and Golf Digest continues to rank it among the best in the state.
🏠 Stay:
Best place to stay is Medora itself, especially Rough Riders Hotel, which Medora promotes as its historic upscale option.
🍽️ Eat:
Top dinner move is Theodore’s Dining Room. For a more iconic Medora experience, Pitchfork Steak Fondue is the memorable group option when in season.
🍺 Drink:
Best buddy-trip answer is TR’s Tavern in Medora for cocktails after the round.
🚗 Drive after golf:
Bully Pulpit to Pheasant Country is the smart next leg because South Heart/Dickinson sits east of Medora, letting you keep the trip moving toward the final Bismarck finish.
🏌️course #4 - Pheasant Country Golf Course (South Heart, nd)
Why 4th? It is the perfect bridge stop between Medora and Bismarck. North Dakota Tourism calls it the “Best Hidden 18-Hole Golf Course in North Dakota,” and highlights recent upgrades including GPS carts, new tee boxes, irrigation improvements, cart paths, rerouted/lengthened holes, Birdies Bar & Grill, and an indoor simulator.
🏠 Stay:
Best practical overnight is Dickinson, not tiny South Heart. Pheasant Country specifically notes a package partnership with Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham in Dickinson, and official Dickinson tourism listings show a deep hotel inventory.
🍽️ Eat:
Easy answer is Birdies Bar & Grill right at the course.
🍺 Drink:
For a town option after golf, Phat Fish Brewing in Dickinson is a good brewery stop highlighted by local tourism.
🚗 Drive after golf:
Then finish the trip with the shortest big move left—east to Bismarck for Hawktree.
🏌️course #5 - Hawktree Golf Club (Bismarck, nd)
Why last: It gives you a strong finish in the largest city on your route, which is ideal for one final dinner and drinks night before the shortest return drive back to the Twin Cities. Hawktree is an award-winning links-style course known for big elevation change, Burnt Creek, and its distinctive black coal-slag bunkers. The official club site calls it award-winning, and outside course reviewers consistently flag the dramatic movement and visual punch.
🏠 Stay:
Best practical hotel base is north Bismarck. Official tourism listings include Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites and several other nearby options.
🍽️ Eat:
Most convenient post-round move is the Hawktree Bar & Grill on site.
🍺 Drink:
For downtown beers after the round, Laughing Sun Brewing and Gideon’s Brewing Co. are both good Bismarck options. North Dakota Tourism also highlights the broader Bismarck-Mandan brewery scene.
Recommended trip flow
Day 1: Drive from the Twin Cities → Grand Forks, play King’s Walk, stay overnight Grand Forks.
Day 2: Drive to Ray/Williston area, play The Links, stay overnight at The Links or in Williston.
Day 3: Drive to Medora, play Bully Pulpit, overnight in Medora.
Day 4: Play Pheasant Country, stay overnight in Dickinson.
Day 5: Drive to Bismarck, play Hawktree, overnight in Bismarck or drive home the next morning.
Best golf buddy-trip picks by stop
Best golf atmosphere stay: onsite cabins at The Links or Rough Riders Hotel in Medora.
Best food stop: Theodore’s Dining Room in Medora.
Best drinks stop: Half Brothers in Grand Forks, TR’s Tavern in Medora, or Laughing Sun in Bismarck.
Most scenic rounds: Bully Pulpit, The Links, Hawktree.
