Fargo Country Club, North Dakota
The par four 18th hole at Fargo Country Club in North Dakota is a fine closer.
In August 2022, work and pleasure brought my wife, newborn daughter, and I to the northwest region of Minnesota. An in-law’s cabin was the site of our first trip as a family of three. After a few great days with family, we decided to make the short drive across the border to Fargo, North Dakota. We ventured across the border for two compelling reasons: firstly, our home boasts a wall adorned with a United States map, and this visit allowed us to proudly check off our photo of the Roughrider State; and secondly, driven by my deep-seated love for golf, I share a parallel aspiration with our map, to indulge in my passion in every state.
North Dakota is known for its vast prairies, recent oil boom, and passionate hockey fan base. The Fargo area, including its suburbs, is home to over 260,000 residents, making it both the largest city and metropolitan area in North Dakota by population by a long shot. The city has a vibrant downtown, and when we visited in late August it was packed to the brim. I was shocked at the level of activity. We attended Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary, ate lunch at 701 Eateries, took a walk through the Northern Plains Botanical Garden, and viewed some open houses on the south side of town. All were worthwhile stops. We also walked around the North Dakota State University campus and marveled at the school’s football practice facilities. The setup appeared better suited for an NFL team rather than an FCS one, leaving us genuinely impressed.
Like many of the other states I’ve highlighted in this series, North Dakota golf is very different in spots. As the topography changes, so too do the golf courses. The eastern side of the state favors parkland layouts, while the western expanse is a more open style of golf course. Three sites—Minot Country Club, The Links of North Dakota, and Hawktree—are listed in GolfWeek’s top 100 public courses in the country. That’s not a bad tally for a state of just under 800,000.
Fargo Country Club is one of three private clubs in the area. Moorhead Country Club, across the Red River in Minnesota, and Oxbow Country Club, just south of town in a remote, upscale area, are the other two. Fargo Country Club is regarded by GolfWeek as the second-best private course in the state after Oxbow, and Top100GolfCourses.com currently ranks it fourth after a trio of further west public layouts. In 1995, a Utahn named D. Scott Hailes won the U.S. Junior Championship at the William Watson design. It remains the only USGA championship in the state’s history.
The member who hosted me, Dave, was a fellow Minnesota native who had recently made his way to North Dakota. He was the consummate host, a younger guy who, like me, had a keen interest in golf course architecture and the game itself. He was incredibly flexible in accommodating a twilight tee time for me and an all-around great guy.
The championship tees stretch 6972 yards, but Dave and I opted to play from 6550 instead. A 72.9 rating from the members, Fargo Country Club, the oldest course in the state, is a stern test either way. The golf course is defined by two very different nines. The first half is strictly old fashioned, tree-lined parkland layout with a few holes bordering the Red River. The back nine plays on a more undulated part of the property, and the river comes into play on the latter half. Due to the meandering nature of the river, an interesting geographical phenomenon occurs on the back nine, precisely on the 15th and 16th holes. At this unique point, Minnesota is technically positioned to the west, yet you find yourself physically touching North Dakota soil. Geography is funny like that sometimes.
The first two holes on the course butt up against the river, and the third is a great high-risk, high-reward short par four. Long hitters can take dead aim over the pond on the left, while mere mortals should take their medicine and lay up on the right. You can still attack the pin from that side with a wedge or short iron. It was my favorite hole on the front nine, with the 508-yard par five second the runner-up. I love greens that are protected by multiple bunkers and a false front, as they make for a very interesting approach shot. You can make four or six just as easily. I made six.
Hole 10 is an awesome opening to the back nine. If you hit your drive far enough on the dogleg right, you may catch a speed slot and your ball will tumble down the hill. I am a lefty without a draw in my arsenal, so my drive ran through the fairway. Situated between the 11th and the 16th greens are a unique set of European-looking bathrooms. Speaking of the 16th, Fargo’s antepenultimate hole is another great short par four that moves left to right and is guarded by a giant, picturesque oak tree on the left. Not to fear, fellow slicing lefties: holes one, four, 13, 17, and 18 favor our way of playing. The closing hole is a great par four with an uphill approach to a tricky green.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the golf course overall, my primary critique lies within the fact that the front nine is distinctly flat and sometimes uninspiring. A few of the holes seem to mold together and there’s nothing too noteworthy. While I love old fashioned parkland golf courses, the fact of the matter is that a lot of them are losing out, for better or for worse, to the new tricked-up, mock links courses of the world. It’s the same ailment I referred to in the South Dakota post in October.
The bottom line, however, is that Fargo is a very fine parkland golf course, one that purists will savor. The greens roll true and conditions were in tip top shape. There are a lot of features—the fine clubhouse, the great practice facility and amenities, the short course—that make this the ultimate family club. It’s a no brainer to play Fargo Country Club if you’re in the area and can manage to get on.
(Please note that there won’t be a golf blog post in two weeks, as we are set to reveal our favorite books of 2023 on January 3rd. The next golf post will be scheduled for January 17th.)