
Elk River Course
Elk River Country Club



About this course
Elk River Country Club sits in the north-central Minnesota community of Elk River, roughly forty miles northwest of Minneapolis. The course was designed by Bill Kit, a regional architect active in the Upper Midwest during the mid-to-late twentieth century. Kit's work typically emphasized playability for a range of skill levels while incorporating the natural terrain features common to Minnesota's glacial landscape. The routing at Elk River moves through gently rolling terrain characteristic of the region, with mature tree lines framing many holes and occasional water features coming into play. The layout reflects the practical design sensibilities of its era, offering straightforward strategic choices off the tee and approach shots that reward accuracy over distance. Greens are moderately contoured, and bunkering is functional rather than elaborate. Elk River Country Club serves as a traditional community club for the area, providing a home course for local golfers and hosting regional amateur events. The club maintains the course in keeping with its role as a neighborhood gathering place, and the clubhouse supports the social and dining functions typical of mid-sized Minnesota country clubs. The course offers a representative example of postwar golf architecture in the state, designed to accommodate everyday play in a setting shaped by the prairie-to-woodland transition zone of the upper Mississippi River valley.
Rankings
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Best in USA
Best in MN
Quick facts
- Location
- Elk River, MN, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1960
- Holes
- 18
- Designer
- Bill Kit
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 6,560 yards
- Difficulty
- 71.7/127
- Course Vaults score
- 6.9
Getting there
The journey to Elk River Country Club begins at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), roughly forty minutes northwest of the Twin Cities, before transitioning into the rolling terrain of central Minnesota's river country. The drive itself traces a gentle path through suburban edges and into the pastoral landscape where the Elk River winds through stands of native oak and maple, the urban sprawl giving way to the quieter rhythms of small-town Minnesota. For those arriving by private aviation, St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP) or the regional strips serving the northwest corridor offer closer alternatives, though the final miles to the club are best savored by car - a short, unhurried passage that signals arrival in a landscape where golf and river valleys have long belonged together. The club's entrance emerges from this wooded setting with characteristic Midwestern understated elegance, a destination that rewards the modest journey from the city with the kind of peaceful seclusion that defines the region's finest private clubs.

FAQ
Common questions about Elk River
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Elk River has a Course Vaults score of 6.9 out of 10 based on 19 logged golfers.
Elk River was designed by Bill Kit.
Yes. Elk River is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Elk River is 72.
Elk River plays 6,560 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Elk River is 127.



