Interlaken at Interlaken Golf Club

Interlaken Golf Club sits in Fairmont, a small city in southern Minnesota near the Iowa border, in a landscape defined by the region's chain of lakes. The course was designed by Don Herfort, a Minnesota-based architect who worked primarily in the upper Midwest during the latter half of the twentieth century. Herfort's designs typically reflect the practical sensibilities of regional golf in the era, emphasizing playability and maintenance efficiency within the constraints of local terrain and climate.

The Fairmont area features relatively flat to gently rolling agricultural land interspersed with glacial lakes, and Interlaken's routing likely takes advantage of whatever natural contours and water features are present on the property. Southern Minnesota courses of this vintage generally incorporate tree-lined fairways, modest elevation changes, and strategic bunkering suited to the membership's range of abilities. The name "Interlaken" suggests a connection to the area's lake system, which has long been central to Fairmont's identity as a recreational destination within the region.

As a small-town club in rural Minnesota, Interlaken serves as a social and recreational hub for the local community. The course provides a straightforward test of golf suited to regular play, with conditions and design reflecting the realities of maintaining turf in a continental climate with cold winters and warm, sometimes humid summers. The club represents the kind of unpretentious golf facility that anchors recreational life in communities across the Midwest.