
The Bridges Course
The Bridges Golf Club

About this course
The Bridges Golf Club in Winona, Minnesota, presents an unusual architectural lineage that reflects different eras of American golf design. The course incorporates work attributed to Tom Bendelow, the prolific early-twentieth-century architect who laid out hundreds of courses across the Midwest, and Robert Trent Jones Sr., whose mid-century influence reshaped American championship golf. More recent renovations and additions have involved Ben Knight and Joel Goldstrand, regional architects who have worked on several Minnesota courses. This layered design history suggests a property that has evolved significantly over decades, blending classic routing concepts with modern updates. The course sits in southeastern Minnesota along the Mississippi River valley, where the terrain offers more topographical variety than the state's flatter prairie regions. Winona's location in the bluff country provides natural elevation changes and wooded corridors that give the layout character. The routing likely takes advantage of these landforms, moving through mature trees and incorporating views of the surrounding valley landscape. The club serves the Winona community and the broader region, functioning as both a recreational facility and a venue for local competitive golf. The combination of historical design elements and contemporary course management reflects the practical evolution common to many American municipal and semi-private courses that have adapted to changing player expectations and maintenance standards over the past century.
Quick facts
- Location
- Winona, MN, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1920
- Designer(s)
- Ben Knight, Joel Goldstrand, Robert Trent Jones Sr., Tom Bendelow
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 71
- Length
- 6,778 yards
- Difficulty
- 73.7/143
Getting there
The Bridges Golf Club sits in the bluffs of southeastern Minnesota, most readily accessed via Rochester International Airport (RST), roughly 45 minutes to the south, or the larger Minneapolis-Saint Paul International (MSP), a two-hour drive north through rolling farmland and river valleys. The final approach winds through Winona's historic downtown before ascending into the Mississippi River bluffs, where the club's dramatic clifftop setting emerges above the water - a landscape carved by glaciers and time that frames the arrival with quiet, natural grandeur. For those valuing discretion and convenience, Rochester's general aviation facilities provide a closer alternative to the major hubs. The transition from highway to the club's private grounds marks a shift from the everyday Midwest into a sanctuary where architecture and topography have been orchestrated with uncommon care.

FAQ
Common questions about The Bridges
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
The Bridges was designed by Ben Knight, Joel Goldstrand, Robert Trent Jones Sr., and Tom Bendelow.
Yes. The Bridges is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at The Bridges is 71.
The Bridges plays 6,778 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at The Bridges is 143.
The Bridges is a 18-hole course.



