Golf in Chaska

The Summit Golf Club’s 18-hole course takes dimpled orbs somersaulting over a topsy-turvy landscape that spans 7,022 yards of challenging, undulating terrain. Hemmed by mature trees, the course rises and falls across elevation changes up to 110 feet, which demand deft club selection, confident swings, and golf carts not prone to motion sickness. Cresting hills give way to scenic vistas peppered throughout the course, where clubbers can pause to overlook the bentgrass tee boxes, fairways, and greens as they wind past rippling streams and hedge against arboreal walls. The club also encompasses a nine-hole, par 3 course, ideal for novices or golfers in the midst of punishing bedtime-flouting drivers.

Championship Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 7,022 yards from farthest tees
• Course rating of 74.6 from farthest tees
• Slope rating of 138 from farthest tees
• Four tee options available

With its clubhouse occupying a renovated ivory barn originally built in the 1930s, CreeksBend Golf Course transports golfers back to a bygone era before embarking on a trip across a prairieland course replete with bucolic flourishes. As bluegrass fairways bob and weave across more than 80 acres of ponds and wetlands, quaint footbridges make the course navigable for clubbers and caddies yet to develop gills. Water comes into play on nine holes across the 6,293-yard, par 71 course, including on the signature seventh hole, a 161-yard par 3 where tee shots must clear a creek and avoid hydraulic hazards left of and behind the green. Before rounds, golfers can roll orbs across the 10,000-square-foot practice green to prepare for the course's speedy bentgrass putting surfaces, or share a tender bonding moment with their 3-wood at the grass tee driving range. After rounds, players enjoy retiring to the clubhouse restaurant to refuel with refreshments and casual grill fare.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course

• Length of 6,293 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 70.6 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 131 from the farthest tees

• Four tee options

Carved out of the countryside by Minnesota course architect Joel Goldstrand, Montgomery National Golf Course unfurls across rolling terrain, pocked with ponds nestled in the cool shadows of cottonwood trees. Generous fairways beg to be split by confidently swung drivers, and sandtraps wait to ensnare orbs gone astray due to a moment of self-doubt or the suction of a briefly active bunker wormhole. The 6,540-yard circuit concludes at the dramatic 18th—the course’s second handicap hole—which features a 540-yard climb to a short-grass summit defended by Scottish ski instructors.

Duffers can prepare for their round or carve fractal divot patterns into the large, all-grass hitting area at the club’s driving range, flanked by a practice bunker and green. After a day of intrepid pin hunting, players can retire to clubhouse and bask in the frothy ambiance of a beer or soda on the clubhouse deck overlooking the ninth hole.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,540 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.3 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 126 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• Link to scorecard

Under the guidance of new course superintendent David Simeon, who draws on nearly a quarter century of experience and a degree in turf management, the links at Greens of Howard Lake underwent a thorough makeover and renewal in 2011. Course architect Ed Lahr made myriad improvements, such as regrading the fairway on hole 2 and enhancing it with a pond. In addition to rejuvenating the course’s turf and waging a war on weeds, the overhaul led to a renovated clubhouse where players can rent premium clubs for playing the links or carrying knapsacks over their shoulders on contemplative walks through the course. After the last swing is swung, they can also fuel up with pizza and beer onsite or stop at the pro shop to pick up new gear.

Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par 36 course
• Length of 3,313 yards
• Course rating of 35.4
• Slope rating of 115

Characterized by tall oak trees, ponds, and streams, Monticello Country Club's 18-hole course stretches across 6,453 yards of fairways and greens. The course plots a winding path through the landscape, featuring multiple doglegs that favor golfers who can shape their drives or throw a 270-yard curve ball. Those looking to fine-tune their swings can employ the swing-honing powers of golf pro Kristi Dostal, who uses the club's facilities as her outdoor classroom for private and group lessons and junior camps. Name-brand gloves, clubs, hats, bags, and other course-ready gear line the racks of the club's pro shop, where players can stock up on golf accoutrements. After rounds or lessons, golfers can unwind at Otter Creek Bar & Grill with a steak sandwich, barbecue-chicken pizza, and other eats from its menu of casual American food.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Length of 6,453 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 71.7 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 125 from the farthest tees

• Five tee options

• Scorecard

Shadowbrooke Golf Course weaves through the Minnesota countryside to form a scenic par 71 layout envisioned by architect Joel Goldstrand, whose designs are sculpted throughout the state. The course eases golfers into the round on the older and more forgiving front nine, letting swings find their stride before a more treacherous second act that winds through tunnels of mature trees. Shadowbrooke's pro shop keeps hot dogs, candy, and drinks on hand for hungry golfers, as well as gloves, apparel, and balls for those who fear they may not be able to keep every shot in play or prevent their orbs from being smuggled away by a local juggler.

Shadowbrooke Golf Course's rates fluctuate during the day and throughout the week.

Though Shadowbrooke Golf Course sometimes features a discounted price online, this Groupon still offers the best deal available.