Golf in Saint Cloud

Golfers of all experience and confidence levels are accommodated by 18 diverse holes spanning more than 6,600 yards of well-groomed fairways and four sets of tees. Designed by Joel Goldstrand, the Heritage Links course features arbor-lined greens, 45 bunkers, and challenging water hazards on 16 of the 18 holes. Before you saunter up to swing for your full round, warm up your putt and pendulum arm in Heritage's practice facility, consisting of a wide-open driving range and manicured putting greens. In between holes, keep your feet and legs well rested in preparation for their victory dance by kicking up your spikes and relaxing in the included golf cart.

Mississippi Dunes Golf Links' sophisticated, 18-hole layout blankets 3,000 feet of rolling Mississippi River shoreline with manicured, bent-grass fairways and an inventive, tree-lined design. As golfers cruise over the course atop a cart or a caddy training to be an Olympic power squatter, majestic views of the river appear through groves of trees that shelter native prairie creatures. On their odyssey from tee boxes to speedy, contoured greens, golf balls must split fairways to avoid sidelines riddled with mounds, pot bunkers, and knee-high grasses—a trinity of hazards that imbue the course with a Scottish, links-style vibe. A memorable tee shot awaits at the 399-yard, par-4 fifth hole—the course's most difficult, nicknamed "Humpback" for the large mound in the middle of the fairway as well as its voracious appetite for krill—where golfers must draw or fade drives around a dogleg left.

After hacking their way across the breeze-swept links, guests can unwind at Doc's Landing Pub, where a menu of traditional grill fare, fish, and pizza sates tour-worthy appetites. Patrons can look out on the river on the Pub's patio, catch up on the day's sporting events in the glow of a flat-panel TV, or discuss how greenskeepers maintain the immaculate felt that covers the billiards table.

The Director of Instruction at Edinburgh USA Golf Academy and PGA-certified instructor Adam Guili teaches swing-honing wisdom and results-oriented practice techniques accrued through a 14-year teaching career. Adam’s teaching philosophy is based on the notion that a sound short game and a simple golf swing are crucial to achieving success on the course, and he helps golfers develop a tension-free motion. During lessons, Adam can address any on-course concern, such as how to add length to drives or how to extract shirttails from ball washers.

Designed by course architect Kevin Norby, The Refuge Golf Club cleaves through 350 acres of woods and wetlands to frame an 18-hole, par 72 course. Native grasses, wooden cart bridges, and immaculate bluegrass fairways characterize this northern-style course, which challenges golfers with tight tree lines and abundant sunbathing opportunities for losing shirts in sand traps. If golfers haven't spotted much wildlife throughout the course, they might find a gallery of hawks, deer, and feral caddies watching at the 17th, the course's second-most-difficult hole. Clubbers must blast tee shots over a forced carry before safely landing on an open fairway that leads to a green flanked by bunkers on both sides. Players can warm up for rounds at the 20-stall driving range and contoured putting green, and PGA professionals help golfers hone their game during private lessons. Meanwhile, a 13,000-square-foot clubhouse built of rock and cedar beckons for post-round revelry in the facility's restaurant, bar, and pro shop.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,534 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 71.9 from the back tees
• Course slope of 139 from the back tees
• Five sets of tees per hole

With 27 challenging kentucky-bluegrass fairways in front of lush bentgrass greens, The Ponds challenges golfers to play a trio of nine-hole courses or combine two of them for three unique 18-hole rounds. Water hazards make for an especially difficult approach to the green on the Red Course’s signature first hole, whereas the White Course’s ninth hole ends with a green flanked by sand traps. Wetlands and sloped greens make up the Blue Course, which players can travel in new electric-power carts.

Before hitting the fairways, golfers can warm up at the driving range, chipping green, putting green, or pleading-with-your-clubs green. After the round, replace any golf balls that got away at the pro shop, which stocks brands such as Nike and Titleist.

Red Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par 36 course
• Length of 3,380 yards
• Four tee options

Blue Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par 36 course
• Length of 3,453 yards
• Four tee options

White Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par 36 course
• Length of 3,401 yards
• Four tee options

Brad Pluth Golf has earned the PGA’s golf clap of approval by using high-tech equipment to give players an edge. The golf emporium’s custom club fittings rely on the Ping nflight system, a virtual modeling system that produces club-head specs precisely calibrated for each golfer’s swing. Other training approaches include the biomechanical swing analysis, which evaluates players’ techniques so they know how to correct their slices or compensate for the fact that they’re hitting with a cricket bat. In addition to private and semi-private adult lessons, youth leagues ready clubbers as young as 4 to play nine holes and participate in tournaments.