With more than 22 lakes and 180 parks in Minneapolis, it’s always great to be outdoors. Add golf, and you have a Sportsman’s Paradise. Local linksmen say Minneapolis’ best-known courses hold the keys to what makes golfing in the city so appealing.

Hiawatha Golf Course

Address: 4553 Longfellow Avenue 55407
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset, Daily
Par: 73
Yards: Blue – 3379 | White – 3192 | Red – 2620 | Gold – 2960
Rentals: Cart, Pull Cart, Golf Club Set

Minneapolis boasts 7,000 acres of award-winning parkland with seven public courses, and the best known is Hiawatha Golf Course. The beautifully designed course is lush with cedar and maple trees, small greens and has two fairways and four tees that border Lake Hiawatha. Nearby Minnehaha Creek flows into the lake through the back nine holes and there are 12 ponds and 30 sand traps spread throughout. The 18-hole course is a favorite of weekend golfers and regional champs who want a PGA experience without the PGA prices. It’s even had its fair share of celebrities on the links – Tom Lehman, even Tiger Woods. Hiawatha’s also known for being a fairly progressive course at a time in America when sports and politics didn’t mix: it’s clubhouse integrated in 1948. Hiawatha was known as a public course for everyone, but the club was off limits to Blacks, many who lived next to the course in a neighborhood called Bronzeville. Today, the course is named after Solomon Hughes Sr. - the African American golfer and club member who gave added meaning to the words ‘fair play’.

Theodore Wirth Golf Course

Address: 1301 Theodore Wirth Parkway 55422
Hours: 6 am to Midnight Daily
Par: 73
Yards: Blue – 3379 | White – 3192 | Red – 2620 | Gold – 2960
Rentals: Cart, Pull Cart, Golf Club Set

Theodore Wirth Golf Course has gone through a lot of changes since opening in 1916 – from 9 holes and sand greens to a regulation USGA course, a redesigned back nine and lengthened from to 4,600 to 6,200 yards. The city’s oldest public course is a breathtaking 280 acres of rolling hills beautifully set around Bassett Creek and was co-designed and landscaped by Wirth himself, the city’s park superintendent for more than 30 years. A few man-made lagoons on the front nine and large oaks, elms and olive trees on the back are a challenge for even the most seasoned player, but once you’ve been served your on-course drinks and take in the Minneapolis skyline during a twilight game, you won’t care about your handicap.

Frances A. Gross Golf Course

Address: 2201 St. Anthony Blvd. Minneapolis, MN 55418
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset Daily
Par: 71
Yards: Blue – 6574 | White – 6348 | Red – 5235 | Gold – 5384
Rentals: Cart, Pull Cart, Golf Club Set

Regularly voted “The People’s Choice”, Gross isn’t technically in Minneapolis. But folks in the Ericsson neighborhood who live near the course love it. The rolling greens make you want to ditch the riding carts and walk to absorb the beauty of the 98-year-old course, with its acres of spruce, elm and basswood trees. Go ahead and practice your shots – there are 18 stations at the driving range, so no lines waiting. A bucket of 30 balls only cost $4 bucks. Three sets of tee markers on each hole are made to challenge even the most skilled player. And refreshments are served on the course. This spot is a golfer’s favorite – and a lovely tribute to Francis Gross, nicknamed “Mr. Park Board” for his 32 years of running the city’s parks as commissioner from 1910 to 1949 and as park board president twice from 1917 to 1919 and again from 1936 to 1948.

Want to try a golf alternative? Welcome to the epicenter of disc golf. Minnesota is not only one of the top disc golf destinations in the U.S., but several pioneers of the sport also live in the Minneapolis area. Course designer (and Twin Cities resident) Chuck Kennedy says its immense popularity is because of our parks. Minnesota’s tax system put a lot of money into its parks – a small investment means easy approval of disc golf courses with built-in maintenance.

There are more than 385 disc golf courses in Minnesota and nearly a third of them with 18 holes, like the one along Theodore Wirth Park. The disc golf course here has a lightly wooded landscape with rolling hills and grass tees. There’s a mix of open and technical holes which some players say lends to a variety of shots and putting challenges. Regulars say it’s a fun course that keeps you on your toes and the old school golfers sometimes let the disc golfers play through. Wabun Picnic Course is a preferred favorite of locals – it’s so much more than a Par 3, 9-hole course with PDGA regulation ChainStar targets and concrete tees. Wabun is in Minnehaha Regional Park, one of the city’s oldest and most historic parks. Have a picnic, let your dog stretch its legs in the dog park and visit the park’s beautiful gardens filled with wildflowers, biking paths and Tuscan fountains. You can grab a bite at the Sea Salt eatery and save the best for last – the majestic Minnehaha Falls, a 53-foot waterfall with limestone bluffs where you can see the Mississippi River.

If golfing is sometimes more of a mind than a body experience for you, ditch the clubs and play 18 virtual holes on a golf simulator. It’s not just a novelty – many people play with a simulator to regularly to perfect their swing, plan shots, even find the right club. These programs let golfers practice every type of shot in every game situation in any kind of weather – even winter. But some Virtual Reality (VR) golfers will tell you playing on a simulator makes them mentally stronger – it has fewer distractions, less stress and gives you absolute focus on how to win.

Your group can enjoy both virtual and reality at Gross Golf Course. It has two simulators that replicate the world’s most famous courses. If you’re in the North Loop neighborhood, head to Thr3 Jack Indoor Golf. It’s called ‘the New Sports Bar’ because of its hand-crafted cocktails, a food lovers’ menu and six simulators which feature over 70 world-famous courses allowing you to "golf" in places you never thought possible. If there’s no time to hit the virtual links while in town, try getting in a round at the airport before you go. The PGA Golf Experience Lounge at MSP Airport is the first of its kind for air travelers: a 12,000 sq ft state-of-the-art interactive golf “lifestyle facility”, debuted by the PGA of America and Wexford Golf, a Twin Cities development firm. Players of all ages and skill levels can play dozens of the world’s top simulated courses, get tips from PGA pros and custom fit for clubs and Ryder Cup gear at the Pro shop. You can also grab a spot at the 84-seat bar for a drink or a classic American meal at the lounge grille. Tom’s Watch Bar is the ultimate sports gastropub experience. Classic bar food, $2 tap beers and an elevated, 360 degree viewing room of more than 100 screens showing every men and women’s match up broadcast across the country. But there’s still plenty of hands-on golf action – three TopGolf suites have a variety of games that test your hole-in-one skills, your chip shot and whether you’ve got the power to send your ball airmail. Each simulator is $25 per hour and make your reservation soon - they fill up fast for one of the city’s hottest sports destinations. TopGolf Swing Suites can also be found at the Marquette & Graduate Hotels. Both offer a comfortable, immersive golf experience in a private bay to help you perfect your golf swing year-round.

If you’re one to mix art and sports, then you’re up for a little mini-golf at the Walker Art Center. One of the city’s hotspots every summer is this art inspired mini golf course. The Skyline Mini Golf is only 10 holes, but each is uniquely designed by an emerging artist or as a museum exhibit, in vibrant colors and creative stories to navigate and play through. Try your skill at the plinko hole. Or sink a putt at the Andy Warhol Brillo boxes. But the best thing about playing mini golf on the Walker rooftop is the gorgeous view of the city’s downtown skyline and its famous Sculpture Garden next door featuring ‘Spoonbridge and Cherry’ by international artist Claes Oldenburg. Groups up to eight can play and it’s wheelchair accessible. But make a reservation – there’s always a wait time. The smart play: register as a member for $5 bucks and you and your friends play a round for free. Add a dollar and you can spend time seeing the latest Walker gallery exhibit. You'll find more mini golf in the North Loop. Puttery is a 21+ only spot with three intricately designed putting courses and three bars with their own unique cocktail creations and upscale apps. For $25 you’ll be able to play unlimited rounds of mini golf.

Can Can Wonderland straddles the Minneapolis-St. Paul line, making its home in a rehabbed 19th century can processing factory in an arts island between the two cities called the Creative Enterprise Zone. A 35,000 sq. ft. gallery, pub and game arcade, Can Can burst onto the scene as the first arts-based public corporation in the state. That means every skee ball game, booze-infused milkshake or round of mini golf helps give money back to the Twin Cities Arts Community. The 18-hole fantasy course was designed from more than 200 ideas about what a dream mini-golf course would look like, so it’s filled with quirks, wild creativity and lots of fun. Start at the State Fair hole and play through the Squirrel Scrambler, climb Music Mountain to get to your Gramma’s Living Room at hole 15 all the way to the Golden Throne. Things to know: Can Can is credit card only, 21-plus after 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays and it costs extra to play mini golf that you can pay when you set up your tee times at the golf desk.