Interlachen Country Club
Designed by Donald Ross
History
Interlachen Country Club traces its founding to 1909, when a group of Minneapolis businessmen sought a retreat removed from the city, a place where members could golf, sail, and socialize on the shores of Edina’s lake country. The name itself, an amalgam suggesting land “between the lakes,” reflected the property’s character even before a single hole had been shaped. The club’s early leadership understood they had secured a piece of ground worth doing right, and the decision to bring in Donald Ross confirmed the seriousness of that ambition.
Ross arrived to redesign and refine the course in the 1920s, applying the same principles that had made his reputation at Pinehurst and dozens of clubs across the country. His work at Interlachen showed particular sensitivity to the natural movement of the land, favoring strategic subtlety over brute demands on the golfer. By the time his revisions were complete, Interlachen had the bones of a championship test, one substantial enough to attract the attention of the United States Golf Association.
That recognition arrived in full force in 1930, when Interlachen hosted the U.S. Open, won by Bobby Jones during his historic Grand Slam campaign. The club would go on to host the U.S. Women’s Open in 1935 and 1988, along with other USGA championships in the decades that followed, cementing its place among the country’s serious championship venues. Through the 20th century and into the 21st, Interlachen’s membership maintained the course with an eye toward preserving Ross’s original design intent, even as equipment and playing styles evolved well beyond what he could have anticipated in the 1920s.
Playing Notes
Bring your full bag and your patience for firm, fast greens that run true but slope more than they appear to from the fairway — Interlachen's putting surfaces are where most rounds are won or lost, so lag putting matters as much as anything you do off the tee. The rolling terrain around the Twin Cities carries through here, meaning uneven stances and blind approach shots come into play more than once, so club selection off the tee needs to account for lies you can't fully judge until you're standing over the ball. Bunkers are positioned to catch shots that look safe from the tee box, particularly around the greens, so short-game precision from sand will get tested. Wind off the open stretches can shift a mid-iron approach more than expected, and Minnesota summer humidity can affect ball flight and stamina if you're walking, which is entirely doable here but adds up over undulating terrain. Come ready to shape shots both ways — the course doesn't let one-dimensional ball-strikers coast — and expect to leave a few clubs longer than usual into greens that are elevated or angled away from the fairway line.