Windsong Farm Golf Club: Two Signature Courses, Zero Compromise

Minnesota’s Only 36-Hole Private Club Combines Big-Ballpark Golf and Template-Inspired Precision

Forty minutes west of Minneapolis, Windsong Farm Golf Club – now Minnesota’s only 36-hole private club after the recent debut of its John Fought-designed North Course – feels a world away the moment the prairie opens and its clubhouse comes into view. Consistently ranked among the best private golf clubs in Minnesota, Windsong blends championship pedigree with a laid-back, authentic Midwest golf culture.

I arrived Friday, September 5 for a quick-turn visit packed with 36 holes, two golden-hour photo shoots, big-league hospitality and a late-night firepit session at the Murphy House. The wind was already up – 20+ mph and howling across former horse-farm ground – and the South Course showed its shoulders the way only a big ballpark can.

What stood out first to me was not just the scale but the stewardship.

Owner David Meyer has the calm, present energy of someone who cares about every acre here. Architect John Fought was on property with that designer’s gleam in his eye, talking lines and options and why the new North had to be a true counterpoint to the original South. At dinner, former USGA President Reed Mackenzie added stories that framed Windsong’s competitive pedigree and raised the bar for what private-club golf can mean in Minnesota.

Passion at the top, purpose in the design and standards shaped by championship golf.

Dinner set the tone: crab cakes, a strawberry burrata salad, perfectly cooked wagyu New York strips and a chocolate-raspberry crème brûlée; then we drifted outside beneath a vast Minnesota sky as the lodge glowed behind us.

The Murphy House is an everything-you-need base camp – eight suites, full kitchens, a shared multi-story wood-burning fireplace, a lighted putting green and carts staged at the door – so getting to dinner, tee times and golden-hour photo shoots took mere minutes.

It felt a lot like staying at The Dismal River Club, only without the half-day drive to Mullen, Nebraska.

At first light Saturday, Meyer met me with his dog Stitch and we chased a brief cotton-candy sunrise over Fox Lake with the drone before the North Course took center stage.

Fought’s newest build lifts classic-era ideas into a smaller canvas – sharp-edged bunkers, an Eden and a Redan, a spectacular Biarritz and a boomerang double green – while the South remains the expansive original that ranks highly on all publications’ top tracks in Minnesota lists with broad corridors, calmer green contours and a rhythm that shows more bite when the breeze arrives.

Different personalities, equal polish.

A burst of heavy rain and hail chased us late as practice rounds for the 2nd Swing Gopher Invitational filled the air with energy, and by afternoon I was wheels-up for Milwaukee with memory cards full and a firm sense that Windsong offers two distinct ways to play pure golf – and just might be the best Midwest club I’d never heard of.

Why Two Courses Matters

When the North Course opened on July 9, 2025, Windsong Farm didn’t just add holes; it gave the club a second identity. The South is the original big canvas – 240-plus acres of former farm ground where the breeze has a say, corridors are broad, green contours are composed and short-grass catchments gather misses and ask for touch. The North lives on roughly half that acreage and chooses ideation over distance: angles over raw yardage, precision over brute force and a ground game that’s not just allowed but encouraged.

The North nods to MacRaynor templates – Eden, Biarritz, Dell, Redan and a Cape finisher – and even shares a fantastic boomerang double-green between 13 and 16, yet it never feels like a museum piece. The fairways are generous, but the bunkering and angling of greens demand you choose a side with purpose. Its rhythm stays lively with six par threes and four par fives.

That was the brief from Meyer to Fought: build something every bit as memorable as the South on a smaller canvas – equally fun and equally demanding – without ever reading as a “little brother.”

Around the ropes, the same intent shows up in the practice build: a double-sided range with natural and synthetic stations, five distinct practice greens, a short-game area built to course specs and a modern teaching space. You can rehearse the exact shots you’ll face, then pick your flavor of golf based on mood and conditions.

Agronomically, the contrast helps pace and sanity. The North’s native is fine fescue, which makes errant balls easier to find and advance. The South’s current little bluestem frames holes beautifully but tends to hold shots; the plan is to move those areas toward fescue so both courses offer the same playability gains.

The result is straightforward: two courses with contrasting identities held to one conditioning standard. One rewards line and contour management; the other rewards flight control on a grander stage. Together, they give members and guests a reason to come back tomorrow and choose a different adventure.

Design DNA – North Vs. South

From the tee, the South gives you horizon and honesty. Pick a side in the wind, trust a shot shape you can repeat and accept that misses get magnified by scale. The North looks wide, but it isn’t a green light. Central and corner bunkers, diagonal greens and those classic patterns make the “correct” half of the fairway worth a full club on the next swing.

Into the greens, the differences tighten. The North’s targets have more internal movement and reward using slopes – kickers, banks and shelves – while the South invites you to fly it into larger targets and then show touch from neatly mown runoffs when just off the surface.

Bunkering tells the same story: the North challenges your decision-making with bold, squared-edge placements, while the South uses its bunkers to shape the landscape and test your execution.

Both courses walk well: the North feels intimate tee-to-green while the South stretches its legs without ever feeling like a slog.

The North Course – think your way around

The North is compact by intent – about 125 acres – and it makes every yard count. It’s a walker’s routing that leans into classic ideas without feeling derivative: an Eden at two, a proper Biarritz at four that can be anything from mid-iron to fairway wood, a Dell-inspired Short at eight, a Redan at 17 and a Cape closer at 18. The shared boomerang green at 13/16, split by a dramatic change in elevation, is also a statement you won’t forget.

Strategy comes first. Width exists, but angles rule the day. Squared-off bunkers are placed to matter, diagonal greens flip the preferred side of the fairway, and the safest miss is not always pin-high. The surfaces have more movement than on the South, which means you can use the ground: bank one off the back of the 13th when the hole is cut long, ride the right kicker on the Redan, or chase something low through the front throat of the Biarritz when it’s downwind. Firmness helps. Fine fescue in the native keeps wayward balls findable and advanceable, so pace stays high and frustration low. Fox Lake ties the early and late stretches together; on a still morning, the swans, herons and – yes, horses – feel like part of the routing.

If you’re seeing it for the first time, have a plan for the opening carry on one, choose conviction over bravado on nine, play 15 for position and let the slopes help you on four, 12, 13, 15 and 17. For pure theater: the elevated opener along Fox Lake, the swaled Biarritz, the drivable Rivieria-like ninth with danger on both sides, that dramatic double-green and the Cape finisher rounding home.

The North Course: Hole-by-Hole

Hole 1: Par 4 (hcp. 1, 464/440/372)

An elevated opener over a hefty forced carry to a wide fairway with Fox Lake to the left – pick a line and commit. The green angles right-to-left around a lone front bunker; the back-left third falls away and makes that corner especially slick. Ground options exist short-left if you skirt the sand.

Hole 2: Par 3 (hcp. 11, 173/165/158) – Eden

Mid-iron to a raised surface that tilts hard from back to front and is ringed by trouble: Hill left, Cockleshell short-right, the Strath pot cut into the collar and a deep Eden pit behind. The safest play is center-right and accepting a longer putt.

Hole 3: Par 5 (hcp. 3, 559/516/499)

Favor the right-side plateau off the tee – the fairway feeds left toward a deep bunker. Second-shot choices define the hole: the shorter route up the right is guarded while bailing left leaves a tougher angle over a deep fronting bunker to a compact green that runs off in multiple directions.

Hole 4: Par 3 (hcp. 9, 211/186/168; can play ~135-260+) – Biarritz

A long ribbon of green split by a diagonal swale. Front, swale or back pin completely changes the shot and club. Use the back bank to feed middle pins or chase a low one through the front section when downwind.

Hole 5: Par 5 (hcp. 7, 519/508/440)

A three-shotter for most. A creek and wetland dissect the fairway around 400 yards out, forcing a decision to lay up short or try to fly it. The long, diagonal green is the smallest on the course and rejects approaches that aren’t controlled perfectly; bunkers short and long tidy up the over-aggressive.

Hole 6: Par 4 (hcp. 5, 384/369/317)

Narrow corridor along the southern edge with staggered, rectangular bunkers tightening the landing zone on the right. The green sits into a hillside above marsh with shaved edges front, left and back – exact yardage and trajectory matter more than bravery.

Hole 7: Par 5 (hcp. 15, 525/510/415)

Split fairway divided by two treacherous bunkers. The right side gives a cleaner angle if you’re thinking about getting home in two; the left often forces a lay-up. The entrance is open but anything drifting right may find fescue.

Hole 8: Par 3 (hcp. 17, 149/131/114) – Dell-Inspired

Short par three framed by tall mounding that can hide portions of the surface, especially to left pins. The front is open so you can land it short and chase it on, but tight lies or fescue await anything missed long or wide.

Hole 9: Par 4 (hcp. 13, 304/278/265) – Riviera-Inspired

Risk/reward from a raised tee to a fairway 25 feet below. Lay back for a full wedge or take on the clustered bunkers and chase one toward a slender green guarded by water left and a steep fall-off right. Heroic swings are rewarded – and punished.

Hole 10: Par 3 (hcp. 12, 211/190/174)

Long, slightly uphill and all carry into the prevailing wind. A single deep bunker guards the front-right while a subtle false front left can tease depth. Favor the broad left half and accept a longer first putt when the breeze is up.

Hole 11: Par 5 (hcp. 8, 539/529/485)

A bunker-speckled landing zone messes with commitment from the tee – aim at the distant left-center trap. The bold play after a good drive is all carry over a grassy burn 25 yards short to a boomerang green that wraps a deep bunker. Back pins are exacting.

Hole 12: Par 4 (hcp. 14, 433/400/311)

Zero bunkers – just width, contour and a green that runs away. Aim at the old windmill, crest the gentle rise, then play a bump-and-run that uses the front-to-back tilt. Distance control beats flag hunting.

I think golf holes that finish downhill are incredibly underrated, and Fought did a terrific job on this one.

Hole 13: Par 3 (hcp. 18, 159/137/120) – Shared Double-Green with 16

Short par three to the lower half of a dramatic boomerang shared with 16. The back slope can be used as a banking board when the hole is deep-left. A deep right bunker and sharp drop on the left side put a premium on precision.

Hole 14: Par 4 (hcp. 4, 409/394/356)

Don’t automatically grab driver – long and left runs out into tall native. Smarter is a position play that sets up a precise approach over a burn to a green tucked among three bunkers. The back-right corner sits higher and is the toughest to access. (Routing quirk: 15 tees off over this green – true classic-era stuff)

Hole 15: Par 4 (hcp. 10, 364/340/305)

Perhaps the hardest driving ask on the course. A lake guards each side of the fairway and two bunkers sit dead center at typical landing. Pick a number, pick a window and trust it. The green perches on a hillock with lively interior contours.

Hole 16: Par 4 (hcp. 6, 437/403/350)

Uphill to a crest that tumbles toward the approach area. The ideal tee line is at the pair of bunkers at the base of the left hillside to open the angle. One fairway bunker about 35 yards short can trick depth perception; the green is spacious but misses right, left or long leave a stout up-and-down.

Hole 17: Par 3 (hcp. 16, 166/149/127) – Redan

Classic right-to-left, back-to-front cant with a very deep front bunker. Use the right kicker to feed shots toward middle and back pins. Flying it straight at a left flag brings sand and short-sided trouble into play (that was my miss).

Hole 18: Par 4 (hcp. 2, 486/451/372) – Cape

Fox Lake cuts along the inside of the dogleg. Bite off as much as you dare over two deep corner bunkers for a shorter approach or play safely right and face a long approach into an elevated target. One of the largest greens on the course, with a deep bunker left and a helpful rise on the right that can funnel ground-hugging approaches.

The South Course – big-ballpark personality

The South is expansive and shows its full scale when the wind shows up across 240+ rolling acres of former farmland. It runs long – 7,500+ yards from the tips – with broad corridors, calmer green contours and neat short-grass runoffs that reward flight control and touch. It’s an excellent walk, and like the North Course is spectacularly manicured.

Agronomy note: native roughs on the South Course are dominated by little bluestem. It frames holes beautifully but tends to hold shots. The plan is to transition those areas toward fine fescue to improve findability and pace of play in the near future.

Tournament pedigree runs deep on the South Course as it hosted the Trans-Mississippi Amateur Championship (2021), welcomes the collegiate 2nd Swing Gopher Invitational each September, and is slated for the Western Junior in 2027.

My Favorite Holes on the South

Hole 3: Par 4 (hcp. 7, 333/315/294)

Short and tempting over water from the tee to a raised greens complex with bunkers pinching angles from the right. A sensible club leaves a straightforward wedge; over-aggression brings the pond and plenty of sand into play.

Hole 4: Par 3 (hcp. 15, 201/183/165)

A gorgeous uphill tee shot toward the silo with a canyon carry. In 20+ mph wind our 180 played 210-plus – commit to the number and keep your spin down, if you can.

Hole 5: Par 4 (hcp. 5, 410/405/369)

Though on opposite ends of the country, I got serious Streamsong Red vibes from the tee on five. Visually bold, peripheral side-bunkering and movement across the fairway sets up interesting approach angles into a raised green frought with danger.

Hole 6: Par 4 (hcp. 1, 454/433/404)

Long hitters can aim inside the cart path (over the left-side trap) on six for a shorter approach into the green, which is situated beyond a large pond and requires a big carry the further back players are in the fairway.

The number one handicapped hole on the course, I nearly eagled this one with a perfect six-iron that curled slowly behind the cup and left me a kick-in birdie from two inches!

Hole 7: Par 3 (hcp. 17, 180/162/146)

Short and downhill with water lurking right and long. Club selection matters more than it looks. Though the wind will feel low on the tee it’ll play a major role in where balls end up once they hit the open air traveling greenward.

Hole 11: Par 4 (hcp. 12, 422/399/358)

The 11th bends right-to-left around a waste area. Favor the outside to avoid being blocked and accept a longer approach.

Hole 13: Par 4 (hcp. 14, 370/355/326)

The 13th looks drivable, but short-left is jail and the green runs away – especially to a back-left pin where there’s just a sliver to aim for.

This might have been my absolute favorite hole on a course filled with excellent golf holes. The risk/reward presentation Fought and Lehman set up plays tricks with players’ eyes and godes them into poor decisions (like me thinking I could drive the green). Laying up off the tee should result in a perfect angle and better chance to score, but it’s not easy to forego this type of opportunity for greatness!

Hole 14: Par 4 (hcp. 8, 470/427/393)

The 14th is a long, stern driving hole. Blind to a crest, it then drifts left and downhill toward water. The best target off the tee is left of the patch of four trees on the right-side horizon you see from the tee.

Hole 16: Par 3 (hcp. 16, 202/184/171)

Played across the pond in front of the clubhouse – a great stage-setter for the South Course’s closing stretch.

Hole 17: Par 4 (hcp. 10, 446/409/376)

Dogleg right from beneath the clubhouse with a deep bunker on the outer elbow and a perched green. Commit to shot shape and yardage and take an extra club to climb this raised greens complex.

Hole 18: Par 5 (hcp. 4, 571/549/526)

A memorable finisher: significantly uphill off the tee around the Murphy House, then left of ponds and outside-edge fairway bunkers to a green nestled between water and a fescue hillside by the pro shop. This hole demands length and strategic placement.

People & pairings

The golf at Windsong Farm is fantastic, but the weekend’s true pulse came from the people. David Meyer set the tone – present, engaged and just a fantastic host. Every person I talked with at Windsong Farm – whether members or staff – had great things to say about him.

John Fought popped in throughout our play, walking us through design and why the North had to be a full-fledged counterpoint to the South rather than a “little brother.”

On the course, I played the North on Saturday with Sean Ogle of Breaking Eighty and Jared Goldstein of Golf Digest, plus Aaron from Duininck Construction (Windsong Farm’s Project Manager for construction). It was awesome reconnecting with Sean, who I hadn’t seen since the 2018 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.

Jared added theater with back-to-back hole-outs on two and three. After arrival, John Lewinski of Golf.com and I shared the South’s opening stretch before he peeled off for work. Around the club and during dinner I caught up with Lee McGovern of Golf Course Industry, Scott Michaux of Global Golf Post and “Travelin’ Joe” Passov of Sports Illustrated, Links Magazine and The Golf Show – all wonderful folks who were a lot of fun to talk shop with.

Two leaders deserve special mention: Matt Kleinbrook (Director of Golf), whose operation runs quietly and sharply behind the scenes, and John Dailing (Superintendent), whose team already has the North running firm and fast while keeping the South immaculate.

This is one of the top-rated private clubs in Minnesota for good reason, and Matt, John, David and the rest of their world-class staff obviously play a major role in that.

Practice, lodging & vibe

What ties it all together is how seamless the experience feels – from practice to play to post-round relaxation.

Practice, Tuned for Real Shots

Practice, tuned for real shots. The build is not just window dressing – it’s used. You can rehearse the exact shots you’ll see on either course, then choose your test for the day.

The Murphy House

Carts at the door, a lighted putting green steps away and a shared wood-burning fireplace when the sun drops. It’s an extravagantly comfortable, amenity-rich hub for members and their guests that keeps you close to the action.

Food, Drink & Hang Spots

Friday’s private-dining lineup – crab cakes, strawberry burrata, wagyu New York strip and chocolate-raspberry crème brûlée – was phenomenal. I also loved the fried whitefish nuggets for lunch – highly recommended!

During the North loop I tried their clubhouse staple, the 2-Under (tequila or vodka, lime, a little heat and simple syrup – I’m still chasing the full recipe). Firepits are where people actually gather: outside the main clubhouse, beside the North’s gathering area with grills humming and, of course, at the Murphy House.

Events & competitive pulse

Windsong’s calendar backs up the architecture. The 2nd Swing Gopher Invitational brings Division I teams (including Wisconsin and Marquette) each September, and practice rounds were in full swing during our visit.

The club hosted the 117th Trans-Miss Amateur in 2021 and will stage the Western Junior in 2027 – a marquee start to the junior season. Two distinct courses on one property give tournament setups real range – big-canvas asks on the South, angle-driven propositions on the North.

My Final take

Windsong Farm is two distinct temperaments held to one standard. The South is big-canvas golf – width, wind and composed contours that reward control. The North is chessboard golf – angles, contour and template-driven intrigue on a tight footprint. Add an impessive practice facility, the Murphy House for easy weekends and firepits where people actually linger – and you’ve got Minnesota’s only 36-hole private club not just doing more, but doing it right.

I flew in knowing little and left wondering how it wasn’t already on my short list. The golf is world-class, the setting reads like the Great Plains more than the Midwest, the hospitality is genuinely Minnesota and the food and drink hit the mark – from a wagyu strip to quick fried chunks of whitefish to that delectable post-round 2-Under.

It’s a private club, so you’ll need an in. If you get the nod, though, clear your calendar. Windsong Farm Golf Club is an easy yes – two distinct ways to play pure golf, presented beautifully, and a place you’ll be thinking about long after the flight home. For me, it’s one of the Midwest’s great private discoveries – a must-see for any serious golf enthusiast.

Interested in more on Windsong Farm Golf Club? Check out their website, linked here.

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