Gopher Hills GC
A view of a hole at Gopher Hills Golf Course.
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4.4
243 Reviews (243)
5 Stars
97
4 Stars
99
3 Stars
34
2 Stars
8
1 Stars
5
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.7
Layout
4.4
Friendliness
4.6
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.4
95.0%
Recommend this course
215 out of 243 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.3
7 Reviews (7)
5 Stars
3
4 Stars
3
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
3.7
Value
4.4
Layout
4.4
Pace
4.0
Amenities
4.7
StaffFriendliness
4.7
85.7%
Recommend this course
6 out of 7 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.4
14 Reviews (14)
5 Stars
6
4 Stars
7
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.1
Value
4.6
Layout
4.4
Pace
4.1
Amenities
4.5
StaffFriendliness
4.6
92.9%
Recommend this course
13 out of 14 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
Gopher Hills delivers outstanding value with well-maintained fairways, plush aprons, and soft greens that consistently hold approach shots beautifully. The dramatically hilly layout offers a genuinely challenging and rewarding round, backed by friendly staff and smooth pace of play.

About

Holes 18
Type Public
Par 72
Length 6355 yards
Slope 124
Rating 71.4

Also known as "Gopher Hills Golf Course - Heath/Glen Course".

Formerly known as The Tiger at Elmdale Hills Golf Course.

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Gopher Hills Golf Course
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Course Details

Year Built 1995
Golf Season Open: 4/01 Closed: 11/01
Architect Gordon Emerson (1995) Garrett Gill (1999)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Pull-carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes - "Gopher Hills Golf Academy"
Golf Simulator Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Indoor Practice Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes

Food & Beverage

Bar, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in Minnesota (2023 #21) (2022 #25)
  • Golf Advisor: Top 25 Most Improved U.S. Golf Courses (2022 #22)
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Reviews

4.4
243 Reviews (243)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 8
Course Challenges Include:
Elevation Changes 12
Thick Rough 8
This course/club is great for:
Locals 10
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 6
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 6

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

No notice of league

I finish the front 9, I'm headed to hole 10. Never got told of league tonight so there was 3, 4 somes in front of me and none of them would let us pass thru. Treated very poorly by the elderly guys there. I feel like because I am a young golfer, I get picked on more when out there. I'm out there to get better and enjoy the course. I pay the same amount as everyone else. We couldn't finish because we would have been waiting and waiting. We then go ask to get money or play the executive and the guy could not have cared less either about what happened, and this was the same guy that checked me and my friend out. I loved this course before this last round but made me change my mind about this course.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Fair
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Response from on 08/10/2017:
Hi Brandon, thank you for taking the time to review our course, Gopher Hills Golf Course. We appreciate the feedback and are very sorry to hear about the poor experience. This was a miscommunication on our part and we will do our best to make sure it won't happen again. We hope that you'll give us the chance to earn your business again in the Cannon Falls area soon.
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Best Deal around

Thirsty Thursday? Yes that is what they call it, and the best deal I've see, and a very nice golf course to boot. Lots of elevated tees ending up as uphill to the green. Love the course and the dog that jumped on my cart to go for a ride.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 66
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Fair
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Fun course/ paid too much

The course was fun to play. Always difficult playing a course for the first time. However I was disappointed with how much we had to pay. On Golf Now is said we were locked in for $33 a person and 1/2 cart. Including the initial booking fee. Ended up paying $42 per person. Still cheaper than most courses but I was mis informed. Normally what we get locked in for is what we pay. That's why we travel 45min to an hour out of the city.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Bad day for the staff

It started off badly when the pro shop computer was down. I had booked and paid online. I was told to check in at the bar where there were two staff people serving about 25 patrons waiting to be served after what I gather was the after-round crowd from an outing that had just concluded. 10 minutes later, they checked me in (though whatever computer access they had didn't say whether I had paid or not, so I had to show my confirmation email), and was sent back to the pro shop to get my cart key. I headed to the first tee - no starter, so I figured out who I was supposed to be playing with on my own. I've played this course maybe a dozen times before and this was as slow a pace as I can remember. We never saw a ranger or even a beverage cart the whole round. I'll chalk this up to a bad day, but my expectations for the future experience at this course have been significantly lowered. You can get really good deals here, but unfortunately, you get what you pay for.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 07/05/2017:
Hello Mark, thank you for taking the time to review Gopher Hills Golf Course in the Minnesota area. We are sorry to hear the we missed the mark when you first arrived at the course and that the round may not have been as smooth as expected. We are happy to see that you still enjoyed the course layout and that it was a great value. Thank you for the 3 star review and we hope to see you again soon.
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Difficult!

Very challenging course with narrow fairways, extreme elevation changes, blind shots, and not a straight fairway to be found! Beautiful and in extraordinary condition though!

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

Needs beverage help

The course was in relatively good shape. The greens were well kept as well as the as the T boxes.. The fairways needed a little help. Pretty thin.

The beverage cart was off the course too early. 2:00 p.m. Is too early. We didn't buy at the turn because we feel that the server should make $ . As it turned out 2 of the water coolers were empty. Iit was 90 degrees and sunny. We got a bit thirsty.

After the round we had a beverage in the bar. The barkeep was awesome. We got 2 for1. We were told that that is how it works there. Been golfing at Gopher for many years and didn't know that.

All in all it was a great time.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

A challenge

The course is OK but has some quirky holes. Greens were nice. Fairways were nice. Bunkers were terrible. Sand, or lack there of, is almost unplayable. I removed my ball from the bunker to play it. Tee boxes on some holes could use some leveling. One fairway has ropes across it because of wetness I guess. Pace of play was good. Staff was very good. Range is excellent. I played on a golfnow price break which made the round worthy.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 35
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played

A different kind of course

GH as its' name implies is very rolling. You will seldom have a level lie here, even many of the fairways have considerable slope and undulation to them. Fairways are reasonably wide but the rough is the thickest & tallest of any area courses & very challenging to hit out of. Bunkers are hard w/little sand -putt out of if you can or use a chipping technique. Greens are reasonably fast and a highlight of the course. Also some excellent views of the surrounding farm country. Fair number of doglegs & blind shots, esp back 9, helps a lot if you have played it before. GH is inexpensive to play and worth playing a few times a year. Probably not a good course if you spray the ball around as you will spend a lot of time looking for your ball. Also recommend taking a cart as walking would be very challenging.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Response from on 06/06/2017:
Hi Ken, thank you for taking the time to review your experience and rating our course. We appreciate your business and opinions here as it allows us to pinpoint issues that our golfers are noticing. We regret to hear the rough and bunker conditions were not enjoyable during your round. We will pass along the information mentioned to the team in order to make improvements moving forward. We are happy to hear you appreciated the views and greens conditions! Thank you for stopping by Gopher Hills Golf Course and we hope to have you back soon to exceed expectations!
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

Gopher hills

Very nice course, played middle of the week at noon. Had to wait on every hole. Some of the holes had strange twists or bends to them. First time there so next time there will be less surprises. Very scenic.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Scenic Course

The greens were a nice pace. It is a challenging course for intermediate players, but interesting and fun.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 21
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Used cart

Wide open

The fairways are wide and open, little trees, little water but there are some hills and difficult lies.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Best course in the south metro for the money

Gopher Hills has been my favorite course for many years. It's about 35 minutes away, but worth the drive. The course is challenging without being overwhelming. There is a great variety of hills, trees, flat areas, water, etc. The greens are in wonderful shape, as are the fairways. The bunkers need to be groomed, as they are hard and crusty.

The Spring prices are excellent, and I got an even better deal on GolfNow. The staff was friendly, and I played 18 with a cart in less than 3 hours. Highly recommended!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 20
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Not worth the drive:

Not one of my favorite courses. As an older bogie + golfer, I found many difficult holes without adequate markers or directions. I end up spending too much time looking for balls that are difficult to follow. Clubhouse is best part of the experience.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 07/05/2017:
Hello Norm, thank you for taking the time to review Gopher Hills Golf Course in the Minnesota area. We are sorry to hear that the course layout may have been a little confusing, but we are happy to see that you had a great experience at our clubhouse. We appreciate you golfing with us and we hope to see you back at our course soon.
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Golf Packages

Destination Kohler - Champions' Trail Golf Package

FROM $617 (USD)
KOHLER, WI | Enjoy 2 nights’ accommodations at The American Club or the Inn at Woodlake and 3 rounds of golf at Blackwolf Run (River or Meadow Valleys Course) and Whistling Straits (Straits or Irish Course)

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