Mississippi Dunes Golf Links

I'm a long time fan of the Dunes.

I'm a season pass owner and belonged to the course 2-3 other times.

The course just keeps getting in worse and worse condition as the season goes on.

There are never workers out on the course and the renovations don't seem to be happening.

I think the discounted season passes were a way to get the owner some money as he either sells out of goes bankrupt.

Lot's of good memories of rounds on this course, but not sure what the fate of the Dunes is

I can't believe that this course is not encroaching bankruptcy. Brown greens, weedy tee boxes, very few workers despite being "under construction" for quite awhile. No water coolers anywhere on the course, few yard markers on fairways, no towels on ball cleaners, poor signs near tee boxes without any layout/maps. Really too bad as this course is unique, has been in much better shape, and challenging. Driving range is locked shut, has been broken into a few times, problem never solved. Staff is few and short, mostly annoyed by questions, very little if any posting anywhere of them being under construction.

Expensive food menu for the upstairs, they do have hot dogs in the pro shop for sale for $9(!). Disappointing and misleading.

Used to love this course, but something is very wrong. It is not undergoing just a "renovation". There are sink holes on numerous holes, browned out tee boxes, fairways, and greens. Foot tall weeds everywhere, clover instead of a fairway. It is such a HOT MESS you need to stay away. A friend of mine got their discounted "member" rate for this year, what a joke. There was an email sent out that the greens are the "Best in the World". It is utter hilarity! The course is in such bad condition we are pretty sure Doc must be selling the land for a housing development! Stay far far away!

This course is one you've got to play a few times to judge. It's currently under a huge facelift (I think) and I was able to grab a membership for under 300 this year. I play alone at 6am a couple time a week.

The course has 6 par 5's that are all reachable, 4 par 3's on the front 9 and beautiful views all across the property.

It's also a mess, has a weird signage obsession and the greens can be borderline unfair, with turtle shelling on almost every green and more undulations than the river on a windy day. If you strike the ball well and can bump and run you can make some really good scores. I would suggest playing with someone who's been there before.

I hate that the practice area is a drive away from the course and clubhouse, and that the driveway in, though really pretty is speed bumped every 20 feet.

The drive into the course is beautiful the first time, you will see wildlife and you can even whack a ball at a train as it passes by on the 12th and 13th hole. If the construction goes well (and it is improving) this course will be a must play (at least to say you've been there) again.

I used to play here a couple times a year and always loved it. I recently played and I did not get the same course that I would have normally expected. It was clear they are doing some major renovations to the golf course that I'm hoping turn out great. I was very surprised by the conditions the course was in. It used to be in great shape every time I played there, but this time I was pretty disappointed. The bunkers which used to be great were basically just dirt surrounded by overgrown weeds along with some weeds growing in the sand. The greens were not as fast as they used to be and the rough and tee boxes were not well kept and some weeds were actually growing on the tee boxes. While the awesome layout is still there the course conditions are not up to par. I would make sure before you play there you should know what you are getting into before paying full price. I'm really hoping the course returns to its old standard of conditions when they complete the renovations. It seems to me they are just letting the course go while making the renovations which is a real shame because it is one of my favorite courses to play. I would recommend this course just not in the condition it is in currently.

Please save your time and money,the place is a wreck . tee boxes all messed up big holes dug everywhere please dont waste money on this place.Nobody working on course omg just a mess

Hi, All. Love this track, have played it for years. I am avid golfer and enjoy playing all over the Metro and into western Wisconsin.

The owner is running out of money to complete the "renovations"

cutting employees and amenities and hiking prices where ever he can.

For the sake of the course play it when you can.

Used to be one of my favorite courses when I visited MN. I understand that the course is probably in very poor shape for reasons beyond owner's control. However, things that could be addressed haven't been: scorecard says there are gold tee boxes (for seniors). These don't exist, and when the old gold tee boxes can be found, they are not maintained. Pro Shop did not tell us that there are not gold tee boxes before we paid/started playing. We were obviously a group that had 2 seniors, one was a woman. Several greens have no means of reasonable egress. And many areas that were severely distressed should have been marked as under construction.

The worst part was that the owner and staff were rude and defensive when asked about the gold tees. The owner's answer when asked by staff to respond to a customer's complaint about customer service was "Tell them to go to....." . Interestingly, the manager complained to us that we had used a PGA discount!

Food service was slow and the food was soggy. Not a good day at Mississippi Dunes. PS. Watch for the owner's response. He will say we were the rude ones. A measure of how defensive the staff was.

After playing the course earlier this week, I am left feeling optimistic regarding the changes that have occurred. There is a lot of growth that needs to happen this summer but I feel optimistic that it will happen.

Unlike the prior comment, this course is certainly playable. There are a few spots that are needing to be worked on but with any big course renovation these sorts of things will occur. The likely can't afford to shut down so golfers will have to play through a bit of the mess.

As others have commented, the front 9 have had a few very big changes made. Particularly on holes 2, 3 and 8.

Hole 2:

There was a modification to the teebox and the area behind the green. It looks as if they are almost completed and now are just waiting for grass to grow behind the green. A very scenic hole that should be super cool by the middle of the summer.

Hole 3: This to me is the hole where I feel that the average person will look at it and wonder what the heck the Doc was thinking. SAND. Lots and lots of SAND. There is a sand dune directly in a spot where one would want to land their tee shot. It is not visible from the teebox but it is there waiting for you to land in it. Once you get past that first dune you notice that the green is surrounded on the back and right sides by dunes. My estimation is that there is no less than 8 mounds of sand. Personally I think that this makes the course look "messy" but once fescue grows on it this will be a signature hole.

Hole 8: You will notice on the right side of the fairway a HUGE crater where there used to be land. This hole used to be a relatively easy Par 5 and I believe that this addition (although obviously not finished) will be a good addition. My suggestion for the crater.... This should be the courses FIRST priority.

The back 9 has returned this year to the more traditional feel of the Dunes in the past. More or less the same course we has been there for many years.

Overall, this course has areas where it looks a little rough. The course is primed to come back better than ever but until that happens golfers will have to deal with some areas that make you scratch your head.

Dunes is acting like a course teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. It is easy to see why they unloaded extremely cheap membership deals.

The range is in terrible shape. Each ball from range will be different. It almost looks like they hunted garage sales over a weekend to stock their range. Old range balls of various types/colors, floater balls, and used balls...all beat up, lots with slices. The practice putting green has half of the green torn up and cut off. It looks like the turf died and they chose to just remove it instead of replacing it.

The course is torn up everywhere, to the point where it is almost humorous if not dangerous.

Large piles of sand now dot each hole, much more than in previous years. Somehow, none of this sand has made it's way into any of the bunkers which are in the sorriest shape I have ever seen on a course. Only a handful of the normal non-waste bunkers had rakes but it there was hardly any sand to rake anyway. Basically just dirt filled bunkers with giant piles of sand standing off to the sides of the fairways.

Most bunkers have sod vertically laid out to create a wall. All of this sod is dead and looks terrible. Some of these walls are actively eroding. In fact, it looks like their was new sod laid down all over the course in the fall which didn't take. Instead of replacing it, they left it as dead strips of sod.

Tons of trees and brush were removed, burned, or bulldozed on the front 9. Areas outside of the fairway is just sand. It looks like they knocked it all down with no idea what to do next. Back 9 is actually ok for the most part.

Fairways and greens were decent in comparison. Some rough spots in areas of fairway but nothing unheard of on a golf course. Greens look untouched, which is a good thing. Some tee boxes look like they will be getting moved around.

All in all, this place does not look fit to be open right now. It is very apparent their previous poor business management has put them in a place where they must be open and generating some revenue to do the types of re-work necessary to keep the course together. This is why memberships were given out on the cheap. I would not recommend playing here until the improvements are finished unless you're paying a discounted rate.

Overpricing in previous years has come back to bite Mississippi Dunes.

First time playing the Dunes this year. There is ALOT of construction going on!!! Do not know what the final result will be but I am hopeful this is not what I will be seeing all year!!!! They did not have the bar Fully up and running, only one cash register. With some of the construction ,we were unsure where to hit shots?? I have played, and very much enjoyed the Dunes for many years, so I decided to purchase one of the great value memberships. So I/we will be playing numerous times this season, and I hope the various "issues" will be corrected in short time!! Sorry to see so many trees and bushes etc., being removed!!

Nice course to test you golf skills. Very challenging greens. With a new design starting this year it will be interesting to play.

My biggest issue if with the practice range. This is one of the best places to practice in the area because it is so peaceful, full of wild life with an occasional train passing by as you are practicing. The issue are with the range balls . They are just used balls that have been found on the course, in a bucket of balls about 1/4 of the ball are damaged from the lawnmowers or are full of mud.

This is one of my all-time favorite course to play in the state, minus some of the resort style courses up-north, but with the beauty of the river and the serenity of no houses or roads on the course it makes it seem like you ARE up NORTH. The greens are very unique and somewhat tricky ( both putting and chipping ) Bring your A game or at least a good wedge. But with each hole being different it makes for a great round! Holes 1-2-3 and 4 make for easy pars or EASY BOGEYS or worse !! start strong hopefully - cant wait for spring !

So I found this course 3 years ago and went whenever I wanted a course to give me a real challenge. When I first started going the only complaint I had was this Doc character (the owner) that was all about selling booze to the point it was annoying. But the course was nice so I tolerated it. Last Sunday I decided to bring my dad and brother to the course and it got so much worse. We payed 60 bucks and all seeemed ordinary. As soon as we finished hole two it was apparent that the course was "under" 'major construction. Full price and no warning from the workers led us to enormous pits in the middle of the fairways a changed score card that would have been fine if they hadn't removed hole numbers and no workers at the turn had any information as to what the layout had changed to. I will not go back for at least 2 years to see if they have got their act together. So disappointed.

Very good and enjoy course well manicure. Very picturesque beautiful views of the Mississippi River.

The course is under construction and has closed a hole, and there is tractored dirt mounds all over the course. As well, there are large areas of flat dirt that are under repair that affects play. Once done with construction, the course should once again beautiful and fun to play. The pro shop and adjacent restaurant is poorly staffed and has no snacks, just food to order. The use of a credit card was difficult for them to process for example. No drink cart on course, and the ball washers have no towels, for example. Little things add up, and though my foursome is made up of not-so-picky people, all felt this was a big disappointment for what the website and even pro shop said when I called to make a tee time reservation. They should have been more transparent in my view.

while the green fees could be still be lower,

you get what you're paying for

Lots of construction and course layout changes. This along with many blind shots and elevated greens with difficult pin placements made it a difficult play and in my opinion not worth the money.

OK, it was my Birthday and wanted to take off work early and get an end of season round in at a nice course. It was about 16 years since I last played this course, and remembered how challenging and fun it was. First of all, the course was a bit under construction, but still was in really nice shape elsewhere. I walked for around low $40's(mid 50's for a cart) and played well on this mounded, sloping, links style terrain. Some tee shots were hard to figure out where to aim, and the waving greens and surrounds, made chipping and putting very challenging. Felt like sometimes it got quirky. Although it was a great day and good experience for me, the course is a bit tough for the average golfer and would not be so inclined to return if the rates were getting in the 70's+. Definitely, a must play for anyone wanting a more true links style course. Range is quite a ways from the club house, so you have to drive your car, to go hit balls before your round. Did not have time to hit the bar and grill, but looked liked they had a fantastic view of the Mississippi River area.

Very friendly staff with welcoming atmosphere. Good golf experience for the price. Greens and area around greens very good shape. The greens are elevated so if you miss you have a difficult chip. This course is not for the beginner golfer. The rough is thick, you are rewarded for hitting in fairway and the greens are undulating. Tee boxes are in decent shape, bunkers are pretty much unplayable. I would advise just playing them GUR. Fairways are cut nice.

For a weekday rate of around $45, well worth it. Course is anything but boring, it is a challenge. Would for sure play again and recommend to others.