White Bear Yacht Club, White Bear Lake, Minnesota ? A Classical Donald Ross-Designed Golf Course from the Early 1900s

The White Bear golf course is a Donald Ross layout that first opened in 1920 as part of the White Bear Yacht Club facility in Minnesota, which was originally founded in 1889. As such, it's listed by the USGA as one of the first 100 clubs established in the county, and both the club and the course have a rich and storied history. The club is said to have hosted such notable guests as F. Scott Fitzgerald and wife Zelda in the summer of 1921.

The club is located 20 miles northeast of St. Paul and is built on the area's gently rolling hills, providing some dramatic movement throughout the design. Numerous trees line the fairways, and the course also incorporates some links-style elements, such as bunkers punctuated by grassy mounds and rolling terrain that rarely allows for a flat lie. The greens tend to provide the most challenge by playing fast with many slopes and subtle breaks.

The course is considered one of the most interesting in the state, and it's been said to have some of the best Donald Ross holes ever seen. Over the years, the course has undergone many changes, including a restoration in the 1990s. The fairways were also widened from the original 20-25 yard avenues to the current 40-60 yards. The bunkers and greens were both reworked, however, adding to the difficulty to compensate for the more generous fairways.

The 18-hole, par-72 course plays to a short 6,471 yards from the Championship tees, with a USGA rating of 72.5 and a slope rating of 137. Accuracy, rather than length, is the key at this layout, as well as shot-making while standing on uneven terrain.

Some of the more noteworthy holes include No. 1, which is not the typically friendly Donald Ross opening hole. Instead, this par-4 plays to 405 yards with an abruptly uphill driving area. For most players that leaves a second shot of 150-175 yards off a steep uphill lie. The green sits atop an elevated perch, and any approach shots that fall short of the putting surface will roll back down the slope, leaving players with an uphill pitch to a sloping green.

The par-3s on the front nine are also considered excellent holes, with both the No. 3 and No. 6 holes both playing downhill and demanding that tee shots find the green to have any hope of a good score.

Over the years, White Bear golf course has received much acclaim. In 1995-96, Golf Digest rated the course as the 5th best in the state, while Golfweek magazine ranked the course #86 among Anmerica's 100 Best Classical Courses in 1998, then #70 for 1999.

Perhaps even more impressive is the clubhouse, which was rebuilt in 1999 and is said to offer some of the best lake views in the Twin Cities, as well as some of the best dining.

Other activities at the private athletic and social club include yachting, tennis, swimming and other sports.