Nobody is planning on changing Minnesota’s license plate slogan from the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’ to the ‘Land of 10,000 Links.’ However golf is a vital part of the sporting culture in this Upper Midwestern state, home to some 450 courses.

With approximately 4.5 million residents, Minnesota has more golfers per capita than any other state in the Union, and is the only state to have held all thirteen of the different national championships sanctioned by the USGA. (The U.S Open, Women’s Open and Senior Open, the U.S Amateur, Women’s Amateur, Senior Amateur, Senior Women’s Amateur, the Junior Amateur, Girls Junior, and several others.)

The Ryder Cup has never been held in Minnesota, but that will change this year as summer gives way to autumn. Hazeltine National in the Minneapolis suburb of Chaska will host the 41st iteration of these much-anticipated international matches, as the United States attempts to turn the tide. (The Europeans have won five of the last six Cups, and seven of the last nine.)

For those traveling to Minnesota to play golf, the Brainerd Lakes area of the state offers several compelling venues and lots of good lodging. Grab a National Rental Car at the Minneapolis Airport and head north. In about two-and-a-half hour (150 miles) you’ll be smack dab in the middle of one of the Midwest’s golf hotbeds.

Twenty five years ago the area was best known as a getaway for fishing, recreational boating and water sports, and home to the bigger-than-life statues of the mythical Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Legend has it that Bunyan’s giant footsteps created the area’s myriad lakes. In 1990 the landscape began a subtle shift towards golf, with the opening of The Pines at Grand View Lodge. These 18 holes, which expanded to 27 some five years later, were the region’s inaugural foray into the world of the upscale destination course. The Pines at Grandview Lodge begat a host of other dazzlers, including Arnold Palmer’s tribute to his father, Deacon, with a must-play known as Deacon’s Lodge. The Classic at Madden’s on Gull Lake is another top-tier venue, which features several other courses of varying length and difficulty, 63 holes in total. Same can be said for the 45-hole complex at Cragun’s Resort. All four facilities are exceptional, none more so than Palmer’s effort.

Like the king in his prime, Deacon’s Lodge is muscular, bold and dramatic. With wide, sweeping fairways, many tumbling downhill from elevated tees, there’s plenty of room and reason to swat drivers all day.

Cragun’s Resort offers Dutch Legacy as its headliner. This Audubon International certified sanctuary is one of only two dozen public courses nationwide garnering a five-star rating from Golf Digest. This Robert Trent Jones Jr. creation offers multiple tee boxes, a number of forced carries and varied approach options on a pristine piece of property. Jones Jr. also created Bobby’s Legacy, with several split fairways and a rhythmic mixture of longer and shorter holes. They also offer a unique Reversible 9 par-3 course, ideal for families, kids and novices, which changes direction daily, offering holes from 85 to 225 yards in length.

The Classic at Madden’s on Gull Lake was designed by longtime course superintendent Scott Hoffmann, who consulted with the late New England based architect Geoffrey Cornish. The first three holes of this walker-friendly knockout skirt the pristine waters of Bass Lake, and then things really get pretty with bridges, towering Minnesota conifers, and beautiful bunkering. In addition to the championship course, there is Pine Beach East, circa 1926, stretching all of 6,100 yards. Holes 14 through 16 memorably consist of two reachable par 5s and a driveable par 4. Pine Beach West is even more petite, just a shade over 5,000 yards in length, and rounding out the offerings is what’s aptly known as Madden’s Social Nine, eight par-3s with a par-4, perfect for walking-and-talking while swinging a few clubs with family and friends.

Finally, The Pines at Grandview Lodge, the course that begat the Brainerd Golf Boom, remains as popular as ever. The Woods, The Lakes and The Marsh are separate nine-hole ramblings that can be combined into an 18-hole round, or all 27, if so inclined. The greens are among the best in the area, and depending on the chosen routing, golfers encounter gorgeous stonework, sharp doglegs, deep forests and wonderful lake views.

Dining options go well beyond area staples such as walleye, wild rice soup, and Lutefisk, which is a local delicacy and acquired taste, a white fish cured with lye. Patrons can drive or boat to Ernie’s on Gull Lake, a lively and family-friendly eatery established nearly a century ago in 1917. Grilled Norwegian salmon and braised pork shanks are among customer’s favorites, as is their famed lobster bisque. The Classic Grill at Madden’s offers serene golf course views, and a rich variety of entrees such as Chicken Lobster Oscar, Korean Beef Short Ribs and the Risotto of the Day. Finally, the Barn is a diner as simple as its name. They feature filling breakfasts, homemade pies, and the little-known-outside-the-Midwest ‘Maid-Rite’ sandwich, (otherwise known as a ‘loose meat’ sandwich) which is a ground beef sandwich not made into a patty. Sounds odd, tastes great!

The Ryder Cup gets underway this weekend at Hazeltine National in the Minneapolis suburb of Chaska. Suffice to say, both the U.S. side, captained by Davis Love III and touting the likes of Jordan Speith, Dustin Johnson, and Phil Mickelson, and the European side, helmed by Darren Clarke and populated by Rory McIlroy, Danny Willett, and Justin Rose among others, will feature golfers capable of putting on a spectacular show.

The thing about watching great golf in person is it makes us want to go out and play a round or two ourselves. If you have the fortune to make the trip to Minnesota for the 41^st installment of the Cup, or if you can’t make it now but want to experience the area at a later date, the good news is there are a number of excellent options in and around the Twin Cities to help you scratch that itch.

StoneRidge Golf Club in the town of Stillwater is considered by many to be in the very top tier of public-access facilities in the Twin Cities. In fact Golfweek magazine rates it as the best public course in the region. This links-style layout designed by Bobby Weed features generously proportioned, rolling bent grass fairways, framed by native fescue grass. Though the highway is close at hand, the setting is serene, hearkening back to the farmland property it once was (there’s even a barn in play on the eleventh hole). The entire opening nine is visible from the first tee box, so players can get a sense of the rustic nature of the bunkering, and the undulations of the greens. The opener is a downhill, potentially drive-able par-4, setting the tone for the rousing golf experience to come.

Municipally-owned courses are rarely considered must-plays, but the Chaska Town Course, not even three miles from the Ryder Cup venue of Hazeltine National, is a notable exception. In fact, the course is held in such high regard it co-hosted both the National Amputee Tournament in 2003 and United States Amateur in 2006 with its more famous (and very private) neighbor. Woods, wetlands and water features abound, tricky green surrounds add intrigue and difficulty to pitching and chipping, and overall this is a delightfully bucolic golf experience. This Arthur Hills design is capacious in scope. Most courses are laid upon 150 acres, but the Chaska Town Course is nearly twice that size, sprawling over 285 acres of oak groves, open prairie and marshlands.

Finally, Keller Golf Course in the town of Maplewood offers an antiquity not found in the other recommendations. (Both StoneRidge and the Chaska Town Course are less than twenty years old.) Dating from 1929, this municipal facility twice hosted the PGA Championship, and even a Western Open captured by Sam Snead. It has a reputation for some of the best par-3 holes in the area, including the daunting sixth, stretching more than 220 yards in length. The course was shut down in October 2012 for major renovations, so all of the greens and bunkers could be brought up to modern standards. It reopened to fine reviews in July 2014, and has reclaimed its position as one of the best (and certainly most historic) public venues in the Twin Cities.

Minneapolis doesn’t have the overt culinary reputation compared to places like New York, San Francisco or New Orleans, but there are loads of exceptional eateries. Among the notable might be Lola’s Lakehouse in Waconia, with a great lake setting and outstanding food. Stone-fired pizza is always popular, but seafood abounds, including specialties like lobster-and-shrimp pie, a cast iron seafood stewpot, Chilean sea bass, diver scallops and many more. The Strip Club in St. Paul is another choice of the cognoscenti. Cozy space, small plates, and fresh food are the watchwords at this unique eatery. Grass-fed beef is one of their calling cards, along with artisanal cocktails. It’s probably not the best choice for the non-carnivores among us, particularly as the menu clearly states, “Vegetarians regarded with benevolent amusement.”

Lastly, there must be a brief mention of a highly unusual bistro called Betty Danger’s Country Club. Billing themselves as “a country club for the 99%,” they offer a unique array of ‘Mexhampton’ food, (IE–inspired by Mexico and the posh Hamptons of Long Island.) Guacamole, fried calamari and enchiladas are among the favorites, as is their on-site miniature golf course and striking views of the city skyline. Suffice it to say eateries like this are the exception, not the norm.