North Dakota is a genuine golf road trip, not a resort package. The four-course lineup covers real ground -- Bully Pulpit and Links of North Dakota are the anchors that justify the trip; Hawktree and Beowulf are the supporting rotation. The driving is part of the experience. Plan the circuit from west to east and build the badlands terrain into the itinerary.
Courses included
The trip experience
Nobody grows up dreaming of a North Dakota golf trip, and that's exactly why the ones who go come back talking about it more than groups who just did Myrtle Beach for the fourth time. This is four real courses, long drives between them, and a state that doesn't need to sell itself because the golf and the sky do that on their own.
Bully Pulpit is the one everyone books the trip around, and USA Today named it the best public course in the country in 2025 for good reason. Dr. Michael Hurdzan routed it through the badlands three miles outside Medora, up canyon walls and across a working oil field that somehow blends into the landscape instead of ruining it. The 15th, the hole actually called Bully Pulpit, tees off a cliff to a green with a hundred-foot canyon in between, and you will remember standing on that tee longer than you'll remember your score. Book it first thing, mornings before the wind builds, because the tee sheet fills faster than anything else in the state. After the round, walk straight to the Sagebrush Grill on the patio. The burger has a reputation that gets people driving hours just for lunch, and eating it with the badlands still in view while everyone replays 15 is the whole point of playing here.
"You will remember standing on that cliffside tee longer than you'll remember your score."
Hawktree in Bismarck is where the trip actually starts making sense to people who came in skeptical. Jim Engh routed it through glacier-carved coulees along Burnt Creek, and he swapped white sand for black coal slag in the bunkers, which sounds like a gimmick until you're standing over one wondering how to play it. Fourteen holes are visible from the clubhouse, so by the time you finish you're already negotiating a replay with whoever in your group is buying the next round. Laughing Sun Brewing is the move that night, dog-friendly patio, smoked brisket, and a table that gets loud fast once everyone starts arguing about the coal slag.
Links of North Dakota, out near Williston, is the one that converts anybody still unsure whether inland golf can play like a real links course. Stephen Kay laid it across bluffs above Lake Sakakawea, bentgrass fairways, no water anywhere, and wind that functions as a full co-designer on every hole. It's remote enough that staying in the on-site cabins and playing a calm morning round before the wind wakes up is worth the isolation.
Beowulf, the other Jim Engh design over in Minot, closes out the architecture conversation with back-to-back par fives, back-to-back par threes, and punchbowl greens that reward anyone smart enough to run the ball instead of fighting the slope. It's the round that gets the most debate at dinner, mostly because half your group will insist they figured out the greens and the other half will still be complaining about them.
"Wind functions as a full co-designer on every hole."
Spend a night in Medora even if the logistics are easier from Bismarck. Theodore's Dining Room at the Rough Riders Hotel does a proper steak-and-bison dinner, and the whole town feels like part of the golf trip instead of a stop along the way to it, badlands sky included. We ended up at the bar there comparing notes with a group that had just finished the Links the day before, and by the second round of drinks we'd basically planned each other's next itinerary.
North Dakota won't hand you a brand or a logo to remember it by. It hands you four courses that actually earn the drive between them, a burger worth the detour, and a sky that looks different than anywhere else you've played. Book Bully Pulpit first and build the rest of the trip around it.
Side trips & bonus golf
The core four courses already give this trip real range, but the add-ons here make sense because they preserve what makes the base trip work: uncrowded courses, road-trip logistics, and golf that costs less than it should. Medicine Hole is the clearest case: a Jim Engh 9-holer near Killdeer for around $32, built on rolling prairie terrain with those punchbowl green complexes Engh does better than anyone. It's not a prestige add. It's the bonus round you squeeze into an arrival or departure day when the group still wants to swing clubs without burning energy on a full 18. Souris Valley fills a similar role, a full 18 with solid conditions and fast pace, good for mixed handicap groups who want a lower-stakes round without the wind exposure of Links or the terrain demands of Beowulf.
King's Walk is the one add-on that changes the quality conversation. Arnold Palmer's only North Dakota design, built on the eastern side of the state in Grand Forks, it required moving 650,000 cubic yards of earth to turn flat land into rolling contours, ravines, and two lakes. Wide bentgrass fairways, massive fast greens, and a closing stretch from 16-18 that genuinely earns its reputation. The trade-off is geography: Grand Forks is a three-hour drive from Bismarck, so adding it means routing the trip east rather than looping the western badlands circuit. Worth it if you're flying in or out of Fargo and want to start or end with a round that has real architectural credentials. Skip it if the trip is anchored in the Bismarck-to-Medora corridor and you don't want to add mileage.
Off the course, Medora is the clear non-golf anchor. The town runs the Medora Musical through the summer in an outdoor amphitheater against a badlands backdrop, it's adjacent to the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and it's a genuinely good place to spend an evening after Bully Pulpit. The drive from Bismarck to Medora along I-94 through the open prairie is part of the trip's identity: wide sky, almost no traffic, and a landscape that looks like something out of a documentary. Build in a morning hike in the national park if you have a rest day, the bison herds make it worth the detour.
Is this trip right for your group?
- ✓You want four genuinely distinct courses in a single trip, from links golf to badlands terrain
- ✓Value matters: all four rounds come in under $150, and the Triple Golf Challenge pass cuts costs further
- ✓Your group enjoys road-trip golf, driving between towns and staying in different spots each night
- ✓You play in the wind rather than complaining about it, or want to get better at it
- ✓Early tee times are your preference, and you're willing to plan around morning conditions
- ✓You want a trip that feels like a discovery, not a destination everyone has already been to
- ✓Your group can handle 4-6 days of golf without needing a resort spa or beach day to break it up
- ✗You need a resort campus with on-site accommodation at every course, this trip requires driving between towns
- ✗You're looking for a walking-only caddie experience, North Dakota is primarily cart golf
- ✗Wind ruins your day rather than adds to it, it's a constant factor at Links and Beowulf
- ✗You want nightlife and restaurant variety after rounds, options are limited outside Bismarck
- ✗You're unwilling to drive 2-3 hours between Bismarck and Medora or Williston
When to go
- Courses play firm and fast from late June through August, ideal for ground game at Links
- Daylight runs past 9:30 p.m. in June, giving you time for a second 18 without rushing
- Temperatures average 82F but nights cool down, making morning rounds very comfortable
- Bully Pulpit is at full capacity in July and August, book tee times 2-3 months out
- Wind is strongest in afternoon; protect your hero rounds with early starts
- May brings greening turf and lighter crowds, though conditions can be unpredictable in early month
- September is the best-kept secret: temperatures drop to 65-75F, courses quiet down, and badlands colors sharpen
- Green fees at Bully Pulpit drop to $107 in spring and fall
- October can be excellent for weather but courses begin closing by mid-month
- Wind is still a factor but directional shifts in fall make the Links play differently hole-to-hole
What a North Dakota trip costs
| Item | Peak | Shoulder | Off-Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tee fees (5 rounds) | $875–$1,400 | $475–$750 | $375–$700 |
| Lodging (4 nights) | $600–$900 | $450–$700 | N/A |
| Food & drink | $350-$500 | $300-$450 | $250-$400 |
| Rental car (4 days) | $150–$250 | $120–$200 | $80-$150 |
| Total (est.) | $1,975–$3,050 | $1,345–$2,100 | $705–$1,250 |
| Item | Peak |
|---|---|
| Tee fees (5 rounds) | $875–$1,400 |
| Lodging (4 nights) | $600–$900 |
| Food & drink | $350-$500 |
| Rental car (4 days) | $150–$250 |
| Total (est.) | $1,975–$3,050 |
Per-person estimates for a 4-round, 4-night trip with a group of 4 sharing rooms. Excludes flights. All-in: $1,550–$2,150 peak, $1,230–$1,750 shoulder.
How tee times and lodging actually work
- 1Bully Pulpit cancellationCancellations must be made at least 24 hours before your tee time or you may be charged a rebooking fee.
- 2Bully Pulpit bookingReserve online at bullypulpitgolf.com or call (701) 623-4653; The course does not book through third-party platforms.
- 3Bully Pulpit cartGreen fee includes cart and range balls, one seat per fee; There is no walking-only rate.
- 4Links of North Dakota bookingReserve by phone at (701) 568-2600 or via their website; Call ahead for group bookings of 8 or more.
- 5Hawktree bookingReserve online at hawktree.com; Peak weekend tee times fill weeks out in July and August.
- 6Triple Golf ChallengePurchase the $225 pass directly from Bully Pulpit or the ND Tourism site; It covers one round at Bully Pulpit, Hawktree, and Links, and must be used in a single season.
- 7Group ratesBully Pulpit offers group rates for parties of 20 or more; Contact Group Event Services through medora.com.
Common mistakes
- !Booking Bully Pulpit lastIt's the most in-demand tee sheet in the state and the round with the least scheduling flexibility; Lock it in first and build the rest of the itinerary around it.
- !Playing Links of North Dakota in the afternoon without wind experienceThe course is exposed on every hole and the native rough is unforgiving; Save it for morning when conditions are calmer and your swing is sharper.
- !Treating the drive between towns as dead timeThe Bismarck-to-Medora stretch through the open prairie is one of the best parts of the trip; Leave time for stops and don't try to rush between courses on the same day.
- !Taking too many clubs at BeowulfThe punchbowl greens and shaved collection areas at Beowulf are designed to be used; Accepting a running approach rather than a high lob shot will save strokes and make the round more fun.
- !Underestimating the wind club adjustmentNorth Dakota wind, especially at Links, can require two full clubs up into a headwind; Many first-timers leave approach shots well short by sticking with their normal yardage numbers.
- !Staying only in BismarckSpending a night in Medora is worth the logistics change; The badlands setting at night is distinct from anything in the rest of the trip and Bully Pulpit plays better when you stay nearby.
- !Skipping the Triple Golf Challenge passIf your itinerary includes Bully Pulpit, Hawktree, and Links of North Dakota, the $225 pass covers one round at each and is cheaper than booking them separately at peak rates.
What to pack
Sample itinerary
- Day 1Arrive + Pacific DunesFly into North Bend (OTH), 30 minutes from the resort. One course on arrival day — save your legs for tomorrow. Play Bandon Preserve if you get in early enough.
- Day 2Bandon Dunes + Old MacdonaldThe two boldest courses back to back. Bandon Dunes first while you are sharp; Old Mac in the afternoon when you are loose enough to enjoy the creative chaos.
- Day 3Bandon Trails + DepartBandon Trails is the easiest keep on this itinerary. Sheep Ranch is the easiest cut — add it with an early tee time if you want all five and can handle a late departure.
Where to stay & eat
Know before you book.
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