Legends Club, Prior Lake, Minnesota ? An Upscale Golf Course Ranked as One of the Top Three Courses in the State

The Legends Club is a championship golf course set in the wooded and marshy area that borders Lakeville and Prior Lake, Minnesota. The course is set on 360 acres of land and features thick woodlands with an abundance of ponds, including a 30-acre lake at the center of the acreage. The course also features scenic wetlands, creeks, and some dramatic topography, including strategically placed "links-style'' mounding.

The 18-hole, par-72 course plays to 7,058 yards from the tips, with a USGA rating of 74.2 and a slope rating of 142. From the White tees, the course plays to a much more manageable 6,046 yards. The course tends to feature generous landing areas and large greens, but the approach shots are often made demanding by greenside mounding and bunkers.

Some of the more noteworthy holes include No. 6, a somewhat lengthy par-4 that plays to 452 yards form the back tees. This is the #1-handicap hole on the course, and it is representative of the style of golf on holes that are not touched by water or wetlands. This hole feels as though it's in a winding trough or valley, borderd by sparse trees, mounding and bunkers. The hole plays slightly downhill to an expansive green, but staying in the short grass and finding a flat lie is the challenge on this layout.

Hole No. 10 starts to show some of the water hazards found on the Legends Club, as the fairway of this short par-4 plays plays through water that borders both sides. The hole then takes a subtle dogleg left and plays toward a slightly elevated green that's fronted on the left by two large bunkers.

Hole No. 13 is a beauty, a signature hole that's also quite challenging. A somewhat lengthy par-3, the hole plays to 209 yards from the back tees and a respectable 157 from the Whites. This hole plays over the largest body of water on the course, and only the lengthy ride on the wooden bridge might feel longer than the tee shot.

Hole No. 16 takes golfers back to more of a dry, links-style hole, and this one is a brute. A par-5, this hole plays to 621 yards from the longest tees, and a still-hefty 580 yards from the Blue tees. This hole plays very straight and seems to stretch as far as the eye can see, but the challenge comes not only from its length, but from the mounding and undulations encountered on the way to an expansive green.

Since opening in 2001 the Legends Club has garnered some impressive awards. Golfweek magazine has ranked the course as one of the Top 3 courses in the state, and the #1 Course in the Greater Minneapolis/St.Paul area. And Golf Digest ranked it among the Top 10 Best New Upscale Courses in America in 2002.

Practice facilities are also considered some of the finest in the state and include a Bent grass driving range with target greens, sand bunkers, and more than one acre of teeing area. There are also two large practice putting greens, with chipping areas and practice sand bunkers. Instruction is also available.

The clubhouse at the Legends Club is a 24,000-square-foot stucco facility situated high above the golf course. The clubhouse features a Golf Shop, locker rooms, elegant dining room, grill, lounge, and an outdoor pavilion.