A few hours’ drive northwest finds you in Minnesota’s Brainerd Lakes region. Brainerd has long been a Midwestern golf mecca and Madden’s at Gull Lake (Maddens.com, 218-829-2811) has been a Brainerd centerpiece resort for almost 80 years. Occupying more than 1,000 drop-dead beautiful acres on Gull Lake’s Pine Beach Peninsula (including a full mile of sandy coastline), Madden’s is the quintessential, classic Midwestern resort—not surprisingly, it’s been named one of the Historic Hotels of America.
    It’s hard to believe, but the golf actually pre-dates this 80-year-old resort. The first golf course on the property was built in 1909—one of Minnesota’s first tracks. And Pine Beach East, built in 1926, was the state’s first 18-hole resort course. You can still play it today, along with two other 18-hole courses and a 9-holer. Like many of the game’s oldest courses, the East is a charmer with some eccentricities (including a 618-yard par-6 hole—now there’s something you don’t see every day). It’s a blast to play. The Pine Beach West course is of executive-course length (just 5,000 yards), but it boasts a couple of the best holes in this golf-rich region. The Classic at Madden’s is the resort’s crown jewel. Many believe it’s the finest public course in Minnesota. Giant red oaks with maple understory line the fairways, which sweep dramatically over knolls—The Classic is blessed with near-perfect golf terrain. 
    Off the course, you can enjoy the full range of watersports on the lake, in addition to biking and tennis. You’ll find manicured, USCA-sanctioned croquette lawns, lawn bowling and even a full-time naturalist for guided nature hikes. Trapshooting has been a Madden’s activity of choice for decades. Panache is Madden’s lakeside spa—enjoy a hot stone message before dining at one of the resort’s five restaurant options.

Across the border in tiny Erin, Wisconsin—about 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee—you’ll find Erin Hills Golf Course (ErinHills.com, 866-724-8822). Put simply, to play Erin Hills is one of the great experiences in American golf. Like Pacific Dunes, Sand Hills and Shinnecock, it’s rugged American linksland—a true rarity and an absolute joy to play. It’s the sort of place romantics go to commune with the soul of golf.
    But Erin Hills is far more than romance and ambience. The golf is outstanding, as well. How good is it? Just beginning its second full year of operation, it already has been awarded the 2011 U.S. Amateur. It was also awarded the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links—before the course had even opened! Do not be surprised if the U.S. Open pays a visit to Erin Hills in the next 10 years.
    Designed by Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten, Erin Hills opened in 2006 to immediate acclaim. The native grasses, knolls and rugged bunkering puts one in mind of an Irish links. You’ll encounter charming quirks like back-to-back par-3s and blind (but fair) shots. No houses intrude on the experience; you won’t spot any power lines. It’s pure golf at its best.
    Pure—and a stern test. The course plays 7,824 from the tips and is sloped at 141. (Should the Open be contested over Erin Hills, the world’s best players could be facing an 8,200-yard beast!) Just be sure to play from the correct set of tees for your ability level and take—and listen to—one of the course’s fine caddies.
    The nearby Delafield Hotel is a casually elegant inn—a perfect complement to the experience. The only better option is one of the seven guestrooms in the Erin Hills clubhouse, designed in the manner of an Irish country inn. The pub on property also reflects the Irish influence—and is the perfect setting to relax, post round.