Golf in Prior Lake
Three 18-hole public courses with Prior Lake addresses, a nine-hole course at Cleary Lake, and LaunchPad Golf’s heated suites next to Mystic Lake.
Add the public courses within about half an hour and you have about a dozen to choose from without crossing the river. Here’s what each one is, who it suits and how to book.
Golf courses in Prior Lake
Four courses carry a Prior Lake address. Legends Club sits in Credit River, near the Lakeville line.
- The Wilds Golf Club (3151 Wilds Ridge): public, 18 holes, par 72, 7,012 yards from the tips. Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish routed it through 150 feet of elevation change and wetlands inside The Wilds neighborhood, and it opened in 1995. Golfweek’s list of the best courses you can play in Minnesota had it No. 10 in 2025 and tied for eighth in 2026. Slate North, the clubhouse restaurant, is open to non-golfers, and the banquet rooms host a lot of local fundraiser scrambles. Tee times at golfthewilds.com or (952) 445-3500.
- Legends Club (8670 Credit River Blvd): public, 18 holes, par 72, 7,126 yards from the back tees, designed by Garrett Gill and Paul Miller. It opened in 2001 on wooded, marshy ground in Credit River near the Lakeville line, with about 50 acres of water in play: 21 ponds and creeks, and water on 13 holes. The National Golf Course Owners Association named it its course of the year in 2007. (952) 226-4777, legendsgc.com.
- The Meadows at Mystic Lake (2400 Mystic Lake Blvd NW): public, 18 holes, par 72, 7,135 yards from the back tees. Garrett Gill and Paul Miller rebuilt the old Lone Pine course, and it reopened in 2005. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community owns it and runs it with the casino resort: lessons, TrackMan swing analysis, and The Meadows Bar and Grille overlooking the course. Tee times at golfthemeadows.com.
- Cleary Lake Golf Course (18106 Texas Ave): public nine-hole executive course, par 29, 1,633 yards, inside Cleary Lake Regional Park and run by Three Rivers Park District in partnership with Scott County. Driving range, FootGolf, cart and club rentals, and First Tee Minnesota and LPGA-USGA Girls Golf programs. A good first course for beginners and kids. 763-694-7777, threeriversparks.org.
Golf courses near Prior Lake
All public unless noted, all within about half an hour of downtown. Drive times are from Main Avenue without traffic.
- Stonebrooke Golf Club, Shakopee (about 12 minutes): 18 holes, par 71, with water on 13 holes and a signature 8th: you tee off over O’Dowd Lake, then ride a pontoon across to the fairway. There’s a terrace for after the round. stonebrooke.com
- Heritage Links Golf Club, Lakeville (about 15 minutes southeast): 18 holes, par 71, a Joel Goldstrand design from 1997, links-style on the front nine and wooded on the back. heritagelinks.com
- Birnamwood Golf Course, Burnsville (about 19 minutes): a nine-hole, par-27 city course, a good first round with kids or a quick evening loop.
- Crystal Lake Golf Club, Lakeville (about 20 minutes): 18 holes, par 71, with tees from 4,805 to 6,306 yards, a shorter full-length round than The Wilds or Legends. crystallakegolfcourse.com
- Ridges at Sand Creek, Jordan (about 23 minutes): 18 holes, par 72, a Joel Goldstrand design from 2000. ridgesatsandcreek.com
- Boulder Pointe Golf Club, Elko New Market (about 26 minutes): 18 holes, par 72, a Kevin Norby layout from 2002 on 185 acres of rolling ground and wetlands. boulderpointegolf.com
- Valleywood Golf Course, Apple Valley (about 27 minutes): the city-owned 18 on 190 acres, with 11 ponds. valleywoodgolf.com
- Brackett’s Crossing Country Club, Lakeville (about 11 minutes): a private 18-hole club. The public gets on through Monday outings and the charity events held there. brackettscrossingcc.com
Ranges, simulators and winter golf
- LaunchPad Golf (2340 Park Place NW, next to Mystic Lake): 40 heated hitting suites on two floors facing a 243-yard outdoor range with radar ball tracking, games and virtual courses, plus a restaurant and two bars. It’s open late, year-round. Suites run $40, $50 or $60 an hour depending on the time of day, for up to six people, clubs included. Suites can close in unsafe weather, so check before a stormy night.
- The Wilds has two golf simulators in the clubhouse, with more than 1,000 courses, and runs simulator leagues all winter.
- Cleary Lake has a low-key driving range that suits beginners.
- The Meadows offers lessons and TrackMan swing analysis through its pro shop.
Lessons, leagues and junior golf
Cleary Lake is one of the First Tee Minnesota and LPGA-USGA Girls Golf sites, and Three Rivers publishes a Golf Academy schedule each spring. The Meadows and The Wilds both offer adult lessons. Most courses here run leagues, and many open sign-ups in late winter, so ask early.
Golf on the events calendar
The Prior Lake Chamber’s annual golf tournament is at The Wilds in June, Golf Day Minnesota and league nights show up at LaunchPad, and school, church and nonprofit scrambles fill the courses from late spring into fall. I put the ones open to the public on the calendar, and the venue pages linked above show what’s coming up at each course.
Which course should you pick?
The short version
A full-length championship round: The Wilds, Legends Club or The Meadows, all par 72 and over 7,000 yards from the back tees. A shorter full 18: Crystal Lake. Beginners, kids or nine quick holes: Cleary Lake or Birnamwood. Rain, dark or February: LaunchPad. A boat ride in the middle of your round: Stonebrooke’s 8th.
Quick answers
How many golf courses are in Prior Lake, MN?
Four courses carry a Prior Lake address: three 18-hole public courses, The Wilds Golf Club, Legends Club and The Meadows at Mystic Lake, plus the nine-hole Cleary Lake Golf Course in Cleary Lake Regional Park. LaunchPad Golf, next to Mystic Lake Casino, adds 40 heated hitting suites on an outdoor range. Another seven public courses and one private club sit within about half an hour, in Shakopee, Lakeville, Apple Valley, Burnsville, Jordan and Elko New Market.
Is The Wilds Golf Club open to the public?
Yes. The Wilds is a public 18-hole, par-72 course, 7,012 yards from the back tees, designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. Book tee times at golfthewilds.com or (952) 445-3500. Slate North, the clubhouse restaurant, is open to non-golfers.
What golf course is closest to Mystic Lake Casino?
The Meadows at Mystic Lake is on the casino property: a public 18-hole, par-72 course, 7,135 yards from the back tees, owned by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, with The Meadows Bar and Grille overlooking it. LaunchPad Golf’s heated suites are next door, and The Wilds is a few minutes east.
Where can kids learn golf near Prior Lake?
Cleary Lake Golf Course in Cleary Lake Regional Park is a good place to start: a nine-hole executive course with a driving range, FootGolf and rentals. It’s one of the First Tee Minnesota and LPGA-USGA Girls Golf sites, and Three Rivers Park District publishes a Golf Academy schedule each spring. Birnamwood in Burnsville, a nine-hole par-27 city course, is another easy first round.
Where can you golf in the winter near Prior Lake?
LaunchPad Golf next to Mystic Lake Casino has 40 heated hitting suites facing an outdoor range, with radar ball tracking and virtual courses, open year-round and late into the evening. The Wilds Golf Club has two golf simulators in its clubhouse and runs simulator leagues through the winter.
Photo: The Wilds Golf Club.