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Courtesy of the club

The Wilderness At Fortune Bay

1450 Bois Forte Rd

Tower, MN 55790-8111

United States

Telephone

Fax: (218) 757-3312

Primary: (218) 753-8917

View Website

Overview

In 2005, The Wilderness at Fortune Bay won America's Best New Upscale Public Course, a year after architect Jeff Brauer won the same award for The Quarry at Giants Ridge, also in northern Minnesota. Where The Quarry uses slopes and ramps, Wilderness rewards aerial play, with some high-low alternate fairways, lake-edged greens and a pair of drop-shot par-3s. As we wrote back in 2005, "its options outnumber its rock outcroppings, and there are outcroppings galore."

About

Holes 18

Length 7207

Slope 142

Price $125

Facility Type Public

Designer Jeffrey D. Brauer, ASGCA

Awards

Ranking history:

100 Greatest Public: Ranked since 2011.
Highest ranking: 40th, 2011-'12.
Previous ranking: 67th.
2025-'26 ranking: 72nd.

Best in State: Ranked eighth, 2011-'12, 2015-'16, 2023 to current. Ranked ninth, 2013-'14, 2017-'18. Ranked 10th since 2019.
2025-'26 ranking (and previous): 8th.

Panelists

Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

4.5

100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

Shot Options

7.1268

Character

6.7636

Challenge

6.9606

Layout Variety

7.1703

Fun

7.0655

Aesthetics

7.0765

Conditioning

6.8484

Reviews

1 / 4

Review

“Wide landing areas good for speed of play and creating shot variety."

2023

2 / 4

Review

“The best public course experience in the state. Great golf holes with lots of shot variety, some template holes, and unique scenery. Great clubhouse vibe and really welcoming environment for the golfers. You must take a cart here, so go wild and use one of the motor bikes for added fun."

2021

3 / 4

Review

“Really fun course worth the trip. Some really amazing green complexes that you can get creative with, especially on the front 9. The back 9 greens aren't as exciting. Greens are firm yet receptive. I do think the front nine trumps the back and the finishing holes are not nearly as exciting as the beginning of the round. Gorgeous countryside and elevation changes as these holes were carved out of the woods."

2021

4 / 4

Review

“Big, beautiful, bold, well-maintained course with wonderful vistas. Good set of tee options allowing players of all abilities to enjoy. In the "middle of nowhere" but well worth the trip."

2019