Green Lakes State Park Golf Course

Green Lakes State Park Golf Course opened on May 6, 1936, and holds a special place in golf-architecture history as the first course Robert Trent Jones designed entirely on his own, after his early partnership with Stanley Thompson. Built during 1935 and 1936 through New Deal work-relief programs, it winds across the glacially carved terrain of Green Lakes State Park, home to two rare meromictic lakes prized for their emerald color, one a National Natural Landmark. Rather than a fee, Jones accepted a ten-year lease on the concession for one dollar a year. The 18-hole layout previews his emerging philosophy: rolling fairways that rarely yield a flat lie, deep-faced bunkering, and greens that reward thoughtful position. It remains a state-run public course and an early window into the ideas that would shape roughly 500 Jones designs worldwide.