Elkhorn Ridge Golf Club

Elkhorn Ridge Golf Club sits in Spearfish, one of the most scenically dramatic towns in the Northern Black Hills — a sandstone canyon city where ponderosa pines cover the ridgelines and the terrain drops and rises with genuine consequence. That landscape isn't just backdrop here; it defines how the course plays, with elevation changes and tree-lined corridors that demand course management over raw power.

Spearfish sits at the northern gateway to the Black Hills, a region better known for Mount Rushmore and Deadwood than for golf — which means courses like Elkhorn Ridge operate in a landscape largely free of resort crowds, drawing a loyal local following and visiting golfers who discover the area's scenery almost by accident. The high-altitude, semi-arid climate keeps the turf firm and fast through the summer months, and rounds here tend to move efficiently.

For a par 72 layout in this part of South Dakota, the setting does most of the heavy lifting in terms of memorability. This is golf that rewards players who come for the terrain as much as the game.