Havana Hills

Owatonna sits in Steele County in southern Minnesota, about 65 miles south of the Twin Cities along I-35 — a region of gently rolling farmland, oak savannas, and the Straight River winding through town. It's a community that takes its recreational life seriously, and golf fits naturally into the landscape here, where the terrain offers enough elevation change and tree cover to give a course genuine character without demanding dramatic geography.

Havana Hills reads like a course born from that honest midwestern setting — the name alone suggests something a little more adventurous than the flat surroundings might imply. Without knowing the specific design history here, it's fair to expect the kind of routing that uses natural contours, mature trees, and strategic bunkering to create interest on a modest footprint. Courses in this part of Minnesota tend to reward local knowledge, playing firmer and faster in the dry stretches of late summer.

Southern Minnesota's golf season runs roughly May through October, with peak conditions in early June and again in early fall when the oaks begin to turn. For players driving up from the Iowa border or down from the Cities, Owatonna represents accessible, unhurried golf well off the resort circuit.