The 2008 edition of the Top 100 Courses You Can Play ranking came in the mail today as part of the September 2008 edition of Golf Magazine.

With several listed courses costing $500 or more, this isn’t entirely a list of courses I could actually afford to play, but the only connection you need to get on is a large bank account.

This year’s list has 11 new courses on it, which means competition for Minnesota courses is stiff. Only two made the cut: The Quarry at Giants Ridge at #50 and Deacon’s Lodge at Grand View Lodge at #81.

For the first time, Golf Magazine also ranked the best you can play in every state. Ten courses were listed for Minnesota:

• 1, The Quarry at Giants Ridge
• 2, Deacon’s Lodge at Grand View Lodge
• 3, The Wilderness at Fortune Bay
• 4, The Classic at Madden’s
• 5, Dacotah Ridge
• 6, The Legend at Giants Ridge
• 7, Legends Club
• 8, Chaska Town Course
• 9, StoneRidge
• 10, The Preserve at Grand View Lodge

That list of courses holds up very well against any state in the union, in my opinion…