The Bluffs Golf Course

Overview: The Bluffs Golf Course is a public Patrick Wyss design in Vermillion, South Dakota, carved into the Missouri River bluffs. The 18-hole, par-72 course measures 6,684 yards from the longest tees and moves between lower river-plain holes and higher ground above the valley. Water, wooded corridors, elevation changes and views across the bluff give the layout a changing rhythm, while the natural topography keeps the course from reading like a flat prairie municipal design. It is a playable public course with enough movement and variety to reward thoughtful club selection.

History: The Bluffs was built in 1996 as a championship public course for Vermillion and the surrounding region. Patrick Wyss designed the routing to fit the Missouri River bluff land, using the existing topography and waterways rather than replacing them with a uniform grade. The course has hosted the South Dakota Open Pro-Am since 2000 as well as tournaments for men, women and youth. Its clubhouse, practice facilities and walking trail have helped make the property both a golf venue and a public landscape destination.

Did You Know? Water appears on five of the first six holes. The early sequence introduces the course's central idea immediately: the high and low sections of the property are scenic, but the river-bluff setting also requires players to understand where water sits before committing to an aggressive line.