Hawktree represents one of those rare cases where the marketing hype is true; the landscape here is among the most dramatic of any golf course in North America. More than a decade after it opened, Hawktree remains ranked among the top 100 public-access courses in the United States; Golfweek currently ranks Hawktree the second-best public-access course in North Dakota behind only the Links of North Dakota.

North Dakota native Jim Engh, ASGCA routed this course through a glacial valley bisected by Burnt Creek, which feeds into the Missouri River. The layout includes water on 11 holes, yet features a pronounced links flavor, but with a twist — Engh used black coal slag instead of sand in the bunkers here; the owners describe it as "a unique solution to the lack of white sand in North Dakota, plus it doesn't blow away in the frequent wind storms."

The standard fees here are $75 for 18 holes and $42 for 9 holes. A variety of specials are available and listed on the club's web site.