Playing Golf Under the Midnight Sun: The Northernmost Course in the US

I know what you're thinking as you read this in December, perhaps with snow falling outside your window and your clubs tucked away for the season: why am I telling you about a place where you can tee off at 11 p.m. under a sky that refuses to go dark?

Because sometimes the best antidote to winter is dreaming about the opposite extreme, and that's precisely what you can do at Midnight Sun Golf Course in Fairbanks, Alaska, where summer golf takes on an entirely different meaning.

As someone who's spent nearly three decades in this industry, who has played some unforgettable courses, I'll tell you this: A moment I still want to experience is standing on a tee box at midnight, watching my ball sail through the golden twilight, with the Alaska Range stretched out before me like a postcard that forgot to fade to black. That's still on my bucket list, and that is what Midnight Sun offers.

Let me start with the most fascinating detail I learned about this place from a friend who made the pilgrimage north. The entire course sits on permafrost. Yes, you read that right. The ground beneath your feet is permanently frozen, which creates a links-style layout with natural dips, mounds, and undulations that, according to those who've played there, would make a Scottish course designer weep with envy.

This isn't your manicured country club fairway. From everything I've heard and researched, this is raw, rustic golf at its finest. The terrain shifts and changes with the seasons as the permafrost does its thing, meaning the course you play in May might feel subtly different come September. It's golf the way it was meant to be played: unpredictable, challenging, and utterly authentic.

From the eighth and seventeenth tees, on a clear day, you can see Denali. That's right, North America's tallest peak, visible from your golf shot. The Alaska Range sprawls across the horizon like nature's gallery wall, and suddenly that double bogey doesn't sting quite as much.

The course offers sweeping views of Fairbanks and the surrounding wilderness. And here's the thing about playing golf in Alaska that I've learned from both online reviews and a friend who's played there: you're sharing the course with the locals. I'm not talking about the members. I'm talking about moose. From what I've gathered, they wander through regularly, and the course has actual rules about what to do if a raven or fox steals your ball. (You get a free drop, no penalty. Try finding that in the USGA rulebook.)

Between mid-May and late July, the sun barely dips below the horizon. During the peak of summer, from roughly May 17 to July 27, it doesn't set at all. This means you can legitimately play 18 holes at midnight and never need a headlamp.

The course typically opens in mid-May and runs through mid-September, weather permitting. And when I say weather permitting, I mean it. This is Alaska. The season is short, which makes every round feel precious. Locals and visitors alike pack in as much golf as they can during these golden months.

Located at 330 Golf Club Drive in Fairbanks, Midnight Sun offers everything you'd expect: a driving range for warming up, a pro shop, and that snack bar I mentioned. The course is open to the public, and they offer visitor packages that include green fees, cart rental, club rentals, and a souvenir to prove you played at America's northernmost USGA-sanctioned 18-hole course.

During the off-season, they keep things going with a virtual golf simulator that runs year-round. They've even added snowmobile tours in the winter months, making this an unexpectedly festive destination when the holiday season rolls around and the northern lights dance overhead. Because why let a little snow stop the fun?

A friend of mine who played Midnight Sun last summer couldn't stop talking about it. He described it as golf stripped down to its essential elements: you, the ball, the course, and nature doing whatever nature wants to do. Humbling and exhilarating in equal measure, he said. And honestly? That's exactly the kind of golf I want to experience.

If you're planning an Alaska cruise or cruise tour that takes you through Fairbanks, I'm telling you what I'd tell myself: make time for this. Book the late-night round. Experience what it's like to putt under a sun that forgot to set. Bring your camera, bring your sense of adventure, and maybe bring an extra layer because even in summer, Alaska keeps you honest.

Some courses you play for the prestige. Some you play for the challenge. Midnight Sun? From what I can tell, you play it for the story.