Plan your Ryder Cup visit to Minnesota

With its beautiful lakes, lush green golf courses and comfortable September weather, Minnesota will be an exceptional venue for Ryder Cup 2016.

Here are 10 reasons Minnesota will be a fantastic venue for visitors attending Ryder Cup 2016:

1. Hazeltine National Golf Club: Spectacular mature tree growth, rolling hills and picturesque lakes are at the heart of Hazeltine's visual appeal. One of America's most celebrated courses, this Robert trent Jones layout in Chaska is praised for its masterful design, extreme length (up to 7,642 yards from the tournament tees) and exciting, high risk-high reward short par fours. Opened in 1962, it has been a popular site for some of golf's biggest events. Hazeltine hosted the 1970 and 1991 U.S. Opens, 2002 PGA Championship and 2009 PGA Championship.

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2. Great Golf Course Selection: You'll have lots of options to tee up before, during or after the Ryder Cup matches. There are 65 golf courses within a 20 mile radius of Minneapolis and several within a few minutes of Hazeltine National. Minnesota's courses are characterized by beautiful natural terrain, high maintenance standards and affordability. Nearby options include the Chaska Town Course, Bluff Creek, Dahlgreen and Stonebrooke.

3. Mall of America: If you like mall shopping, you'll love the Mall of America, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in the U.S. with more than 400 stores, an amusement park, aquarium and more than 50 restaurants. Popular places to dine include Benihana, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Hard Rock Cafe, Nordstrom Cafe and Dick's Last Resort.

4. Super Shopping Areas: Beyond the Mall of America, there are a wealth of unique shopping areas in the Twin Cities--Minneapolis and St. Paul. At 50th & France in Edina/Minneapolis you'll find more than 175 shops and boutiques and 20 restaurants. The North Loop, situated in the Minnesota Warehouse District, encompasses six to eight story renovated warehouse on seven square blocks with lots of places to eat, drink and shop. Downtown Minneapolis is home to an 8-floor Macy's and 2-floor Target Store. Calhoun Square in Uptown Minneapolis is a hip urban area. Grand Avenue in St. Paul, which was named by Forbes as "One of the Prettiest Neighborhoods in the U.S." has a great selection of stores and restaurants from Dale Street to Fairview Parkway.

5. Comfortable Weather: One of the best times to visit Minnesota is during the early fall before the chilly temperatures and Old Man Winter arrive. Average temperatures in September are in the high 60s with lows in the high 40s. You'll typically have some stunningly beautiful Indian Summer days in the low 70s.

6. Eclectic Dining: A major metropolitan area, the Twin Cities have a wide variety of places to dine. Some of the more popular and celebrated restaurants, include Restaurant Alma (New American), 112 Eatery (Eclectic), Bar La Grassa (Italian) Lucia's (American/Farm-to-Table), I Nonni (Italian) Meritage (French), D'Amico Kitchen (Italian) and Butcher & The Boar (American/Beer Garden). Also, try a Juicy Lucy Burger, a legendary Minneapolis favorite, a cheeseburger with cheese inside the meat. Best places to have one is at 5-8 Club, Nook Bar or Matt's Bar.

7. Lakes and More Lakes: While the state boasts the moniker of "The Land of 10,000 Lakes", the Twin Cities area has nearly 1,000 metro lakes and 180 parks. If you love boating and fishing, Minnesota is very accommodating.

8. Appealing Attractions: There are lots of things to see and do in the Twin Cities, including: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Guthrie Theater, Stone Arch Bridge, Minnesota Zoo, Midtown Global Market, Minnehaha Falls and the Mill City Museum.

9. Casino Gaming: For gaming enthusiasts, some of the top options in the Minneapolis area to roll the dice, play blackjack and hit the slots includes the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino, Treasure Island Resort Casino and Canterbury Park Racetrack & Card Casino.

10. Downtown Chaska: A town of 25,000 residents, it has an "Historic Downtown" area with lots of shops and popular restaurants with the locals like Cy's Bar & Grill, Dunn Brothers Coffee, Tommy's Old Fashioned Malt Shop and Patron Mexican Restaurant & Bar. The Chaska Town Course, an Arthur Hills design with oak groves, open prairie and marshlands, is one of the top public layouts in Minnesota.