In just about every ranking found anywhere, this impressive course consistently sits among the elite as one of the very top golf courses in the United States. As a tribute to its greatness, the United States Golf Association selected Prairie Dunes as the site of the 2002 U.S. Women's Open Championship.
Tom Watson, an honorary member of Prairie Dunes, describes the course as "a touch of Scotland in the Land of Oz. sunflowers instead of heather, oceans of grain instead of the sea."
The eighth hole was named the best eighth hole in the country by Sport Illustrated. Golf Magazine lists both the eighth and tenth holes among the nation's 100 best holes.