Bully Pulpit Golf Course is an 18-hole public golf layout carved dramatically out of the rugged North Dakota Badlands just outside Medora. The setting is what puts this course on the map: rolling meadows and woodlands give way to striking buttes and panoramic views that feel more like the American West than typical Midwestern golf terrain. As you wind your way around the par-72 course — stretching over about 7,100 yards from the tips — holes trace the edge of the Little Missouri River and climb toward elevated plateaus that offer sweeping vistas of the Badlands’ colorful rock formations. In recognition of its unique location and overall experience, the course was voted USA Today’s #1 Best Public Golf Course in the United States for 2025, a huge nod for a facility in a region not usually associated with “must-play” golf.
The front nine eases you into the round, winding through river bottoms and gentler terrain with wide landing areas and subtle elevation changes. Huge cottonwood trees release cotton into the air that can easily hide a golf ball. But the back nine is where the course reveals its true character. Here, holes climb onto plateaus and skirt the edges of eroded buttes, creating memorable visuals and demanding thoughtful shot-making. The contrast between lush green fairways and the pale, weathered Badlands formations is striking — and unforgettable.
Why It’s Called “Bully Pulpit”
The course’s distinctive name traces its roots directly to Theodore Roosevelt, who spent formative years ranching and exploring the Badlands near Medora in the 1880s. Roosevelt famously described the presidency as a “bully pulpit,” using the word “bully” in its early-20th-century sense — meaning excellent or splendid. To Roosevelt, the presidency was a powerful platform from which to influence public thought and champion conservation, reform, and national identity.
Naming the course Bully Pulpit is both a tribute to Roosevelt’s legacy and a nod to the land itself. Just as Roosevelt found strength and clarity in the Badlands, the course sits atop dramatic natural “platforms” that showcase the region’s raw beauty. In that sense, Bully Pulpit serves as its own kind of pulpit — a place where the landscape speaks loudly and leaves a lasting impression.
A Setting That Steals the Show
What truly separates Bully Pulpit from other bucket-list public courses is how seamlessly it integrates golf into a wild, protected landscape. It’s not uncommon to spot wildlife along the fairways, and the sense of space — with few homes, roads, or distractions — heightens the experience. The course feels remote in the best possible way, even though Medora’s historic charm and amenities are just minutes away.
Add in thoughtful stone tee markers, distinctive signage, and a welcoming clubhouse, and Bully Pulpit becomes more than just a round of golf — it’s a destination experience. After we finished the round and went to the clubhouse for a beverage, we asked the pro-shop if they sold T-shirts that declared “We played the wrong tees at Bully Pulpit.” The course played much longer than its documented yardage because it was all carry and shots had to be hit with precision. Just a few feet off each fairway or green on the front nine was deep fescue that made it very difficult to (a) find your ball and (b) advance it, if you did. On the back nine, the prairie served that purpose. Whether you come for the scenery, the history, or the sheer joy of playing golf in an unexpected place, Bully Pulpit delivers a round that lingers in your memory long after the final putt drops.
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