If you've read anything I've written about the Dellwood corridor on White Bear Lake, you've seen these two names come up. White Bear Yacht Club and Dellwood Country Club aren't just nearby amenities, they're a big part of why this stretch of shoreline commands the prices it does. Golf, tennis, pools, sailing, junior programs, and a genuine social calendar, all within a few minutes of the water.
White Bear Yacht Club: sailing roots, championship golf
White Bear Yacht Club dates back to 1889 as a sailing and yacht club on White Bear Lake, long before golf was part of the picture. Golf arrived in 1912, when William Watson laid out the original 9 holes. The course was expanded and redesigned in 1915 and 1916, with Donald Ross and Tom Vardon both associated with that era of work. The exact design credit has been debated by golf historians for years, club historian Mark Mammel's research points to Watson as the primary hand behind the layout, while others, including the Donald Ross Society, have long treated it as a Ross course. Either way, it's a genuine piece of early-1900s American golf architecture, and it's regularly profiled by golf course historians and architecture publications as one of the more significant classic-era designs in the Upper Midwest.
Beyond golf, White Bear Yacht Club is built as a full lakeside family club. Amenities include clay and asphalt tennis courts on the lakeshore, an Olympic-sized pool with a separate kids' splash pool, active sailing and racing with regattas throughout the season, and four different dining venues around the property.
Membership is tiered. A Proprietary membership (40 and older, full access including golf) carries a published initiation fee around $20,000. An Associate membership (under 39) runs closer to $10,000. A Lakeside membership, which includes tennis, pool, dining, and the lake side of the club but not golf, runs around $8,000 to join. Monthly dues across these tiers range roughly from $374 to $960. There's also a separate Sailing membership path, which requires at least five years of competitive sailing experience after age 25.
Dellwood Country Club: a modern, family-first club
Dellwood Country Club is a privately owned, invitation-only club on 200 acres along the lake. The golf course is an 18-hole championship layout with six sets of tees ranging from 5,350 to 7,050 yards, plus a separate USGA-rated Short Course at just over 3,000 yards built specifically for beginners and shorter games. The club has held both USGA and Audubon International Sanctuary certification for its environmental and land management practices.
Dellwood has real championship pedigree. The course has hosted the Minnesota State Open, the Minnesota State Amateur, multiple MGA and Minnesota PGA championship events, and US Open and US Senior Open local qualifying, most recently the 2024 Minnesota PGA Match Play. Since new ownership took over in 2012, the club has put more than $20 million into capital improvements, including a full driving range renovation and new bunker sand in 2021.
On the family side, Dellwood's amenities go well beyond golf. There's a resort-style pool with a lazy river, cabanas, a kids' play area, and a poolside bar. Tennis courts, a fitness center, and a golf practice facility built around Trackman technology round out the year-round offering, and the club rents pontoon boats on White Bear Lake through a partnership with Your Boat Club. The junior golf program draws more than 100 kids a year and has produced three state high school champions and more than 20 collegiate golfers. Even winter is covered, with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, and ice skating on site.
Why this matters for buyers looking at Dellwood
This is the part that's easy to miss if you're relocating from out of state: the price premium on Dellwood Avenue and the surrounding corridor isn't just about lot size and lake frontage. It's about proximity to two clubs that give a family golf, tennis, swimming, sailing, and a real social calendar, all within a short drive or a short walk. For families with kids, the junior programs at both clubs are a genuine draw on their own.
I've golfed both courses, and they're both good tracks. Dellwood is a well-maintained, modern championship course that plays fair for a range of skill levels. White Bear Yacht Club is the kind of course golf architecture people talk about, old-school routing, real character, the sort of layout that rewards knowing where to miss. If you're a golfer considering a move to this corridor, that's worth factoring in beyond just the real estate.
Quick Answers
Are White Bear Yacht Club and Dellwood Country Club open to the public? No. Both are private, membership-based clubs. Dellwood is invitation-only. White Bear Yacht Club offers several membership tiers with published initiation fees and monthly dues.
What's the difference between White Bear Yacht Club and Dellwood Country Club? White Bear Yacht Club dates to 1889 and combines a classic-era golf course with sailing, tennis, and swimming. Dellwood Country Club is a modern 18-hole championship club with a stronger recent tournament history and a larger resort-style pool and family amenity package, including a lazy river and junior golf program.
Who designed the golf course at White Bear Yacht Club? William Watson laid out the original 9 holes in 1912. Donald Ross and Tom Vardon are both associated with the 1915-16 expansion and redesign, though the exact design credit is debated among golf historians.
Does Dellwood Country Club have a pool? Yes, a resort-style pool with a lazy river, cabanas, a kids' play area, and a poolside bar.
I live one lake over, on Centerville Lake, and I track White Bear Lake's real estate market the same way I track my own. My closed transactions run through the surrounding corridor, Bald Eagle Lake, Turtle Lake, Centerville Lake, Forest Lake, Reshanau Lake, and Sunfish Lake, with Bald Eagle Lake being the strongest part of my business. I haven't closed a sale on White Bear Lake itself yet. There are good agents who specialize here, and I respect that. What I bring is the same data discipline I use on my home lakes, applied to this one, and I'm actively building toward representing buyers and sellers on this shoreline because it earns the attention. If a golf or club lifestyle is part of what's driving your search on this lake, I'm glad to talk through how the club scene here actually fits into your day-to-day.
Best,
Tim Ornell Waterfront Real Estate Advisor | Ornell Group Real Broker, LLC — Luxury Division (NASDAQ: REAX) Minnesota Real Estate License #40442506 651.263.9480 | ornellgroup.com 7037 20th Ave S, Suite 200, Centerville, MN 55038 Specializing in Twin Cities, MN waterfront properties and relocations.
