State of the week: North Dakota

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Where are we? The Peace Garden State. Not to be confused with the Garden State, North Dakota couldn't be more different than New Jersey. Despite the fact that the upper Dakota is the 19th biggest state by land mass, it is 48th in population. Another interesting fact about North Dakota: Its highest point is White Butte at 3,506 feet, while its lowest point is the Red River at 750 feet -- apparently colors are important here.

North Dakota Tourism/Bruce Wendt

The moon rises over a N.D. plain.

North Dakota history: Before the Europeans came, North Dakota had been home to American Indian tribes for thousands of years. The first explorer to come to the Dakotas was LaVerendrye (see: State of the week: South Dakota) in the mid 1700s. Later in 1804, Lewis and Clark made their way to North Dakota, by which time the native tribes knew their land had been claimed by the Spanish and the French. Most of what is now North Dakota became part of the USA by way of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, but very few settlers moved to the territory until the late 1800s when railroads made it much more accessible. Both North and South Dakota were formally admitted to the Union as states on Nov. 2, 1889; however, it is unclear which state was 39th and which was 40th. At the time of ratification, the Dakotas were fiercely competitive, and thus the government felt it was best to shuffle the papers and conceal which was signed in first. Typically, North Dakota is listed as the 39th state, but that is based purely on alphabetical order.

North Dakota on the course: The state's capital -- Bismarck -- has one of the best courses you can play in North Dakota, the Hawktree Course at Hawktree Golf Club. Carved out of the Burnt Creek Valley, which in turn was the handiwork of a glacier, the Hawktree Golf Course uses the natural lay of North Dakota's spectacular land to bring a links-style course to the Midwest. There's no ocean, but close your eyes, and the rugged plains and strong winds can transport everything but the salty air to the middle of North Dakota. Plus, Hawktree has its fair share of water hazards -- you'll be up against the drink for 11 of the 18 holes.

North Dakota off the course: North Dakota has one of the smallest state populations in the country, but it used to be inhabited by many more bodies. They weren't human, though. One of the great archaeological sites in America, North Dakota was once home to the dinosaurs. Sure, you can get your fill of outdoor adventure in either of the Dakotas -- and definitely make time to do that -- but don't forget about who, or rather what, was having outdoor adventures here before you. At the Dakota Dinosaur Museum, you can see 11 to-scale dinosaurs including a real triceratops skeleton. Everyone has to have a little dino-curiosity, so bring yours to life right here in one of the only states you might actually be able to imagine seeing a dinosaur in its natural habitat.

North Dakota resort: Head to Jamestown, N.D., in the southeastern region of the state for the lakeside resort -- Lakeview Meadow. Located on Jamestown Reservoir, which is fed by the James and Pipestem Rivers, Lakeview Meadow has excellent fishing and boating, and as a wildlife refuge, there's plenty for the nature lover to get up to. In the summer, you can lie back in the sun and enjoy the lake activities, and in the winter, you can go ice fishing, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. There's also hunting available for deer, small game and waterfowl.

North Dakota eats: North Dakota's cuisine, like much of the Midwest, has German roots, but what's different about the Peace Garden State is the Norwegian influence in the food. Highly settled by Scandinavians, many traditional dishes remain today with a slight twist on the original. Some of the Norwegian inspired food you'll find served here is lefse -- a potato flatbread, krumkake -- a Norwegian Christmas cookie and raspeball -- potato duplings. German-influenced food you'll find on menus in North Dakota includes sausage, fleischkuekle -- a flatbread meat pie and kuchen -- German cakes and pastries.

North Dakota culture: As you might expect from an area that's not -- nor has it ever been -- heavily populated, North Dakota isn't overflowing with historical landmarks or national points of interest, but that shouldn't take away from the draw of the state. It certainly didn't for President Theodore Roosevelt, who once owned and operated a ranch in the Western portion of the state. The ranch still exists today as part of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Roosevelt came to this ranch in 1884 to recover from the passing of his wife and mother -- who died on the same day -- and to try to rebuild his life. After two years, Roosevelt returned to the East Coast and to politics, but he would never completely separate his identity from that of a frontier cowboy. Visit the park and the ranch to get a feel for the effect this beautiful state had on one of America's most beloved presidents.

Special to PGATOUR.COM

Mike Morley lives in Minot, N.D.

North Dakota golfer: Here's an obscure one for you: Mike Morley was born in Morris, Minn., in 1946 but moved with his family to Minot, N.D., when he was a child. He played golf at Arizona State, where he was a two-time first-team All American. He went on to play 14 years on the PGA TOUR and earned two wins and a highest-major finish of a tie for eighth at the 1980 U.S. Open. In 1984, Morley lost his TOUR card and played on the Asian Tour for a couple of years before retiring. He was inducted into the N.D. Golf Hall of Fame in 1977 and still lives in Minot today. He has designed many golf courses -- most of which are in Minnesota -- and partners in golf course design and architecture with fellow TOUR player Dan Halldorson.