I have been out there for months (on and off) for work and have played the entire area and been touristy. But as an "outsider", Minnetonka is a little more out of the way than it seems and Chuck is correct on the area you would want to try to find a place to stay for those courses. Plus you will be going with traffic during rush hours which will eat more time than you'd expect. Depending on how much other playing vs bar hopping you might want to do Roseville or Coon Rapids (not as nice imo) are other good options to staying on the northside as well. There is a shopping center near both where you can get supplies, fast food, and some of your standards.
There are plenty of courses worth playing in the area, but I would definitely add Kaposia to the list. It's not as pretty as the 3 River courses but it's a great play and possibly more challenging. If you try to play all 3 Three Rivers courses on the same day (to save the money on the park passes), I would play Hyland last. It can take a toll on you. I'd go Elm Creek, Bryant Lake, then Hyland.
For eating/drinking depending on your tastes, I prefer Northeast (Minneapolis) and Uptown (Minneapolis) for restaurants/bars. Both have decent varieties of places and good people watching.
South Saint Paul has a decent area as well if you hit Kaposia (or Oakwood or CP Adams or The Valley). I have a Word Document somewhere with what I found and where to go if you are interested I will look for it and email it to you if your interested. Just shoot me a PM if you are. I'll let true local take it from here.
Any dinner suggestions, local nice hang outs or great food?
