best public courses in iowa

[sleuth]

[quote name='adamjstl' timestamp='1302063307' post='3124809']
was harvester ALOT better than spirit hollow? how do they compare as far as aesthetics and memorable holes?? I've played spirit, and our group was considering a trip to the harvester at the end of may... it's a 6 hour trip... worth it??
[/quote]
Are you guys making a weekend of it? Playing multiple rounds? What are the other options?

Unless you're talking Medinah, Augusta, or some legacy type country club (which we're not), I don't think any course is worth a 6hr trip lol. Unless it's a stay and play.

[herbst20]

Spirit Hollow is a great track but doesn't measure up to the Harvester in my mind.

Either option would be a great choice as there are lots of other things to do in the area.

I am playing the Harvester on May 15th in a scramble....can't wait!

Scott

[underparpanther]

I've played most of the top public and privates course in Iowa and so I'm not going to be able to complain w/ any on the list so far....i guess i could give people a list of courses that are fun to play and were in really good shape when i played them, but will not be in the top 10 in the state I dont believe. The only place I havnt played much is in the Southeast part of the state.

i havn't played the casino course south of iowa city in riverside yet (blue top ridge or something like that) but i've heard great things about it and would like to get down there this year.



The Dubuque area has 2 course I enjoy playing...they are The Meadows and Timberline (actually in Peosta I believe for sticklers)

Hunters Ridge in Marion (by Cedar Rapids) - since i havn't played at Augusta yet, this is my favorite back nine that i've ever played.

Fox Ridge in Dike (by Cedar Falls/Waterloo) - if you modify the course a little bit it can be fun as it has really long par 3s/5s and shorter par 4, but there's plenty of Tee options to play whatever...its my home course for this year and i have a setup for playing it at 7500yds which is fun. The greens last year rolled equally to the best I've ever played, hopefully that will be the same this summer.

Briggs Wood - Webster City

Carroll Country Club - As far as I know its still public

Veenker in Ames - I havn't played since they went to bent grass fairways, but it was a nice track prior

Coldwater - Ames

Honey Creek - Boone

Copper Creek - Pleasant Hill (by Des Moines)

Jester Park - Grimes (by Des Moines)


and to give 1 more that is in the Northwest corner of Missouri but is well worth the trip is Mozingo Golf Course in Maryville, MO....tough course and very affordable for what you get.


while I wouldnt recommend driving 4-5hrs to play any of these (maybe Hunter's Ridge)...a lot of them are very affordable and won't disappoint most people.

[herbst20]

Hunter's Ridge and The Meadows are designed by the same course architect......that is probably why you like both! My buddy is the GM at the Meadows.


I am surprised to see Timberline on your list........I am not a fan of this course at all.......The last time I played there was in the mid summer months and they didnt have watered fairways. I know the course pretty well as I grew up in SW Wisconsin and my wife is from Dyersville (Home of the Field of Dreams).

I will agree Fox Ridge is a good track. I have a good buddy that lives in Waterloo and we play there once a year.

Scott

[underparpanther]

i'm actually not sure about the watered fairways at timberline...i played there in september last year and it was in nice shape apart from some flood damage they had. i would prolly say that is my least favorite course of my list though

[cvn72]

Briggs Woods does not have greens that are on par with anything else I have played that is on anyone's list. I know, i play there.

And Honey Creek in Boone is a great track, probably my favourite track, but they do not seem to keep the condition of the greens there up to par either. It is an amazing layout though. Highly recommend this from my experience just get ready for some sandy/divoted greens.

[herbst20]

There was talk of installation of watered fairways at Timberline....I do know that. They could be in place now I do not know. The Golf pro there is a real nice guy. They do have a tough stretch of holes on the back 9......what is it Demon's Run or something like that.

[adamjstl]

[quote name='sleuth' timestamp='1302064714' post='3124882']
[quote name='adamjstl' timestamp='1302063307' post='3124809']
was harvester ALOT better than spirit hollow? how do they compare as far as aesthetics and memorable holes?? I've played spirit, and our group was considering a trip to the harvester at the end of may... it's a 6 hour trip... worth it??
[/quote]
Are you guys making a weekend of it? Playing multiple rounds? What are the other options?

Unless you're talking Medinah, Augusta, or some legacy type country club (which we're not), I don't think any course is worth a 6hr trip lol. Unless it's a stay and play.
[/quote]


it would be a 3 or 4 day trip... might include tci, preserve at rathbun lake, or maybe amana colonies

[ajhuntsman]

In Iowa, [b]The Harvester[/b] is my favorite course, by far. It's not gimmicky, every hole is unique, you have lots of risk/reward/strategy options, the conditions and greens are amazing, the price is fair. [b]If at all possible, you should definitely play The Harvester.[/b] If it's not your favorite public course in Iowa, it will definitely be in your top 5 and probably in your top 3.

By way of reference, I lived in Minnesota (Twin Cities) until I moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 2000. The Twin Cities have tons of exceptional courses, and I've played a lot of them. Some of my favorites: Stoneridge, Loggers Trail, Links at Northfork, St. Croix National, Mississippi Dunes.

I was underwhelmed by The General in Galena. Hunters Ridge in Marion is nice, but course knowledge is critical. Veenker in Ames is cool, but Finkbine in Iowa City is better and more challenging. The Meadows is great, but again course knowledge is critical.

[adamjstl]

[quote name='ajhuntsman' timestamp='1302118406' post='3126506']
In Iowa, [b]The Harvester[/b] is my favorite course, by far. It's not gimmicky, every hole is unique, you have lots of risk/reward/strategy options, the conditions and greens are amazing, the price is fair. [b]If at all possible, you should definitely play The Harvester.[/b] If it's not your favorite public course in Iowa, it will definitely be in your top 5 and probably in your top 3.

By way of reference, I lived in Minnesota (Twin Cities) until I moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 2000. The Twin Cities have tons of exceptional courses, and I've played a lot of them. Some of my favorites: Stoneridge, Loggers Trail, Links at Northfork, St. Croix National, Mississippi Dunes.

I was underwhelmed by The General in Galena. Hunters Ridge in Marion is nice, but course knowledge is critical. Veenker in Ames is cool, but Finkbine in Iowa City is better and more challenging. The Meadows is great, but again course knowledge is critical.
[/quote]
ya

thanks for the info... i do have another question... in terms of scenery and "wow" factor what does THE HARVESTER have to offer? i saw pictures of the entire course, and wasn't blown away by any means.... although i know that pictures rarely do a course justice.... it will be the "alpha" course of the trip, so i want to be really impressed ya know

[herbst20]

I wouldn't say the Harvester has a WOW factor as far as scenery but does as far as the course. There are rolling hills and some elevation changes on the course but nothing drastic. Many of the areas surrounding the course are prairie grass. There are many mature trees even though the course is not hat old. They were in the process of revamping the course a bit last year and I can not wait to go back in May to play it again. This is a 1st class course no doubt......you will have no regrets making it the "Alpha" Course during your trip. If you are looking for wow factor in terms of scenery....come check out my course....Amana Colonies.

[adamjstl]

[quote name='herbst20' timestamp='1302192053' post='3129715']
I wouldn't say the Harvester has a WOW factor as far as scenery but does as far as the course. There are rolling hills and some elevation changes on the course but nothing drastic. Many of the areas surrounding the course are prairie grass. There are many mature trees even though the course is not hat old. They were in the process of revamping the course a bit last year and I can not wait to go back in May to play it again. This is a 1st class course no doubt......you will have no regrets making it the "Alpha" Course during your trip. If you are looking for wow factor in terms of scenery....come check out my course....Amana Colonies.
[/quote]

really? i've read that amana colonies is somewhat of a hidden gem in the midwest... we're coming from st. louis so we might do this.... day 1 blue top ridge. day 2 amana colonies. day 3 harvester. day 4 preserve at rathbun lake or tci

[herbst20]

Amana is kind of a hidden gem. It is 20 minutes away from Cedar Rapids and Iowa City so it doesn't get the play it should.

It is a target golf course where you don't/can't hit driver off the tee. It is lined with mature tree and has some drastic elevation changes.

I am a member and played out there this past Friday. It is in good shape already so you will not be disappointed.

GPS on the carts is a nice bonus as well, as there are many fairway bunkers you can try to carry off the tee.

If you have any questions about the course feel free to shoot me a PM and I will answer anything you could possibly ask!

Scott

[theironhorse]

hate to be a stick in the mud, but Amana does a pretty poor job when it comes to scenery. you are buried in the trees on most every hole and there will be at least twice where you say, "didn't i play this hole already?" they do a terrible job of incorporating any natural landscaping into the course save for elevation change on every hole. 18 may be one of the most boring finishing holes around. i am very good friends with the management (new people-course has had some horrible financial issues in the past couple years) and like them very much, but i would not recommend driving to the middle of nowhere to play the course. as i mentioned in another thread, i play there 10-15 times a year, mainly in outings and with business associates, so i know the course very well. i highly recommend blue top ridge and harvester. the course is in very good shape, however, i will give you that.
if i were coming from the south and looking for 3 courses, i would play Harvester, Bos Landen, and then The Preserve.

[ajhuntsman]

People either love or hate Amana. I hate it only because I never play well there, but that's not the course's fault.

Almost every hole feels like it's been carved out of dense forest. Tons of elevation change adds scenery and variety, but also results in slanty lies in the fairway.

[thatswhatshesaid]

I'm from Iowa and played my fair share of courses. A lot of personal ratings come down to how you play and what you like in a golf course. If you fade it and don't hit it very straight, you will probably not like Amana Colonies because it is pretty tight and favors a left to right ball flight. It is a very nice course though. If you hit it pretty straight and like to bomb it, you'll probably like The Harvester and Spirit Hollow. My preference is Spirit Hollow of the 2, but they are both fabulous. I also think Bos Landen in Pella is an awesome course. Plus they've made some changes there in the last year that have made it a lot more enjoyable to play. TCI is a good course and I found most of the holes very scenic. The Legacy is a challenging course, but the greens are the most undulating greens I've ever played on. Finkbine is a nice track, but not of the quality of the others mentioned. I've also played Coldwater and The Preserve, and these are two fantastic links courses that I would recommend. Honey Creek in Boone has a great layout but the staff was rude and the greens were terrible when I played there. If you can get on Wakonda in Des Moines or Glen Oaks (both private) those two are also fun to play. My personal favorite is Spirit Hollow, although there are a lot of great courses in Iowa.

[herbst20]

I just played the Harvester yesterday in a scramble.....greens are in great shape and running fas for May. It was quite windy and made a few of the holes extremely difficult. It is always a great track to play no matte what!Scott

[Lexicographer]

I live in Cedar Rapids, so I'll throw in the Eagle Ridge (near Galena, IL) and TPC Deere Run (Quad Cities) courses into my list. These are my top 10 based on my preferences and based on courses I've played.

1) Harvester (Love it, I'm biased though, family friend is the Super)
2) TPC Deere Run (Loved the finish, last 5 holes were a blast)
3) Eagle Ridge North (Gorgeous, less frustrating than the General)
4) Eagle Ridge General (Quite difficult, but very beautiful, and had great conditioning)
5) Eagle Ridge South (you really can't go wrong at Eagle Ridge, go for a stay and play package)
6) Bluetop Ridge (too bad they had to replace the holes near the river)
7) Amana (Eagle Ridge lite)
8) Tournament Club of Iowa (maybe I caught it in a bad year, but conditioning was lousy and it was quite hard, last 4 holes were weird, some holes were all risk no reward)
9) Finkbine (U of Iowa course)
10) Veenker (Iowa State U course, kind of wacky, but I've played more rounds here than all the others combined, requires some local knowledge to play well)

Have yet to play Spirit Hollow, Legacy and the Preserve.

[herbst20]

I used to be an assistant at Eagle Ridge......I would rate the South as the best course to play there, then the North and Finally the General.

[adamjstl]

[quote name='herbst20' timestamp='1305569398' post='3238533']
I just played the Harvester yesterday in a scramble.....greens are in great shape and running fas for May. It was quite windy and made a few of the holes extremely difficult. It is always a great track to play no matte what!Scott
[/quote]


is the course really green everywhere yet???

[herbst20]

Yes the course was green! They do a fantastic job of maintaining it! If I lived closer I would definately be a member!

[sevillepro]

without a doubt...Spencer Golf & CC

[brwgolfer]

Go check out Bos Landen in Pella. It would be a top 10 public course in Iowa IMO. They have made big improvements over the past 2 years.

[Ed Rooney]

I'm a big fan of Hunter's Ridge. My wife is from Marion and when we visit I am there most mornings to get the early play special and hammer out 36 holes before Noon. It's only about 2 miles from her house. Since we moved back east from the Twin Cities I haven't been back. I need to go. It's cheaper for me to fly there for a week and play 36 every day for a week than it is for me to hang around Baltimore and play 18 each day.

I played in the pro-am for the Greater Cedar Rapids Open a few times, including the year Zach Johnson won it.

I saw a guy ace 15 from the whites once. He didn't even know it went in until I clapped from the 16th tee box and told him.

Amana is pretty good. Otherwise I haven't played many of the better courses.

[sleuth]

[quote name='brwgolfer' timestamp='1311480312' post='3418202']
Go check out Bos Landen in Pella. It would be a top 10 public course in Iowa IMO. They have made big improvements over the past 2 years.
[/quote]
Another shout out to Bos Landen. Heard it was a dump a few years ago and the owners just let the course grow wild. The course is in great shape. Pretty good difficulty, elevation changes, and hole variations.

[greglarson2]

I'll throw a couple more out that are on the Western Half of the state as most all these are East of DSM.

Lake Panorama (Grew up on this course so its always in the top for me)
The Ridge in Sioux Center - Great young links course. Should be really nice in a few more years
Whispering Creek in Sioux City

Definitely need to get out and play some of these other course as I haven't had a chance to play Blue Top, Harvester, Amana's, Spirit Hollow or the Preserve.

[Skaffa77]

I live in Omaha, NE so my Iowa golf adventures tend to be more on the western side of the state (Bent Tree).    I actually played The Havester for the first time this last weekend and thought it was a great course...not my favorite or the best, but definitely a great track.   It was well worth the 2.5 hour drive at the twilight rate ($80).     Not sure I'd pay the $109 standard rate too often with some of the courses in my area and Wildhorse ($50-$60) in Gothenburg, NE (about 3 hours west of Omaha), but at $80, Harvester was a good value and I definitely look forward to going back again in the near future.

[Carl smith]

The Harvester
Blue Top Ridge
Tournament Club of Iowa
The Preserve
Bos Landen (it has improved!)

These course are in Illinois! Not Iowa! However, they are darn good, here are my rating on the "Near Iowa Courses"

1) Eagle Ridge South
2) TPC Deere Run
3) Eagle Ridge North
4) Eagle Ridge General

Some others worth a visit -

Amana - I dont like it that much. Longer hitters can never get a decent break
Hunters Ridge - My home course. If they control the water it is a great course
Brown Deer
Pleasant Valley in Iowa City

[hawkeyegolfer]

I live in Cedar Rapids and have played all over the state. Ignoring Eagle Ridge and Deere Run (great courses but not Iowa) here are my top 10:
1 Spirit Hollow (back nine is spectacular)
2 Harvester (only played it once)
3 Tournament Club of Iowa
4 Blue Top Ridge (Riverside)
5 Amana (beautiful but too many blind shots)
6 Hunters Ridge (Marion IA - close by and a great back 9)
7 Meadows in Dubuque
8 Glynns Creek
9 Pleasant Valley in Iowa City (just played Finkbine again after long time and not impressed)
10 Centennial Oaks in Waverly (heard that it went private though)

haven't played Bos Landen or Preserve at Rathburn which I have seen as highly rated.

[sleuth]

Just played The Preserve the other day. I would not rank this on my top 5, to be honest. It may make my top 10 list and that's only because I have yet to play a lot of good tracks around the state.

First thoughts, I didn't care for the Par 5 back to back start. It just felt a little odd for me. Neither are difficult scoring holes and started bogey, birdie. I hit my drive into the rough the first hole and that pretty much told the story of my round. I broke 40 the past 5/6 9 hole rounds I played in league but for whatever reason I just couldn't find my stroke this day.

The rough was just in miserable shape. There were thick and sparse patches throughout the course. Then dead/dry patches in between. It was like this throughout the course and very inconsistent. The rough was bumpy throughout and it just looked like it was maintained as an afterthought to the greens and fairway.

The track itself is okay. I've played courses in IA where holes just turn 90* for a dogleg left. Why? What kind of design is this? The holes that turn left and right were more thought out, playayble and had well positioned bunkers - both green side and fairway. After a while though, it seemed like I had to play the same shot every hole. Just make sure to hit over this fairway bunker, or that one. And all the Par 3's were downhill at least a club length - I really wish some were uphill to add variety.

There are some good elevation changes to the golf course, but I wish the course was more designed to give more thought to club selection. To me the risk/reward type shots didn't really exist on this course. For being one of the top courses in the state I guess I was just expecting more.