Favorite Golf Courses
- Thread starter HardcoreClone
- Start date
Played:
Finkbine (it kicks my *** every time, but I do enjoy the course)
Sugar Creek (very well-maintained course and it's affordable for me)
Honey Creek
Waveland
Willow Creek
Want to play:
Bos Landen
DM CC
Veenker
Wakonda
Bucket list:
Augusta
St. Andrews
TPC Sawgrass
Pebble Beach
Bethpage Black
Finkbine (it kicks my *** every time, but I do enjoy the course)
Sugar Creek (very well-maintained course and it's affordable for me)
Honey Creek
Waveland
Willow Creek
Want to play:
Bos Landen
DM CC
Veenker
Wakonda
Bucket list:
Augusta
St. Andrews
TPC Sawgrass
Pebble Beach
Bethpage Black
Started making my list and then I realized I've barely golfed any cool local courses... That's disappointing.
favorite ones I've played
1. Honey Creek
2. Cold Water
3. Veenker
I want to play: TCI, Deere Run, The Harvester, any course in Des Moines.
favorite non local courses:
1. Bully Pulpit in North Dakota
2. Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Colorado
3. Whitefish Lake in Montana
4. Meadow lake golf course in Montana
bucket list
1. Wolf Creek Golf Club (Nevada)
2. Whistling Straits
3. Pebble Beach
4. TPC Sawgrass
favorite ones I've played
1. Honey Creek
2. Cold Water
3. Veenker
I want to play: TCI, Deere Run, The Harvester, any course in Des Moines.
favorite non local courses:
1. Bully Pulpit in North Dakota
2. Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Colorado
3. Whitefish Lake in Montana
4. Meadow lake golf course in Montana
bucket list
1. Wolf Creek Golf Club (Nevada)
2. Whistling Straits
3. Pebble Beach
4. TPC Sawgrass
Purgatory in Noblesville, IN. Each hole has 6 tee boxes, so depending on how you play, it can play as the longest course in the state or the shortest.
Beautiful course, runs about 60-80 bucks for 18 and a cart and it's got a par 5 that's something like 780 yards. Fun course, love how they name each of their holes based on the "purgatory" name.
http://purgatorygolf.com/course_hole/the-first-hole-pride/
Beautiful course, runs about 60-80 bucks for 18 and a cart and it's got a par 5 that's something like 780 yards. Fun course, love how they name each of their holes based on the "purgatory" name.
http://purgatorygolf.com/course_hole/the-first-hole-pride/
Surprised (1) at the love Echo is getting and (2) The Legacy isn't getting more run. I love that course. Big greens with some tough reads. Wide fairways. Always in great shape. Haven't been to echo in years. Must have been a renovation.
My top 5 (no order):
Honey Creek in Boone
The Legacy in Norwalk
The Preserve at Honey Creek State Park
Course at Riverside Casino
The Harvester
Edit: Forgot the Riverside course until I saw it on someone else's list. Good one.
My top 5 (no order):
Honey Creek in Boone
The Legacy in Norwalk
The Preserve at Honey Creek State Park
Course at Riverside Casino
The Harvester
Edit: Forgot the Riverside course until I saw it on someone else's list. Good one.
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Fav I've Played outside Iowa:
1) Royal Dornach (Scotland)
2) Pebble Beach
3) Turnberry
4) Deere Run (technically outside of Iowa)
5) Brickyard Crossing (Indianapolis) - Awesome Course with 4 holes inside the race track - Played here 4 years for college tournament.
6) Adios (Boca Raton)
In Iowa
1) Fort Dodge Country Club
2) TCI
3) Davenport CC
4) Hyperion
5) Spirit Hollow
6) Spencer CC
7) Finkbine
Overrated
1) Talons of Tuscany - greens are really fast and smooth track is just meh More just the feeling of exclusivity
2) Harvester - Costs like what $150 bucks to play now? No thanks
3) Legacy - Course conditions haven't been good last couple times I've been there
4) Des Moines Golf
1) Royal Dornach (Scotland)
2) Pebble Beach
3) Turnberry
4) Deere Run (technically outside of Iowa)
5) Brickyard Crossing (Indianapolis) - Awesome Course with 4 holes inside the race track - Played here 4 years for college tournament.
6) Adios (Boca Raton)
In Iowa
1) Fort Dodge Country Club
2) TCI
3) Davenport CC
4) Hyperion
5) Spirit Hollow
6) Spencer CC
7) Finkbine
Overrated
1) Talons of Tuscany - greens are really fast and smooth track is just meh More just the feeling of exclusivity
2) Harvester - Costs like what $150 bucks to play now? No thanks
3) Legacy - Course conditions haven't been good last couple times I've been there
4) Des Moines Golf
Probably is for a lot of people. It just not a good hole. You have to layup off the tee, but you can't leave yourself too far back, or you have to hit a very difficult 2nd (the 2nd shot is difficult even if you hit a perfect layup). For your 3rd...because not many can reach in 2, even with a perfect shot off the tee, leaves anywhere between 170 and 80 yards to a severely elevated green that slopes back to front. If you're short, it's a tough pitch out of tall grass. Long, and good luck coming back down that slope. Left and right are dead.
Favorites Played in/near Iowa:
1. Harvester
2. Glen Oaks
3. Hunter's Ridge
4. Deere Run (local to me in the QC)
5. Cedar Rapids CC
Favorites played elsewhere:
1. Pebble Beach
2. Torrey Pines (South)
3. Dinosaur Mountain in Gold Canyon, AZ
4. TPC Sawgrass
5. Broadmoor (East)
Bucket List:
1. Augusta National
2. Pine Valley
3. St Andrews
4. Pinehurst 2 (playing this in a few weeks!!)
5. Spyglass
1. Harvester
2. Glen Oaks
3. Hunter's Ridge
4. Deere Run (local to me in the QC)
5. Cedar Rapids CC
Favorites played elsewhere:
1. Pebble Beach
2. Torrey Pines (South)
3. Dinosaur Mountain in Gold Canyon, AZ
4. TPC Sawgrass
5. Broadmoor (East)
Bucket List:
1. Augusta National
2. Pine Valley
3. St Andrews
4. Pinehurst 2 (playing this in a few weeks!!)
5. Spyglass
Since at least a few of you have played these, I've got some questions.....
Kohler: Really wanting to head up there within the next year or so to play Whistling Straights. Should I also play Blackwolf Run? Do you stay at the course or just get a hotel somewhere close? I've also never had a caddie, did you get one, what was your experience like?
The Preserve at Rathbun: I've heard some really good things but don't know much about it. I live in DSM so isn't a bad drive. Have you done the stay/play package? What kind of course is it?
Kohler: Really wanting to head up there within the next year or so to play Whistling Straights. Should I also play Blackwolf Run? Do you stay at the course or just get a hotel somewhere close? I've also never had a caddie, did you get one, what was your experience like?
The Preserve at Rathbun: I've heard some really good things but don't know much about it. I live in DSM so isn't a bad drive. Have you done the stay/play package? What kind of course is it?
Did you play Chambers Bay before the US Open? What was the course like compared to the tournament? Hopefully a bit more lush and not as difficult?
Report back on Pinehurst, please. I'm jealous. Pine Valley and Brookline are bucket listers for me as well. Not on my original list, but I only had 5 to work with :smile:
For those who have played some of the big name courses like Sawgrass, Pebble Beach, Whistling, etc....I am an 8 handicap at the public courses in and around Des Moines. Would I really struggle trying to play these other courses? Or are there plenty of hackers that get out and play those?
Preserve is a nice course. Front is a bit funky, because it has 3 par 3's, 3 par 4's and 3 par 5's, with two of the par 5's to start the round (#1 and #2). Depending on wind, it can be really tough, because there are quite a few exposed holes. Back 9 has a couple driveable par 4's (#11 and #12), depending on wind, but also had a par 3 (#13) that I have had to use driver on in the past (playing the tips, and the wind was howling straight into my face). #16 is an interesting hole. I've gone driver, 52 degree into it, and I've also gone driver, 3w and was a tad short. Again...all about the wind that day.
It's a good time. Like you said, the drive isn't bad.
So, I have a pretty sweet Labor Day week coming up.
- Iowa State v UNI on 9/5
- I fly out to the Palm Desert on Monday 9/7
- Playing Silver Rock on 9/8
- Playing 36 at Desert Willow (both Firecliff and Mountain View) on 9/9
- Playing Classic Club on 9/10
- Fly back home on 9/11
- Iowa State v Iowa on 9/12
Gonna be one tired SOB, but should be a great week. Anybody play any of those courses before, and if so...thoughts?
- Iowa State v UNI on 9/5
- I fly out to the Palm Desert on Monday 9/7
- Playing Silver Rock on 9/8
- Playing 36 at Desert Willow (both Firecliff and Mountain View) on 9/9
- Playing Classic Club on 9/10
- Fly back home on 9/11
- Iowa State v Iowa on 9/12
Gonna be one tired SOB, but should be a great week. Anybody play any of those courses before, and if so...thoughts?
Top 5 in Iowa:
1. Des Moines Golf (North and South)
2. Harvester (kicks my ***)
3. The Legacy
4. TCI
5. Honey Creek
Value Picks (course for the money):
1. Otter Creek
2. Jester
3. Waveland
I like Harvester but they are crazy charging $120 or whatever it is now.
1. Des Moines Golf (North and South)
2. Harvester (kicks my ***)
3. The Legacy
4. TCI
5. Honey Creek
Value Picks (course for the money):
1. Otter Creek
2. Jester
3. Waveland
I like Harvester but they are crazy charging $120 or whatever it is now.
I rarely play the super nice courses around Dsm but the nicest I've played is Honey Creek. The back 9 is tough and has some great scenery. The 11th may be my favorite par 3
Playing a best ball tourney there this wknd actually.
Not near the hardest or the nicest, but River Valley in Adel may be of my favorites. Not insanely hard, but provides some challenges.
Playing a best ball tourney there this wknd actually.
Not near the hardest or the nicest, but River Valley in Adel may be of my favorites. Not insanely hard, but provides some challenges.
you'll be more than fine if you're an 8. just play the correct tees, and caddies help you where to aim, yardages to trouble spots, and find your ball etc.
I say play from the tips and embrace the struggle, gain perspective on how much better the pros are.
