Worst Golf Holes in Iowa

[dosry5]

#14 at Legacy in Norwalk. 170 yd par 3 with a stupid green. A perfect shot can easily roll off the green. Handicap killer. Not even fun. Hard is ok if fair and maybe fun. This is neither.

 

[SCyclone]

#13 at Lakeside, north of Fort Dodge. (My home course.) Hole is short, but at about 200 yards out the fairway makes a 90 degree left turn into a green surrounded by trees, traps, and rough that slopes away from the green on both sides and the back. First, you have to hit a shot within about a 10 yard window in order to have a decent chance of hitting the green in 2. (Anything else results in making some very creative shots.) Then you hit an approach that, if you miss long or to either side, finds you either searching for your ball or taking the penalty and trying again. Many good rounds have been absolutely blown up on this hole.

 

[cyclops]

#16 Cedar Pointe (Boone) - Tee box near a pond and nest, a bird hovers over your head while you try to tee off. Play there in early spring and late fall when my regular course is closed, hole plays long when there is a north wind.

 

[ZB4CY]

#13 at Lake Panorama

The green and tee box are up on hills while the 'valley' is a pond. Front half of the green slopes back towards the front of the green. If you land it here, its rolling off the green and down the hill usually into the rough.

 

[Rural]

With all the cow pasture courses in this state this list would be virtually endless.

Not exclusive to this state BTW.

 

[urb1]

Hole # 3 at Rice Lake in Lake Mills. At one time, I read it was one of the most challenging holes in Iowa. It's like threading a needle.

If you haven't played there, it's a beautiful course about 10 miles from Diamond Jo's Casino, so it makes for a nice golf and casino trip.

 

[urb1]

#16 Cedar Pointe (Boone) - Tee box near a pond and nest, a bird hovers over your head while you try to tee off. Play there in early spring and late fall when my regular course is closed, hole plays long when there is a north wind.

A group of us platy there once a year. We usually have one guy with a club swinging at the bird to keep it away from whoever is driving.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Overall course isn’t bad. #18 though. Woof!

I haven't played RV in a couple years but the last few times I plated there the course was in pretty rough shape and there were dandelions all over the place.

 

[cyinne]

#7 Dunlap Iowa. It only plays like 95 yards but the green is a postage stamp. The green also sits below the end of the fairway, so it's a blind shot. You're actually better off hitting about a 80-85 yard shot and let the ball roll down the hill to the green. I freaking hate that hole!

Is that the hole that goes back east and is right next to highway 30? I’ve always wondered the length of that hole since the tee shot is completely blind.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Probably nailed mine with these three. Always thought it'd be fun to buy one of the houses at RV near 12 and 18 and listen to the struggle...

Honorable mention to copper creek #9 and it's pencil thin fairway, with trees.

And if your scorecard survives #9 you can give it right back on #10. It's not as tough as 9 but you still have to hit a placement shot with trouble on both sides. Plus if you don't leave the ball far enough right you don't have much to work with on your second shot because of the dog leg.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Is that the hole that goes back east and is right next to highway 30? I’ve always wondered the length of that hole since the tee shot is completely blind.

It actually goes back back to the west. The green at the bottom of the hill right by 30 is #6. #7 green sits up a little higher on the hill and slopes down to highway 30 but you can definitely see it from the road.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

#3 at Beaver Creek can be a really stupid hole. If they use the normal tee boxes its fine but they have another tee box that is off to the left which sets up really poorly because the trees completely guard your tee shot. I'm sure it was fine at one time but the trees have grown and at this point that tee box needs to go away or not be used.

 

[tman24]

I thought about #5 also. Like you said though, that’s probably only the first time a person plays it though. After that, it just takes a smart shot off the tee, which isn’t a bad thing for a par 4. If that tee shot was what a person had to take on if it was a par 5, it would definitely fall in the “stupid” category (in a way like #11 at Jester).

Here is one:

#14 at Bos Landen (Par 5)
- a layup required tee shot (in my opinion, a par 5 should not “require” a layup off the tee. Now...if a person decided to layup off the tee, maybe to set up an angle on their 3rd into the green, fine, but requiring it is stupid)
- the 2nd shot is also a required layup. I have never seen a person even have a remote chance to reach that green in 2. Not one time. And that 2nd is no picnic
- the 3rd/approach is way below the green surface (think #11 at Veenker). Left is dead. Right is dead. Short is essentially dead (very, very long grass in front). Long leaves you chipping downhill to a green that slopes severely back to front.

Dumb, on an otherwise fun course.

#4 at Bos is very close to “dumb”, but I’m not sure it necessarily fits the category. Close though.

#14 is one of my favorite holes during best ball tourneys. This past fall I was able to get my drive to the end of the fairway just into the rough, and then hit a perfect 3 wood. Ended up Pin high in the middle of the green. But I can't read the green to save my life and 2 putted for birdie.

 

[enisthemenace]

#3 at Beaver Creek can be a really stupid hole. If they use the normal tee boxes its fine but they have another tee box that is off to the left which sets up really poorly because the trees completely guard your tee shot. I'm sure it was fine at one time but the trees have grown and at this point that tee box needs to go away or not be used.

South 9?

 

[cyfan92]

I LOVE the quirkiness of Veenker! It isn't skillful to have every hole be a driver wedge. Since my ball flight is right to left, I only hit my driver twice on the entire front 9 (#1/#9). That to me is a much greater challenge than the $*** courses like Ames Golf & CC and others where you can swing away and not be punished for missing the fairways.

Disclaimer*
I'm very biased towards Veenker after working there for several years thru college.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

South 9?

West course. 155 yard par 3. I meant to include that....

 

[cyhiphopp]

Oh, this is about golf.

I was going to say, my ex-wife is one of the worst in Iowa

 

[enisthemenace]

West course. 155 yard par 3. I meant to include that....

Is that the one with the pond in front? I sometimes get the east and west courses confused.

 

[TruClone]

Someone in the "Favorite Golf Courses" thread started talking about starting a thread based on the worst golf hole designs in Iowa and I thought it was a great idea. Don't post here much, but I play a lot of golf and this topic interests me. Just for starters, some of my "winners"

1. Jester Park #11 - it started the conversation. Hitting a 8-9 iron off the tee of a par 5 is not ideal design.
2. River Valley (Adel) #12 - Island green par 3 that is essentially a blind shot due to the dang cattails that grow to a height of about 15 feet. Tee is not well marked for distance so you are guessing on that as well. Can hit perfect shot and end up in the drink.
3. River Valley #18 - the green is completely ridiculous. Three-tiered with no good place to put the pin. Should have a clown's nose to putt through.

Those are the first 3 that came to mind for me, although there are a few at Beaver Creek that come to mind (particularly the South course).

What does everyone have to add?

I played River Valley for years on the Tuesday night 2 man league. 18 was very frustrating, especially if you had a good score going into it. All could change on that stupid green. Anytime you have to mow a green completely different that all the other 17 is ludicrous. They have to keep it long just to try and keep balls from going off the green. They anything going back to the hole forces you to hit a putt you have not hit all day. I guess practicing on a shag carpet would help you figure out the speed...

 

[jbindm]

I've found hole #17 at TCI to be a bear. Maybe because I'm usually mentally and physically exhausted by that point in the course, but reaching that long par 5 in regulation seems such a chore. Takes some fun out of the home hole, too.

I would say the same about #17 at Bright Grandview. It's the fact that usually by #17 I'm kind of gassed plus I'm not a long ball hitter. Actually, generally speaking I'm just not a very good golfer.
Anyway, I have never made par on that monster. Got on the green in four several times but that's about as good as it gets for me.