The Country Club of Missouri
My Review
Impeccably maintained. The Country Club of Missouri is a wonderful course, located south of Columbia, Missouri. The club has every amenity you would expect at a higher-end private club. Each hole on the course is flanked by mid-century, upscale ranch houses and it provides an overall pristine golf experience. Nothing is out of place. After passing through the tunnel after the 11th hole, the course’s personality changes dramatically. As long as you do not spray your ball too wildly, you will be able to post a good score. The greens roll true, hold well but are a little slow for the caliber of this course and, fortunately, 3-putts should be kept to a minimum. There are very few, if any, rough/bare spots throughout the entire course. Kudos to the grounds team. My favorite hole was the horseshoe-shaped par 4 17th, which curves around a large lake. On the drive you will have to decide how much of the lake to cut off. Choose wrong and you will end up with a double bogey. The approach shot is also over the lake which gives the green an island feel. Fun hole. I loved The Country Club of Missouri!
Columbia Country Club
My Review
Columbia Country Club is an extraordinarily well manicured club located in the heart of Columbia, Missouri, in the southwest corner of where 70 and 63 meet, although it is unlikely that you have ever seen the course. The course is a true test of everything nature (and a really good course architect) has to throw at you, including rolling hills, numerous sand traps, strategically placed bunkers, picturesque large creeks running throughout the course, rocks, wild flowers, and long Scottish Blend Fescue on almost every hole. While the Scottish Fescue is beautiful it will undoubtedly have a negative impact on your score throughout your round. CCC is the “original club” in Columbia but they went through a fairly major transformation in 2012 when the city used eminent domain and Stan Kronke (St. Louis’ favorite villain) to trade pieces of land to make room for Walmart (who else?). Columbia Country Club had to reconfigure the back nine and did a great a job of it. I actually like the new back 9 better than the front because there is more breathing room. The downside is that, on a couple of holes, the highway, large-box retailers, electric wires and a large retaining wall are visible. But in few years, the trees will hopefully serve as a sound and site barrier. All in all, if you would like to join a great private country club in Missouri’s 4th largest city, CCC should be a primary contender.
A. L. Gustin Golf Course
My Review
I have played A. L. Gustin Golf Course in Columbia, Missouri many times since I went to school at Mizzou in the mid 70’s, but the course is as good as it has ever been. Gustin was built in the mid 50’s but the University has made a concerted effort to improve the quality since 2007. This is the best public course in the area and it is very well maintained. The grasses are almost resort-like. And, A. L. Gustin has more personality than any other course in town. It is a lot of fun to play. *As noted above, I gave the quality/cost rating a mid-level ranking, but it would rank much higher for the public. I think the cost should be much lower for students and MU employees. $40 is simply too much for a college kid on a limited budget ($40 would pay for a used text book or 10 beers); there are much better deals at some of the other public courses in Columbia. This is probably why there were many walkers on the course. These loyalists have got to be part mountain lion (Tiger) to climb and traverse this particularly hilly course. Overall, though, A. L. Gustin Golf Course is a wonderful course. If you are a golfer and traveling from KC to STL, allow for a few more hours to harken back to your college days and play a much improved and enjoyable A. L. Gustin.
Eagle’s Bluff Golf Course
My Review
Eagle’s Bluff Golf Course is an interesting and unique course in Clarksville, Missouri. It has good bones and could be a great course. They added an additional 9 holes in 2012 and the new holes have not developed yet. So, half of the course would rate 3.5 balls (out of 5) and the other half would rate about 1.5. Some holes are picture perfect; others not so much. The course is fairly open with a lot of little surprises lurking at every corner, like: lakes, mounds, sand, tufts of cottontails and other plants, etc. The course is currently not on Garmin, so that made it a bit more challenging for me. If Eagle’s Bluff was in better condition it would be a “must-play” in Missouri. It’s not quite there yet, but if you are in the neighborhood, you should experience it for yourself. Interestingly, they have another 700+ yards hole. But, this one is just a Par 5 . . . straight downhill.
Caruthersville Country Club
My Review
Caruthersville Country Club in Caruthersville, Missouri is a very flat course, as with everything else in SE MO. The course is a private club that allows the public to play for a fee. It is a wide open layout with short grass throughout so lost balls should not be an issue, unless you find one of the five lakes. The trees are not a major issue like they are at older, more established clubs. The greens are comparable to a small town club: elevated with a slope from the back to the front. This allows balls to roll onto the putting service. Caruthersville Country Club is a great course for this community.
Carrollton Country Club
My Review
Carrollton Country Club in Carrollton, Missouri is an interesting course located about 30 miles north of Concordia and Interstate 70. Mature trees line the fairways so if you spray your ball out of the fairway, it will likely add a stroke to your score. It is a lovely course and well maintained. The greens are medium size with minimal break. Many holes have sand traps and water comes into play on almost every hole.
Dalhousie Golf Club
My Review
Considered one of the top courses in Missouri, if not the nation, Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau lives up to its reputation. It is not a typical country club; it is more of an Ozark resort-style course. They do all of the little things that only high-end course will do, such as having their logo embossed in the concrete paths throughout the grounds. From a marketing standpoint, they know their brand and they reinforce it in almost all aspects. I had the good fortune of playing Dalhousie a few years ago and they were having a tough summer, with many grasses suffering the effects of a hot and dry period. But, this time, the course played to a very high level and was a joy! It was running on all cylinders. A special thanks to John Oliver, Director of Membership, for his hospitality.
Cape Jaycee Municipal Golf Course
My Review
Cape Jaycee Municipal Golf Course in Cape Girardeau, Missouri is definitely improving. The tee boxes, fairways and greens are mostly lush and soft. The greens were some of the slowest (accentuated by the dew and having not been mowed in a few days) I have played but held extremely well; we even plugged a couple. The par 4’s are mostly short and the par 3’s are long; the entire course is a little on the short side but it is a par 70. The club house was small and I understand that they will be replacing it soon. Overall, this is a fun course to play. I would suggest not playing early on a weekend; the play can be very slow. This is an excellent community-owned course. I played with Kyle Stone and this kid can play. He almost drove about half of the par 4’s.
Cape Girardeau Country Club
My Review
Cape Girardeau Country Club is a no nonsense, no bells and whistles club in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Just a good quality, well-manicured club in SEMO. It is impeccably maintained and provides very little drama. The only thing resembling a little personality is the large, mature tree right in the middle of par 4 7th fairway. Other than that, if you just want to play golf with no frills or thrills, this is the place for you.
River Valley Golf Club
My Review
Comments: River Valley Golf Club in Canton, Missouri is currently closed and is going through a significant renovation and redesign, set to open with fanfare soon, if it hasn’t already.
It takes a Village. River Valley Golf Club was originally founded in the 1960’s and was Canton’s private country club for almost 50 years. After “selling” the club to a new owner the course fell into significant disrepair, barely recognizable as even a golf course. So, a large group of civically-minded and community-focused Cantonians formed a new ownership group who are in the process of bringing the course and club back to its original glory; actually, better than its original glory. They have added an irrigation system throughout the course, which opens up the opportunity of having zoysia fairways and tee boxes. Besides the irrigation system, the group has reconfigured three holes to take advantage of the terrain. The cost of all of these renovations would have been at least a million dollars but the group of 50 owners and friends have all chipped in and used their area(s) of expertise to rebuild the course for significantly less. Many, many people have donated their time, energy and expertise to bring this club back from the dead. And, since so many from the community have contributed to the effort, the new ownership group plans on opening the course for many family and community-focused activities, such as: disc golf, mini golf, cross country meets, weddings, etc. Plan on making a trip to Canton to play this wonderful and historic course and support this thriving community at the same time.
Note to course (or anyone in the know): please comment below and let me know when the course is open.