Sunset Country Club
My Review
All of the world religions have origin stories. Most are pretty similar to one another, so whether you follow Yahweh, Jesus, or Allah, you believe in an almighty god who found a way to create the heavens and the earth.
Golf courses have origin stories too, and they’re also pretty similar. Generally they involve one or more white men with a passion for golf, a vision, plenty of dough and a tract of land. The one thing the origin stories don’t generally have, however, is a guy with an ax to grind.
The founding of Sunset Country Club in [Glendale/Crestwood/Sunset Hills???] is the stuff of legend. It goes like this.
Aldophus Busch, founder of the eponymously named brewery, liked golf. But he also liked being rich and more than either of those, he liked being accepted by other rich people. So, at the turn of the last century, he forked over a deposit and applied to join St. Louis Country Club. At that time, the board of SLCC was comprised largely of established people who made their money in conventional ways: industrialists raping the earth for profit, lawyers robbing from the poor to give to the rich, and business owners selling defective, unregulated American-made products manufactured with child labor. These decent people saw no reason to admit a rough-around-the-edges, immigrant beer salesman. And so, Busch was rejected.
Busch was furious. So rather than wait a year and reapply, or find another country club, he did what any self-respecting, laughably wealthy alpha male would do: he decided to take a few hundred acres of prime real estate near his regal estate (what’s now Busch’s Grove) and build his own damn club.
Sunset Country Club opened its doors in 1910 as a monument to Busch’s revenge. It has been a fixture in St. Louis’ private golf club world since then, wearing its outlaw status on its sleeve in order to portray itself as less stodgy and more welcoming to anyone who has the means, but might not have the “old money” that, Busch believed was a sine qua non of membership at St. Louis, Bellerive, or, later, Old Warson Country Clubs.
And while that makes a great origin story, playing Sunset mid-week and midday does put one in the company of a lot of ossified white men who would not look out of place at any of the above named clubs. After nine holes, I walked into the snack bar for a glass a water and its sole inhabitant was an octogenarian wearing long pants and a polo shirt under a tweed sport coat on a 95-degree afternoon. I nodded at him and said, “How you doing?” to which he replied, “I’m great. Thanks for asking, brother.”
Brother? Guy was easily old enough to be my father.
The golf at Sunset was good, but not quite championship quality. The zoysia fairways were immaculate and the greens fair and fast. The Bermuda rough was short and of little consequence, and from the regular men’s tee, the course was a very manageable 6200 yards (par 72). Some holes play much longer than the stated distance because there are some serious elevation changes at Sunset.
My host would routinely advise me to “go up two clubs,” and he was right. Standing 140 yards from an elevated green I was usually employing my 160 yard club.
Despite sitting on a massive piece of property, the course felt tight. A lot of target golf at Sunset and a lot of blind shots. Having a host familiar with the course saved me at least nine strokes.
Quirks aside, Sunset is gorgeous. It is an island of tranquility in south St. Louis County. And though it is bordered by a major thoroughfare and an interstate highway, they are almost entirely out of sight and completely inaudible. There are only a handful of houses on or near the property, so when your round of golf commences at Sunset, you can leave the workaday world behind and focus entirely on your game.
One gripe: the sand in the bunkers was too shallow and too firm. Any uninformed guest playing with a high bounce sand wedge would be frustrated skulling balls from these semi-hardened cement pits. But in the course’s defense, it has been a rainy summer.
Best part of golf at Sunset: no tee times and a blistering pace of play. My host and I made our way around in under three hours, and that included time looking for balls I rocketed out of greenside bunkers with my high bounce sand wedge.
Wealthy people who lack the connections or the old money to enter St. Louis or Bellerive Country Club will find friends and fine golf all day long at Sunset.
Ruth Park Golf Course
My Review
Over the years I have played at Ruth Park Golf Course many times. It is an old school, 9-hole community course in U. City, a community in the heart of St. Louis. It serves its purpose very well and is not meant to compete with the higher-end courses. It is also a very good value, particularly if you have a resident’s card. The wide-open fairways are zoysia and are in reasonably good condition. The medium-sized greens are bent grass and have a low level of complexity. There are no traps or water hazards on the course. If you live in the area and want to get out for a quick round, Ruth Park is perfect way to get your golf fix.
Quail Creek Golf Club
My Review
We had a permanent tee time for the first couple of years Quail Creek Golf Club was open. That was over 30 years ago and, obviously, the course has matured quite a bit. There are 5 tees so players at every level will be able to find an appropriate distance. Number 15 has got to be one of the hardest holes in St. Louis. It is a long par 4 that doglegs left around a thick wooded area with the second approach shot over a wide and deep creek to a tiered green. People inevitably try to cut across the dogleg only to lose their ball. If you can’t draw your ball around the dogleg you will likely end up in the adjacent fairway. Quail Creek continues to be one of my favorite public courses in St. Louis. Some of the holes are quite challenging but the I always have a good time when I play here.
Pevely Farms Golf Club
My Review
I have played Pevely Farms Golf Club in St. Louis many times. It is a very well maintained course and is fairly difficult. Many people really like the course and consider it one of the best public courses in St. Louis. There are 6 different tees so golfers of all skill levels will find a set of tees to their liking. It is within a “par 5” away from two of my favorite public courses in St. Louis, Aberdeen and Crescent Farms. So, Lewis Road, off of 44 west of St. Louis is a treasure trove of wonderful courses. This small area is the best square mile of golf in the St. Louis region.
Paradise Valley Golf and Country Club
My Review
I have played Paradise Valley Golf and Country Club many times over the past 30 years. It is a fairly easy course and is very walkable EXCEPT for the 1/2 mile walk (much of it straight up hill) between 11 and 12. If it wasn’t for this long, steep hill I would have rated it a 9 (on a scale of 1 to 10) on walkability. They used to have a rail cart to creep you up the big hill. It is not the most pristine course in West St. Louis County but I do enjoy playing it. The owner used to be Jerry Ray who had a big personality and taught me a few things about my swing. Jerry passed away a few years ago and is missed.
Normandie Golf Club
My Review
Normandie Golf Club in St. Louis, MO is the oldest public golf course west of the Mississippi. So, it is obviously very mature with many large trees lining the fairways. It plays long and the slope rating belies its difficulty. For example, the Par 3 18th hole is 246 from the blue tees and 234 from the whites. I do not know of any “white tee” players that can consistently drive over 220 yards. It is not in pristine condition but the fairways and greens are generally in good condition. The course was sold to the University of Missouri – St. Louis in 2015, who has committed to maintaining it as a golf course for at least 10 years. I know of many golfers who love Normandie Golf Club and play there as often as possible. The course has adopted a dynamic pricing structure so you can play for less than $20 quite often, providing an excellent golfing experience and value.
Missouri Bluffs Golf Club
My Review
Missouri Bluffs Golf Club in St. Charles County is one of the premier courses open to the public in the entire St. Louis region. It’s flat out gorgeous, but it isn’t flat. It’s also quite intimidating because if your ball’s not in the fairway . . . it’s going to be in some thick Missouri forest and, though you might find it, you’ll likely emerge with a one stroke penalty and an engorged tick stuck to your sun burnt, freckled head (wear a hat, you pasty, bald moron).
If you play the Bluffs, keep the ball in play or you’ll risk Lyme Disease and spending the winter in a wheelchair. The good news here is that the course is not as hard as it looks. Tom Fazio — and it’s the only Fazio design in the region — created a track with a clear path to every green, and most fairways funnel the ball either to the middle and a flat lie, or towards the woods, the ticks, and years of crippling joint pain. So all you have to do is identify the correct path to the hole from the tee box, and hit the ball where you aim it. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
The Bluffs offers gorgeous, scenic vistas, dramatic elevation changes, outstanding course conditions, moderately quick greens and all the golf challenge you’ll ever need.
And ever since it opened back in 1995, the Missouri Bluffs has been an island of tranquility on a large, undeveloped tract of land. That is about to change. Monied real estate developers are preparing to build a subdivision around the golf course. Hearings are being held and, despite vocal opposition by concerned citizens, it appears that the project will move forward.
So the time to play the Missouri Bluffs is now. If you go, bring plenty of balls, a wide-brimmed hat…and maybe a pair of tweezers…just in case.
Log Cabin Club
My Review
I have played Log Cabin Club / Bogey Club twice in my 40 years in St. Louis. This is the most exclusive club in town. There is nothing special about the course, except for the membership and their penchant for privacy. The Club was originally built in 1911 by Robert Foulis and was redesigned by Roger Null in 2014. While it is one of the most exclusive clubs it is certainly not one of the best golf courses in town. It is well maintained but the course is just too short to compete with most courses in the area; the tips are only 5,826 yards. Log Cabin Club partners with The Bogey Club to provide 18 total holes, however, they each have their own club house. This club is not about golf; it is a privilege to belong and the membership is very, very limited to a select number of CEO’s etc. If any of the members are ardent golfers I would assume that they are also members of one of the other golfing country clubs in the city, such as St. Louis Country Club, Old Warson or Bellerive.
Fox Run Golf Club
My Review
Fox Run Golf Club is a beautiful course in St. Louis / Eureka; same exit as Six Flags. The roughs were too long for my tastes but it could have been the day I played. Fox Run, which was designed by Gary Kern, is supposedly the longest course in Missouri. I loved the par 5, 9th hole. Tricky hole on every shot, particularly when playing from the forward tees. All in all, Fox Run is a great course. But, it is too difficult for me and too far from my house for me to ever consider membership. I will play again shortly and take some pictures of the course to provide you with a better representation of the course and amenities. Our goal is to provide useful information to golfers around the world about the 500 golf courses in Missouri. Please visit other sections of this website, which includes a list of the Best Golf Courses in the state of Missouri. Feel free to leave any comments about Fox Run Golf Club at the bottom of this page.
The Courses at Forest Park
My Review
I have played FoPo (The Courses at Forest Park in St. Louis) many times and always enjoy playing it. It is a fun course and not too difficult. The biggest drawback to a St. Louis public course is the speed of play. It can sometimes be VERY slow. One of the most impressive things about Forest Park Golf Courses is the location and setting. It is located in a world-class, 1,371 acres park in the middle of St. Louis City. Forest Park is the gem of St. Louis. I do not believe there is a course anywhere in the world with so many adjacent landmarks. If you are new to St. Louis and play golf, I would advise you to start with a round at Forest Park. Along the way you will see the History Museum, the Art Museum, the world famous St. Louis Zoo (free admission), the outdoor theatre – The Muny, etc. Seriously, play FoPo for no other reason than to see the sites. And, if you are a regular at The Course at Forest Park, stop occasionally and take in what you typically take for granted. It is also noteworthy that Hale Irwin designed the course and did an incredible job, particularly compared to the course that it replaced.