Horton Smith Municipal Golf Course
My Review
Trivia Q: Who was Horton Smith? A: Winner of the first and third Master’s.
Horton Smith Municipal Golf Course in Springfield, MO is one of 3 or 4 (4 if you count the Par 3 academy course, Betty Allison Jr. Golf Course) municipal golf courses in Springfield, MO. I live in St. Louis and the only municipal course we have is Forest Park, and I am not 100% sure that is considered a muni. The crown jewel of the Springfield muni courses is Rivercut, and it is one of the best public courses in the Show Me state. Horton Smith is much more of a traditional muni: flat, small greens, efficiently laid out and low maintenance. But, overall, HSMC is a nice muni course and a great value! On the day I played, the green fees were only $11 which was half off. This is by far the best value for golf in Springfield. Low price or not, I would definitely play this course if I lived in Springfield.
Deer Lake Golf Course
My Review
Bottom line: Do not play Deer Lake Golf Course in Springfield, MO. If you want to play a better course for less money, play Island Green Golf Club instead; it is just a few miles away. Deer Lake is another Great Life course. I can’t figure these guys out. They own many courses on the west side of state. Some of their courses are great (such as Staley in KC) but others have their share of issues. Deer Lake is the latter. This course is an OK course but they will be going through some major renovations, including building a new club house and re-configuring the course. So, the course will be out of commission for a while. But, I would not recommend this course even if all construction had been completed . . . if their current management is still employed. The GM, in particular, is penny wise and pound foolish. This course was the first this year to charge me to review/play her course, albeit only $7.50 for gas. All other courses, and their pros/GMs, are very accommodating and seem to understand that MoGolfTour.com is providing useful information to prospective golfers/members. The purpose of the site is to promote Missouri golf courses. Besides playing and reviewing the course, we spend on average of 4 to 5 hours per course assembling the information, coordinating with the course, photographing and adjusting the images to best showcase each course, uploading the data into the website, etc. And, MoGolfTour.com does all of this for free.
Besides that editorializing, the course is fairly wide open and only has two tees, which are long; too long. There are no cart paths on many holes and 12 – 16 are on the other side of I44, connected by a very narrow and short tunnel. I was surprised that the cart actually fit. I actually ducked when entering the tunnel. The look and feel of 1 – 11 and 17/18 are very different. I assume the new, reconfigured course will be more unified.
Kings River Golf Course
My Review
King’s River closed with no plans to open. For information about any other course in Missouri please visit www.MoGolfTour.com
Center Creek Golf Course
My Review
Nothing fancy. Just a “meat and potatos” golf course with some interesting holes.
Center Creek Golf Course in Sarcoxie, MO is actually in Reeds, MO but Sarcoxie is the largest closest city. The 9-hole course in fairly wide open and there are no bunkers or water hazards. You can, however, get into some trouble if you’re not careful. A couple of holes had a second set of tees to give players a different look. All of the fairways and rough grasses were short so, unless you hit it in the woods, you are unlikely to lose many balls. Red, the superintendent, and Vicki Downing the self-described “helper” were very friendly and helpful. The people down in SW MO are so nice.
Highlands Golf and Tennis Center
My Review
Highlands Golf and Tennis Center is located in the world famous Forest Park in St. Louis, MO. It is a nice 9-hole course that offers reasonable green fees. Since it is close to Kingshighway the course overlooks BJC and the Central West End high rises; nice views for a golf course. Forest Park has a total of 36 holes of golf within its confines so, if you live in the city, you have some great options.
The Falls Golf Club
My Review
The Falls Golf Club is a beautiful and interesting public course in O’Fallon, MO. I have found that there is a direct correlation between the photogenicity of a golf course and its level of enjoyment and its quality. The Falls provides an endless supply of great photo opps. It is a lot of fun to play and is well-manicured. The plush zoysia fairways are very narrow in many areas so you will need to drive straight. If you don’t you will find the thick rough . . . or worse yet, hit one of the many $350k homes squeezed together bordering the course. The layout has some very interesting, even quirky (but I love quirky holes), holes, such as the 320 yard #16. To have a shot at the green in regulation you will need to drive about 170 to 190 and keep your ball to the extreme right side of the fairway. If you don’t, you will score at least a double bogey because a large tree on the left blocks your approach to the green and a lake in the middle of the fairway prevents you from driving further than 190 (not that I can drive further anyway). The gently rolling hills would generally translate into a good walking course, however, there is about a ¼ mile between the greens and tees of a couple of different holes. While the course is well manicured, a few of the greens are covered by pock marks, which I assume is caused by people not fixing their ball marks. Please people, always fix your ball marks! Overall, though, The Falls is a great golf course and I would be a regular here if it were a bit closer. It is worth driving at least 30 to 40 miles to play this course . . . particularly if you have never played this course and are wanting to play a new and unique track.
The Links at Dardenne
My Review
The Links at Dardenne is a very playable par 72, 18 hole course located in O’Fallon, MO about 3 miles south of I-70 and 3 miles east of 40/61 (close to where 70 and 40 intersect west of the city). This course opens at 6:30 am and it is packed with individual and league play on most mornings. The course is flat and does not have lot of flash, just good basic golf. Most holes have one sand trap, typically protecting the green. There is some water and the medium-sized greens are sloped from one side to the other with minimal complexity. If you hit your shot dramatically off target you are likely to end up in the deep and thick natural Missouri grasses flanking most fairways. Thankfully, the fairways are wide and generous. Overall, The Links at Dardenne is a nice golfing experience with an equally nice customer base.
Sunset Hills Golf Course
My Review
Sunset Hills Golf Course in St. Louis, MO is right across the street from one of the top public courses in the state, Tapawingo. However, the courses could not be any more different, starting with the typography. Tapawingo is hilly and Sunset Hills is as flat as my girl friend from middle school (as I recall). BUT . . . Tapawingo’s greens fees are over twice as expensive as Sunset Hills’. So, each course has its place and compete for a very different golfer. Sunset Hills’ grasses (tees, fairways and greens) are not in pristine condition, but for what it costs they shouldn’t be. SHGC is a well laid out public course that is easy to play. I have never had the opportunity to play the course and I am very happy I did. I look forward to playing it again, hopefully during the fall since there is an abundance of trees bordering two sides of the course.
Sugar Creek Golf Course
My Review
Sugar Creek Golf Course in St. Louis / High Ridge, MO is possibly one of the hilliest courses in the state, if not THE hilliest. But, with those hills comes: 1) some very interesting holes and 2) a very real potential of a heart attack if you try to walk it . . . no matter your age. Almost every hole is impacted by the steep hills to some degree but that just reinforces the course’s character. The fifth hole has got to be the steepest (straight) uphill par 3 in the state. While it is only 165 yards, it plays to almost 200 yards. Then #7 a 139 yard par 3 straight downhill plays to about 100 yards. It is definitely a funky course, but it sure is fun! The small to medium-size greens are flat with minimal undulation, except for the slope from back to front for drainage. Since no two holes are contiguous to any other hole, and the course has a lot of thick woods surrounding it, you WILL lose balls unless you are striking the ball well and straight. There is just not a lot of room for stray shots. Overall, the course needs a little TLC including the janky cart paths, but I would still recommend playing this course at least once. Plus, their green and cart fees are very reasonable, particularly for seniors.
St. Peters Golf Course
My Review
St. Peters Golf Club is a municipal course located in St. Peters, MO, a far western-suburb of St. Louis. It offers St. Peters/O’Fallon golfers a nice golf experience without a lot of flash . . . at a fairly good value. SPGC has the ability to maintain the course at a very high level because it seemingly has a monopoly on one of the primary ingredients to a healthy golf course, water; the course surrounds a HUGE lake. The greens are on the large side with medium complexity. The course is somewhat wide-open and forgiving but still has many ways to find trouble, including OB, an abundance of sand traps and water.