Vandalia Country Club
My Review
Vandalia Country Club, located in Vandalia, Missouri, is the only game in town, literally. The course is a typical rural country club with a small but loyal base of members. The greens are mostly small, postage stamp size with a big slope from back to front. There are only 2 bunkers on the course and a few other hazards including OB along the parameter and some water/ditches. The 9 holes demand a variety of shots and is not nearly as easy as it looks. A special thanks to former Chief of Police, Tony Laird, for his tutelage on the course.
Woods Fort Golf Course
My Review
Woods Fort Golf Course is just a mile or so off of Highway 61 in Troy, Missouri. The course is a very nice rural course that has a lot of diversity and provides many challenges for golfers of all levels. The fairways are very narrow in spots and has hazards galore, including sand, lakes, creeks, huge mounds, long native grass roughs and more than its fair share of mature trees. The greens are fairly large with some undulation but not terribly complex. If you find yourself in Troy or are traveling through town for whatever reason, you will enjoy this test. More than a couple of holes are unique and fun to play.
Tipton Country Club
My Review
I played this Tipton Country Club in mid July. I loved it. It is right on Highway 50, about 25 miles east of Sedalia, in Tipton, Missouri. Tipton Country Club is well manicured with a great layout for this small, 9-hole municipal course. The greens were surprisingly fast but held well. This is the kind of course I would like to play regularly. If you happen to be driving through Tipton, play this course.
Thayer Country Club
My Review
Thayer Country Club is located in Thayer, Missouri. Since they do not typically answer their phone, I was not able to make contact with the course to confirm a time so I just showed up. Unfortunately, they were having a tournament and I was unable to play. My assessment above is from just walking around a few holes of the course. This course is just a couple of miles from the Arkansas border so I will not likely just be “passing through” and it is unlikely that I will have the opportunity to play it again.
Sullivan Country Club
My Review
Overall, Sullivan Country Club in Sullivan, Missouri is a good, small city course. It is as walkable as you will find. The course was built in the 50’s and is therefore mature i.e., fairways with large trees flanking both sides. The course has many different types of hazards throughout (sand, water, creeks, out-of-bounds, large trees, elevated greens, etc.) which could make for a long day. Overall, it was an excellent golf experience. I played with Senator Dave Schatz, who also owned the course. I’m not sure which is more impressive: being a Senator or owning your own course; I’ll go with owning your own course. The Senator’s golf skills are rivaled only by his wife’s cooking skills.
Springfield Golf and Country Club
My Review
Springfield Golf & Country Club is a private club with great bones. It is a very playable and fun course. It is a relatively young club, built in 2000. The designer of the course did a masterful job of laying out and carving the holes out of the rolling hills of NE Springfield, Missouri. While fairly wide open, hazards abound including: mounds, creeks, lakes, and strategically placed bunkers. The greens are slow and somewhat large with a low level of complexity. This would be a great course with a little turf management in all areas.
Rivercut Municipal Golf Course
My Review
The person manning the bulldozer when the course was built was an artist, taking a blank canvas of a river bottom and sculpting each hole into a separate work of art. Pictures have become an integral component of MoGolfTour.com and our Facebook page. I always try to find something unique at each course to feature. Some courses have nothing special to differentiate it from other courses and I then have to manufacture something. Rivercut Municipal Golf Course in Springfield, Missouri is definitely NOT one of these courses. Everywhere you look is something special and unique. This is a very special course. The really surprising thing is that this course is in a smaller market. And, even more surprising is that Rivercut Municipal Golf Course is a municipal course, owned and managed by the city of Springfield, MO. Not surprising is that Golf Digest named Rivercut Municipal Golf Course the top municipal course in Missouri. If you are looking for a multi-day golf trip head to SW MO for Springfield and Branson.
Bill & Payne Stewart Golf Course
My Review
Bill and Payne Stewart Golf Course in Springfield, Missouri is a municipal course designed by famed designer Perry Maxwell in 1946. It has a newer vibe because the course lost over 200 large trees in the ice storm of 2007. The course doesn’t have a lot of flash but it is a good solid muni course and it is well maintained. There are not a lot of hazards, natural or otherwise, but it still provides many challenges, including its length. For example, the second hole is a 579 yard par 5. It took me 3 really good (for me) wood shots and a nine iron to get on the dance floor. The greens are one of the nicest aspects and are very diverse with a mix of large, small, undulating and flat. They are also a bit faster than most muni courses’ greens. If you are in Springfield and have a couple of days to play a few course, you should definitely play the Stewart course.
Highland Springs Country Club
My Review
Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield, Missouri has a wonderful reputation and for good reason. This is one of the most enjoyable golfing experiences in Missouri. I would rate it in my Top 10 Favorite Courses in the state. If not for the long, patchy and inconsistent roughs I would have given this club 5 out of 5 “golf balls.” Besides the roughs, the course’s grasses are very well maintained and were almost perfect . . . befitting of a top tier club. The multi-tiered greens were large and had a medium level of complexity. And, the Zoysia tee boxes and fairways were immaculate. Typically, houses on the parameter a golf course are distracting. Not at Highland Springs. The houses are almost worth the price of admission by themselves, selling up to $4 million. There were many that seemed to be inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and had a mid-century modern vibe (I obviously watch too much HGTV). I loved this course and will definitely play it again; this time to savor every moment.
Hickory Hills Country Club
My Review
Hickory Hills Country Club is one of the elite courses in Springfield, Missouri. It is stately, old school, beautiful and wonderfully maintained and landscaped; built orginally in 1926. And, as good as the course is they are in the process of making it even better, completely renovating their bunkers with white sand. Most fairways are flanked by a wall of unforgiving, mature trees, which can make for long day. The greens are almost perfect but are relentlessly guarded by numerous bunkers. Hickory Hills Country Club is an incredible course and club because they pay attention to the details in every aspect.