Minor Park Golf Course
My Review
Minor Park Golf Course is a great public golf course in the heart of Kansas City, MO. It is a short course with a Par of 70. The medium-sized greens are mostly flat and the fairways are ample. Both are in stellar condition. There are a few water hazards but no sand. I played early on a hot July Wednesday morning and the course was fairly packed, with quite a few seniors. In fact, there were more orange flags on the course than on the LA highways after the 1994 earthquake.
If you live in the area, you should definitely give Minor Park Golf Course a chance.
Lakewood Oaks Country Club
My Review
Lakewood Oaks Country Club in Kansas City, MO is a beautiful private club located 4 miles south of the 70/470 intersection in east KC. Since homes are integrated throughout the course design, it is necessary to cross several roads on a round, some fairly busy. While the fairways and greens are rich and lush for the most part there are a few problem areas throughout; I have to assume this is because of KC’s weather this summer. Although we gave the course a 3.5 out of 5 rating, it could easily be a 4 once these turf issues are rectified. The fairways are fairly wide, guarded by many large bunkers. The greens are large and quick with large sweeping breaks on some; others are relatively flat. Lakewood Oaks Country Club boasts of a great course and great club house. And, it is a great location in this community.
John Knox Village Golf Course
My Review
We have not had the opportunity to play John Knox Village Golf Course in Kansas City, MO. As soon as we have, we will add it to all of the other reviews of Missouri Golf Courses. Our goal is to provide useful information to golfers around the world about the 500 golf courses in Missouri. We will also take several photographs of the course and replace those posted here so that you will have a good understanding of the course and everything it has to offer. 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 John Knox Village Golf Course at the bottom of this page.
Hillcrest Golf Club
My Review
Hillcrest Golf Club in Kansas City, Missouri is a traditional, old school country club in south Kansas City, just off of 435. The course, designed by Donald Ross, has plenty of humps and bumps (aka hills) and most fairways are flanked by large mature trees. Most of the greens are round and fairly small with minimal break and are protected by sand traps. There are also a couple of holes adjacent to water. It is my understanding that the course in undergoing some fairly significant projects to improve the overall quality. While the green fees are somewhat expensive during prime times, the course offers some very attractive rates in the afternoon. Hillcrest Golf Club will definitely test your golfing skills. If you have never played the course, you should.
Heart of America Golf Course
My Review
Heart of America Golf Course in Kansas City, MO is a wonderful course and facility for beginners or people who want to work on their short game. It has one very short Par 35 nine-hole course, one par 3 course with most holes averaging 122 yards and a driving range. Plus they have a 3-hole practice course. The Par 35 course has beautiful fairways and greens with several sand traps and water hazards. Interesting, the traps have a unique sand, called Osage Sand, which is some sort of epoxy mix.
Grand Summit Golf and Country Club
My Review
Grand Summit Golf and Country Club in Kansas City, MO is a well maintained semi-private course located just east of Highway 47 in Grandview. The course was established in 2002 as a private country club and still has 300+ members but opened the course up to the public a few years ago. The green fees are very reasonable for a course of this quality and, if you play primarily public courses, it is worth the drive south of KC. The course is interesting and has a lot of personality. Most greens have one very large bunker guarding the front and there are a few strategically placed traps in fairways. The slope rating for the tips is 140, which is representative of the difficulty. Not many courses have that high of a slope. The back 9 is definitely more difficult but, if you can hit straight and shape your shots, you will enjoy the challenges. The front 9 is much more forgiving but you will need to carry the ball further. A few of the fairways have a significant slope to one side or the other and just adds to the challenge of the course.
Fred Arbanas Golf Course
My Review
Fred Arbanas Golf Course in Kansas City, MO was a pleasant surprise. The course is owned by Jackson County and I thought it would be your typical muni course . . . but it is far from it. Fred Arbanas GC is likely one of the top muni courses in the state and one of the best golfing values in Missouri. Besides being extraordinarily well maintained and groomed, with great grasses, the course sits on Longview lake with 2 or 3 greens overlooking this large lake. It felt like I was playing at one of the great courses at the Lake. Also, according to one of the three pros at the course, Fred Arbanas GC is a “Lesson Factory.” And, by the way they manage the course, I’ve got to think they are skilled at teaching too.
Drumm Farm Golf Club – Executive Course
My Review
Drumm Farm Golf Club in Kansas City (Independence) is another Great Life course. I enjoyed playing the regulation course and will play there again. The typography consists of rolling hills and is well laid out, which makes it a very walkable course. The Executive Course serves its purpose and is not the same quality level as the regulation course, but I do not believe it needs to be. As they say, “It is what it is.” It is perfect to work on your short game, for beginners or for those that do not hit very far but still want to play golf. All in all I like Drumm Farm Golf Club and the Executive Course and the pro, Tony Highfill, is an excellent representative of the course and the Great Life organization.
Drumm Farm Golf Club
My Review
Drumm Farm Golf Club in Kansas City (Independence) is another Great Life course. I enjoyed playing the course and will play there again. The typography consists of rolling hills and is well laid out, which makes it a very walkable course. The fairways are reasonably wide open and the first cut of rough are short and playable. The greens are on the small side and fairly flat, which should minimize the number of 3-putts. The traps throughout need a little work and it appears as if they have started that process. The fairway bunkers are almost like dirt and the green-side bunkers are much more acceptable, with fluffier sand. Another nitpick is that the GPS on each cart blocks about 20% of the vision of the driver. Kind of wierd. But, all in all I like Drumm Farm Golf Club and the pro, Tony Highfill, is an excellent representative of the course and the Great Life organization. If you have never heard of Great Life and play golf, you need to check them out.
Blue Hills Country Club
My Review
Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City, MO is a mid-century country club right off of State Line in south KC. The course doesn’t have a lot of “flash” but it is a good, solid course with a nice layout and design. The beautifully maintained and lush fairways are lined with mature trees so keeping it on the short stuff will keep your score down. The roughs are long and somewhat punitive but there is a first cut bordering the fairways, which is a touch only the nicest courses bother with. The greens are large with many subtle rolls and bumps, although they are a bit slow for a course of this quality. A few of the greens had some minor trouble areas but, as conscientious as the superintendent is, this is likely just a temporary problem. The tee boxes, greens and first cut rough grasses are some of the nicest in the state. Blue Hills Country Club is actually one of the nicer country clubs in Kansas City (MO – KS seems to have cornered the market, however, on elite country clubs). If you have the opportunity, play this course.