Sherwood Country Club
My Review
The picture above is of a house on the course grounds. I think it is representative of the course itself . . . past its prime and in need of refurbishing. Sherwood Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri is sandwiched between the Meramac Ameren coal plant and the St. Louis County Water Treatment Plant. It is an old private club but it is disrepair and in need of a lot of cosmetic improvements. The cart paths are in desparate need of replacment and the grass is in need of a little TLC. On a positive note, this is a nice little 9 hole course that could be a great little community club.
Pomme Creek Golf Course
My Review
Do not let the short yardage fool you. This 5,600 yards, from the tips, course is tricky but fun to play – typical of a Gary Kern-designed course. It is actually a tale of 2 nines. Pomme Creek Golf Course’s front is flat with challenges galore. For instance, the 8th hole is a par 5 with a creek running parallel on its right side and the fairway is very, very narrow. The back nine has some extreme hills, typical of many Missouri courses. The par 4 18th hole proved to be very difficult, especially with our lack of course knowledge. The drive has to carry a creek/ravine 185 yards from the blue tees. If you don’t carry the creek (which I didn’t), you must then hit 45 degrees up hill to a small green. The greens held well and were reasonably fast for a municipal course. If you carry your bag, the front is flat and easy. However, you have to be part billy goat and part marathon walker to traverse the back nine. All in all, if you live in South St. Louis, Missouri you should play this course, particularly if you never have. My VP Content Management, Dr. Larry King, joined me for the first official round of 2016 and will be with me all of the way to Sikeston.
Persimmon Woods Golf Club
My Review
Persimmon Woods Golf Club in St. Louis, Missouri was designed by the same designer, Keith Foster, who also redesigned Meadowbrook Country Club, my former club alma mater. Interestingly, Persimmon seems to be a cross between Missouri Bluffs and Meadowbrook. Persimmon Woods Golf Club is a links-ish style course and offers many challenges. Mr. Foster did as good of a job with the land as a designer could have done. PW doesn’t have a lot of theater or gimmicks. It is simply a pristine, well laid out course for golfing purists. PW is a beautiful country club and the course is very playable. I only lost one ball (into the lake guarding the 18th green). The greens are relatively fast, the fairways are wide for the most part and the roughs were fairly thick but not too difficult to hit out of (assuming you can find your ball). I imagine that the roughs would be problematic in the spring unless they mow them a little shorter. PW is a good solid country club in west St. Louis County and well worth playing if you get a chance. The course’s membership is comprised of its fair share of single digit golfers.
Old Warson Country Club
My Review
Old Warson Country Club is one of the top courses in St. Louis, the state and the country. Although I play at OW a few times a year, I am not a huge fan of the course. For whatever reason, I have a hard time scoring well. The roughs are typically long and thick. I enjoy playing a course which is not so punitive, however, the members seem to enjoy the challenge – obviously a sadistic bunch. There is a premium for staying in the fairway. I do, however, love the club house. The food is as good or better than most clubs in St. Louis. They also built a beautiful outdoor bar which is spectacular particularly when the weather is cool enough to justify starting a fire in the fireplace. The outdoor dining area is conducive to much more socializing than most other clubs in St. Louis. I was there recently on a Friday night, after golf, and the patio was standing room only. Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri is a great course and club.
Old Hickory Golf Club
My Review
Old Hickory Golf Club is a special golf course in west St. Louis County, Missouri. It is probably one of the most unique courses in the state. P. D. Dye, Old Hickory’s designer, is a true artist that sculpted this masterpiece out of the mostly flat farm land. As with all art, you will love it or hate it. There is major trouble within striking distance of every shot. There are more mounds on this course than a 1962 Playboy calendar; more sand than the Mohave Desert and more doglegs than a veterinarian specializing is prosthetics. This is golf target practice at its finest (or worst). And, ball position is critical. I personally loved the course, but it is one of those courses that I would expect to find in an upscale resort. If I played this course every day, I would probably develop a tic of some kind. The front nine, in particular, is very tight and compact, almost claustrophobic. The back nine opens up a bit but there are several doglegs around lakes that will coax you to bite off more than you can chew. I was no exception to this little tease. Most greens have multi levels and major breaks but I enjoyed putting on them. Surprisingly, I had very few 3-putts. The fairways were like carpet and the roughs were not as punitive as they could have been. Many of the several hundred sand traps were not as raked and groomed as much as I would have preferred and some of these traps were HUGE. Old Hickory is a course you must play.
Norwood Hills Country Club – West
My Review
Norwood Hills Country Club is a very old club in St. Louis, Missouri with a rich history. In fact, Ben Hogan won the 1948 PGA Championship on this course. I am proud to be a member of Norwood for a couple of reasons: first NHCC has two, 18-hole courses so you can always get out to play with minimal wait. And, each course is very different, each with their own personality. The west course is preferred by most members and is a bit longer. My second reason of joining Norwood Hills Country Club is because of the people, both staff and members. They are not pretentious country club snobs and I can even wear my flip flops in the bar (that’s worth the price of admission alone). The west course is challenging but fair. There are a lot of corporate tournaments on Mondays, in particular, so many St. Louisans have had the pleasure of playing NHCC.
Norwood Hills Country Club – East
My Review
Norwood Hills Country Club is a very old club in St. Louis, Missouri with a rich history. The east course is challenging but fair. I have shot as low as 78 but as high as a 96. The east course plays a bit shorter and the gross overall scores are, therefore, a little lower – so you will feel better about your game. I think the east course has a couple of the hardest holes on either course, such as the par 3, 10th hole. I can’t tell you how often I have been on this green (once I can get my ball to stay on it) and 4 putted. And, on 17, it is next to impossible to reach the green in regulation (for someone who drives 180 to 200 yards). I would move the tees back a bit and surround the green with sand traps and make it a par 5.
Meadowbrook Country Club
My Review
Meadowbrook Country Club is one of the best courses in St. Louis, Missouri, private or public. Challenging but very playable. The blue and white tees are fairly long compared to the distances of other comparable courses. The course is meticulously maintained and is in excellent condition. I was a member for many years but quit when I had back surgery in 2010. The fairways are fairly wide and the roughs are not too long. The staff is excellent and the club house is first class. You will not meet a nicer and better representative of a course than the head pro, Craig Liddle.
Greenbriar Hills Country Club
My Review
Greenbriar Hills Country Club is a beautiful, old-school course very conveniently located right off of 270 and Big Bend in St. Louis, Missouri. This is one of the most manicured clubs in St. Louis and, quite possibly, the state. For the first 12 holes I did not see one tee, leaf or anything out of place on the tee boxes. From a landscaping design perspective, Greenbriar is as good as it gets, using every resource available: creeks, lakes, large traps, rolling hills, boulders, flowers, plants, etc. It really is a beautiful course! All of the little things they do and their attention to detail make for a wonderful golfing experience. The greens are large with medium complexity. I like unusual and hard holes. Greenbriar Hills did not disappoint me. Hole 12 is a crazy, 300 yard par 4 straight down a huge hill (or cliff depending on your interpretation). Your drive has to be straight and long enough to carry a massive lake. This is the 14th most difficult hole but I would wager that the highest scores on average are posted on this tester. All in all, Greenbriar Hills Country Club is a wonderful golf course managed by a wonderful team of professionals. If you ever get the chance to play this course, take it.
Glen Echo Country Club
My Review
For the (membership) money, Glen Echo Country Club may be one of the nicest courses in Missouri. It is almost in perfect condition. It is simply pristine. This course has a very nice, efficient layout that is wonderful if you are a walker. But, you should be in golf shape because the rolling Missouri hills will give you a workout. The beautiful zoysia fairways are flanked by century-old trees that serve as stoic guards. The roughs, while not punitive, are consistently thick/lush and pose just enough difficulty. They make your ball slightly difficult to find – but, I did not lose any balls. Glen Echo is supposedly the oldest course west of the Mississippi and hosted the only Olympic Golf Championship ever on American soil (in 1904). Glen Echo Country Club could easily compete with the Big 4 in St. Louis, Missouri if not for its near north county location and the MetroLink tracks running adjacent to the course.