Westwood Hills Country Club
My Review
Poplar Bluff, Missouri must be close enough to the “south” that its residents practice southern hospitality. The Club’s pro, Jimmy Vernon, could not have been any more hospitable. He was very informative and accommodating. Then, I played with the gentleman of gentlemen, Herman Styles. Herman is an owner of the famous Colton’s Steak House restaurants and was a true pleasure with which to play. Westwood Hill Country Club is a great club in southern Missouri. I said in my review of Kennett CC that it was the nicest course within 50 miles. I hope that WHCC is outside the 50 mile radius because it is the nicest club I have played in SEMO, until you get to Cape. The course is comparable to a big city (STL or KC) stately country club. It is very, very nice. The greens were as soft as a cloud, rolled true and were as slick as a sheet of ice. There is a reason why they have a big ol’ tree in their logo . . . There are at least 4 holes with a big ol’ tree in the middle of the fairway. In fact the par 5 second hole has a big ol’ tree in the middle of the fairway coming into play on your drive AND then again on your second shot. That’s just crazy! But, I love it!
Ozark Ridge Golf Course
My Review
Ozark Ridge Golf Course is a beautiful municipal course located just 2 miles from the only other course in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. The geography in the area must provide good bones for golf because both courses are best-in-class for the area. Maybe it’s because they were getting ready for Senator Doug Libla’s fund-raising tournament, but, except for a few bare spots, the course was in impeccable condition, particularly for a public course. If you are in the area and want to play 36 holes both Ozark Ridge and Westwood Hills are great options.
Piedmont Canyon Club
My Review
Piedmont Canyon Club in Piedmont, Missouri is about 30 miles NW of Poplar Bluff. It is a couple of miles north of a main road and there are no signs so, unless you are looking for it, you would never know it was there. Piedmont Canyon Club is a nice 9 hole course in south central Missouri. The fairways are lush Bermuda grass. The greens are medium size and sloped away from the middle. They were too lush, making them very slow. Since there were several bare spots on many greens, I assume they keep them long . . . to let the root system add some stability. Overall, not a bad course, considering Piedmont is a small rural town. The mosquitoes and flies were out in force though.
Perryville Country Club
My Review
Perryville Country Club in Perryville, Missouri was quite a fun course to play. Their website leads one to believe it is an 18 hole course, but it is only a 9. The course has a lot of personality, something like the evil witch from Snow White. But, that’s what makes it fun. For example, on the 4th green I had (what I thought was) the perfect chip which landed a scant 6 feet from the pin. But . . . the ball rolled 50 feet down hill off the green. Crazy! But, as much as I complained, I LOVED it! The greens are small, elevated and very fast, particularly for a rural community course.
Jackson Park Golf Course
My Review
Jackson Park Golf Course in Palmyra, Missouri is actually a pretty darned nice course and would rate much higher if the fairways weren’t so threadbare. The greens and bluegrass tee boxes were very, very nice for the most part. They just hired a new superintendent, Ryan Morrison, and the regulars say that he has already made a major impact on the quality of the course. So, I imagine that Mr. Morrison will start focusing his energy on the fairways and roughs. Frankly though, the greens fees are only 5 bucks so Jackson Park is one of the best values in the state; with a cart the total is $10. The greens are medium size with a 3′ to 4′ slope, usually from the back to the front so the greens have some big breaks. The layout is relatively open since most holes are contiguous with other holes, hence the lower slope rating (that I estimated). Jackson Park Golf Course is located just a few miles from Hannibal.
Owensville Public Golf Course
My Review
$8 per round (9 holes) which includes a cart. Enough said. Except that I really enjoyed playing Owensville Public Golf Course in Ownensville, Missouri and talking with Tom, the “club house” (see picture) manager.
New Madrid Country Club
My Review
New Madrid Country Club in New Madrid, Missouri was typical of a rural country club. Mature tree-lined fairways, elevated greens and a lot of charm. The most charming of all was Peggy who seems to run the club, including serving as the chef. Peggy had a southern (Missouri) accent and was as sweet as a homemade apple pie. “Oh honey. We do not have carts for rent; all of the members have their own carts. Here is the combination to my cart locker. Just use mine.” And, what an awesome cart she has – check out the picture. Based on my interactions with Peggy I am thinking about adding a new category in the “Best of” section on the home page: “Friendliest.” The first hole has a huge tree 84 yards from the tee right in the middle of the fairway, with no room on either side; the only way to get past it was to hit over it. My driver is incapable of hitting it that high so I had to hit through it – or try. Yeah, not so much. I love crazy holes like this though. The rest of the course was fairly straight forward. The greens were all pretty much the same: about 70′ deep by 40′ wide with a 3 foot slope from the back to the front of the green. In fact, the back of the greens were the highest point for 30 miles (south eastern Missouri is prime farming land and is very, very flat).
Meadow Lake Acres Country Club
My Review
Meadow Lake Acres Country Club is an absolutely beautiful and well manicured club in New Bloomfield, Missouri which is about 10 miles north of Jeff City. As opposed to many private clubs, MLACC seems to have plenty of members, 370 at last count. The club is well hidden and doesn’t go out of its way to promote itself, even with directional signs leading up to the course. By any measurement Meadow Lake Acres Country Club is one of the nicest clubs in mid-Missouri. The large greens are fairly flat and are often surrounded by sand traps and huge mounds.
Nevada Country Club
My Review
Nevada Country Club in Nevada, Missouri is a mature course with a rich history; it was founded in 1922. The course has a lot of personality and the topography is much more diverse than the other courses in the area. The oak and pine tree-lined fairways are reasonably lush but are a bit spotty in areas. The Bentgrass greens are also very lush and hold well. They are some of the slowest greens on which I have ever played but a few of them had some very interesting undulation. The others greens are typical of rural golf courses: fairly small and sloped from the back to the front. Birch Branch Creek runs throughout the course and has an impact on 7 of the 9 holes. All in all NCC is a fun course and seems to have an active membership with a range of ages. A special thanks to John Flynn, a fellow UCM grad, who served as my historian and wonderful golfing partner.
Frank E. Peters Municipal Golf Course
My Review
Frank E. Peters Municipal Golf Course exceeded our expectations of a rural, municipal course. Kudos to the city of Nevada. Although the front 9 was built in the early 80’s and the back was built in the 90’s, the course has a new vibe and is fairly open. The beautiful greens are small to medium size with a low level of complexity, and they are very slow. Overall, this is a great 18 hole municipal course in Nevada, Missouri.