Photography courtesy Annbriar
There is a lot of great golf to be played close to the St. Louis region. These 10 public courses are among the best, and many of them were planned by a designer renowned for their ability to create an excellent course full of challenging holes. With a few from the mid-1970s, and the remaining from the late '80s to mid-1990s, all of these courses have been upgraded to adapt to today’s modern players and equipment.
For this list, keep in mind that fees vary depending on the day and time. Weekdays are the least expensive, while weekend tee times will cost a few extra dollars. Some courses include Friday in their weekend rate. Twilight rates are available at most courses. We've also factored cart prices into the fees, except where indicated.
Photography courtesy Annbriar
Annbriar (1993)
Designer: Dr. Michael Hurdzan & Dana Fry
Location: Waterloo, Illinois
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,863
Slope: 136
Fees: $45–$75
Overview: Annbriar has been a favorite among players since it opened 30 years ago. The early holes give the feel of a Scottish course, as it winds through the reasonably open first nine. The back nine is cut through woodlands, with scenic views from several teeing grounds. A great variety of shotmaking is required to play well—a great test of golf.
Our favorite hole: The par-4 No. 11 is not just a scenic hole, but a hazardous one. Slight dogleg right, a tee shot must avoid not only the woods right and left, but the creek that cuts across the fairway. The approach must be well struck while avoiding the creek to the right.
Crystal Highlands (1988)
Designer: Dr. Michael Hurdzan
Location: Festus
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,242
Slope: 128
Fees: $46–$63.99
Overview: When Crystal Highlands first opened, the line of cars heading down I-55 to the course was a shock for many. However, after a round over the course, it was easy to see why players kept coming back. While it was an early Dr. Hurdzan design, his brilliance was clearly visible. With so many good, challenging holes, it remains a great layout for players at all levels.
Our favorite hole: Great short par-4's are some of the best holes on any course, and the 290-yard par-4 No. 12 would fall into that category. Players must avoid the pond left of the green not only on their tee shot but also on the approach. While drivable for some, it is a terrific risk-reward hole.
Photography Courtesy The Cove
The Cove (1974)
Designer: Robert Trent Jones
Location: Lake Ozark (Lodge of Four Seasons)
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,573
Slope: 139
Fees: $55–$95
Overview: Ranked among the best resort courses in the Midwest, this Robert Trent Jones gem provides all of the challenges a player would want. The early design has undergone changes through the years to keep the course in touch with today’s modern game. Trent Jones’s designs continually test players during their rounds, from his bunker positioning to the subtle breaks on the greens.
Our favorite hole: The par-3 No. 4 might be the most challenging on the course. A tee shot must carry the cove to an elevated green that is surrounded by bunkers across the front.
Photography courtesy Piper Glen
Piper Glen (1996)
Designer: Bob Lohmann
Location: Springfield, Illinois
Par: 72
Yardage: 7005
Slope: 133
Fees: $46–$56
Overview: This all-bent grass layout designed by Chicago architect Bob Lohmann is considered the finest public course in Springfield. With creeks running throughout the course and several large ponds, several approaches must carry these to the greens. From beginning to end, it is a well-maintained course that demands accuracy from the tee to avoid the thick rough.
Our favorite hole: No. 8, a 190-yard par 3, is both the most memorable and one of the most challenging holes on the course. From an elevated tee, the shot must carry a pond to a wide—but not deep green—that slopes back to front. With a ravine behind the green, club selection is crucial. Once on the green, players may find themselves with a putt of 50 feet or more across the green to the hole.
Photography courtesy Gateway National
Gateway National (1992)
Designer: Keith Foster
Location: Madison, Illinois
Par: 71
Yardage: 7,178
Slope: 127
Fees: $40.99–$99
Overview: Laid out in links style, the bent-grass, windswept course demands accuracy from the tee and good iron play. Foster created some strategic par-4's along with his strong par-5's. However, the par 3s, if not played well, will have you walking off the green at No. 18 thinking about what might have been.
Our favorite hole: Standing on the middle tees at the par-3 No. 12—the shortest hole on the course at only 131 yards—players are faced with a tiered green surrounded by water short, left, and behind. Club selection is crucial here in order to find the safe middle of the green amid swirling winds.
Old Kinderhook (1999)
Designer: Tom Weiskopf
Location: Camdenton
Par: 71
Yardage: 6,726
Slope: 133
Fees: $64–$115
Overview: Weiskopf made excellent use of the natural elements on the grounds, including a free-flowing stream, ponds, tree-lined fairways, wetlands, and dramatic elevation changes. Well-positioned bunkers, both off the tee and surrounding the green, make for challenging tee shots and approaches. While most holes provide generous landing areas, playing from the correct teeing ground will make for a more enjoyable round.
Our favorite hole: On one of the most scenic holes on the course, the 416-yard par-4 No. 8, Weiskopf took advantage of the natural elevation to place the tee some 100 feet above the fairway. A good drive is important, with trees left and right off the tee, and a creek down the right. A bunker and water guard the left side of the green, which slopes right to left, making this beauty also one of the most challenging on the course.
Photography courtesy Missouri Bluffs
Missouri Bluffs (1995)
Designer: Tom Fazio
Location: St. Charles
Par: 71
Yardage: 7,047
Slope: 131
Fees: $43–$96
Overview: Tom Fazio has a reputation for designing strong layouts, with the Bluffs counted among them. The up-and-down fairways demand players play a variety of shots on their approach, while the par-3's—many elevated with shots over water—have players checking the wind circling among the trees in hopes of finding the putting surface.
Our favorite hole: With the teeing ground high above the fairway to this dogleg right, the 529-yard par-5 No. 15 offers a memorable view. Three solid shots to the uphill long and narrow green will have players hoping they picked the correct yardage on the approach. Otherwise, they might face a very long putt for a try at birdie.
The Rail (1974)
Designer: Robert Trent Jones
Location: Springfield, Illinois
Par: 72
Yardage: 6630
Fees: $15–$39
Carts: $13–$17
Overview: This RTJ beauty has been a favorite of golfers throughout the Midwest since its opening. Site of the LPGA Rail Classic from 1976 to 2006, it crowned many a great champion. It features a typical Jones design, with long runway tees, great bunkering–there are 82 in all–five lakes, and demanding greens. There are two par-3's and a short par-4 feature with water guarding each green.
Our favorite hole: The 158-yard par-3 No. 5 demands a tee shot that must carry a large water hazard to the green, which runs at a diagonal away from left to right. There are few bail-out areas, with two bunkers left and one behind the green.
Stonewolf (1996)
Designer: Jack Nicklaus Signature
Location: Fairview Heights, Illinois
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,943
Slope: 137
Fees: $36.99–$92.99
Overview: When Stonewolf opened in 1996, everyone knew it would be terrific. As a Jack Nicklaus Signature design, it was ranked as the No. 2 best new public when opened. Nicklaus’ design has terrific holes, with wonderful views and an excellent routing. The course winds through a development of homes, and Nicklaus made good use of a large lake and smaller ponds set around the grounds.
Our favorite hole: The 160-yard par-3 No. 6 is a memorable one. It has players hitting from an elevated tee to a green that is set some 30 feet below them and guarded by water down the left side.
Photography courtesy Tapawingo
Tapawingo National (1994)
Designer: Gary Player
Location: Sunset Hills
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,151
Slope: 141
Fees: $67–$77
Overview: Gary Player’s goal was to take the natural terrain along the Meramec River Valley and use it to create 18 challenging holes. The Prairie nine lies in the flatlands, snaking around four lakes and a creek to create a links-style design. The Woodlands nine is cut through the thick woods that rise above the river, featuring terrific elevation changes and scenic views. There is also a third nine, Meramec, that combines with one other nine for an 18-hole round.
Our favorite hole: Perhaps the most memorable hole is the 190-yard par-3 No. 3 on the Woodlands nine. The green is set in front of a wide rock backdrop, with a large lake covering the yardage from the tee to the green complex.
