Best golf courses in Iowa.

Iowa City, IA

Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City is the home course of the University of Iowa men's and women's golf programs, sited on the western edge of campus near Kinnick Stadium. The course was founded in 1953 and is credited to architects Robert Bruce Harris and Ted Nugent, playing as a par-72 layout of roughly 7,280 yards from the back tees. It hosted the PGA Amana VIP Pro-Am for more than two decades. Finkbine is undergoing a major renovation led by architect Scott Hoffman, planned for 2026, marking its most significant change since relocating in the early 1950s.

Riverside, IA

Iowa's finest public course

Last verified 2026-09-17

Amana, IA

Golf among Iowa's historic Amana Colonies

Rhodes, IA

Keith Foster designed The Harvester on rolling farmland east of Des Moines, and it has been the standard for Iowa public golf since it opened in 2000. The routing moves through mature oak corridors and open prairie, with real elevation change that is rare for central Iowa. Bentgrass from tee to green, large undulating putting surfaces, and a collection of par 4s that ask for position off the tee rather than raw length. Conditioning is consistently among the best of any public course in the state, and the green fee stays well below what this quality of golf costs elsewhere. If you are driving I-80 through Iowa, this is the stop.

Larchwood, IA

The Falls Course at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort in Larchwood is an 18-hole resort course designed by Rees Jones, with Bryce Swanson as co-designer, opening in 2015. The par-72 layout stretches to roughly 7,110 yards and covers about 155 acres in Iowa's northwest corner near Sioux Falls. The course is part of a casino resort property that also includes a hotel and entertainment venue. Its scale and conditioning reflect its resort ownership and destination-golf positioning.

Polk City, IA

Tournament Club of Iowa is located in Polk City, Iowa, about 15 miles northwest of Des Moines, routed through bluffs and ravines between Big Creek Dam and Saylorville Lake on a 500-acre site. The course was designed in 2003 by Erik Larsen of the Arnold Palmer Design Company, making it the only Arnold Palmer Signature course in Iowa. Water comes into play on more than half the holes via Big Creek and connected lakes and ponds, and the layout is noted for its collection of par-3s with forced carries and elevation drops. A 2024 renovation led by Larsen reworked the routing near the clubhouse. The club operates as a public daily-fee facility managed by Kahler Golf, with an extensive practice facility including a two-tiered driving range.

Burlington, IA

Rick Jacobson's acclaimed public design in southeast Iowa

Arnolds Park, IA

Emerald Hills Golf Club is an 18-hole, par 72 public golf course in Arnolds Park, Iowa, founded in 1970 in the Iowa Great Lakes region. The course plays 6,651 yards from the blue tees with a 72.6 rating and 125 slope, on bentgrass tees, and is known locally for hilly, tree-lined terrain with fast, undulating greens.

Last verified 2026-09-17

Mason City, IA

Northern Iowa's best-kept secret

Sioux City, IA

Whispering Creek Golf Course is an 18-hole, par-72 public course in Sioux City, Iowa. The Iowa Golf Association credits the design to Todd Sapp and Larry Franzen. Wide fairways, open prairie views and natural brome grass areas give the course its character. Five sets of tees range from 4,855 to 7,175 yards. The opening hole is a slight dogleg right with a downhill approach to a long green, while the second is a par 3 with a sloping, ridged putting surface and a hazard along the left side. The course hosted the 2006 Iowa State Amateur Championship and the 2009 Iowa State Four-Ball.

Des Moines, IA

Waveland Golf Course is an 18-hole municipal course in Des Moines, established in 1901 and designed by Warren Dickinson, making it one of the oldest golf courses in the country and widely cited as the oldest municipal course west of the Mississippi River. The land was originally deeded to the Des Moines Park Department in 1894 by Fannie Mae Ingersoll. The course occupies rolling, wooded hillsides with notable elevation changes, including its 585-yard par-5 third hole nicknamed The Tunnel. It remains one of three golf courses operated by Des Moines Parks and Recreation.

Long Grove, IA

Glynn's Creek Golf Course is an 18-hole public course in Long Grove, operated by the Scott County Conservation Board within Scott County Park. The course offers multiple tee options, with championship gold tees stretching to roughly 7,036 yards and blue tees at about 6,700 yards, giving golfers of varying ability a suitable test. It is a seasonal facility that opens in late winter or early spring depending on weather conditions. As a county-run course near the Quad Cities, it serves as a public golf destination for the surrounding region, alongside other Scott County Conservation properties.

Lake Mills, IA

Rice Lake Golf & Country Club is a member-owned facility in Lake Mills, Iowa, in the north-central part of the state near Interstate 35, set on rolling ground beside Rice Lake. The course traces to 1922 and was expanded to a full 18 holes in 1979, with mature landscaping and bentgrass greens shaping a layout that mixes traditional design with modern conditioning. It has been recognized by the Iowa Golf Association as an 18-hole course of the year. The facility operates as a semi-private club, with a restaurant open to the public for lunch and dinner alongside member play. Four sets of tees, including a blue-tee yardage of roughly 6,200 yards, accommodate a range of playing abilities.

Ottumwa, IA

Cedar Creek Golf Course is an 18-hole, par 71 public golf course in Ottumwa, Iowa, originally opened in 1931-32. The course plays 6,456 yards from the blue tees with a 70.4 rating and 122 slope, and includes a driving range, practice greens, and bunkers, with recently renovated fairways and tees.

Last verified 2026-09-17

Boone, IA

Honey Creek Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-71 public golf course in Boone, Iowa. It was designed by Bradford Benz and opened in 2003, playing up to 6,805 yards from the back tees. The Boone course blends bold landform shaping with existing prairie vegetation, mature native trees and bentgrass fairways, producing boldly contoured fairways and green complexes on nearly every hole. Honey Creek is open to the public and includes a driving range and putting facilities.

Carter Lake, IA

Shoreline Golf Club is an 18-hole, par 72 public golf course in Carter Lake, Iowa, designed by architect Patrick Wyss and opened in 1990 along the shores of Carter Lake, five minutes from downtown Omaha. The course plays 6,731 yards from the back tees with a 71.9 rating and 124 slope, on bluegrass fairways and bentgrass greens, with mature cottonwoods and a notable 13th hole along the lake. The practice facility was enhanced in 2007.

Last verified 2026-09-17

Iowa City, IA

Pleasant Valley Golf Course is an 18-hole public golf course in Iowa City, founded by Arie and Toni Kroeze, who started the business in 1952 after meeting in the Netherlands. The family-run course offers a driving range, putting green, and a fleet of golf carts alongside on-site banquet and bar facilities. It has operated continuously as a public course serving the Iowa City area for decades. The Kroeze family's landscaping and gardening background shaped the course's development.

Coralville, IA

Brown Deer Golf Club is a semi-private, 18-hole course in Coralville owned by the city's Parks and Recreation Department. Its original nine holes opened in 1992, donated to Coralville by C. Alan Poots and Jennifer Niebyl, with an expansion to 18 holes completed by the mid-1990s. The course was designed by Tim Liddy and plays to a par of 71 over roughly 6,350 yards of bentgrass tees and fairways. An arts-and-crafts-style clubhouse and driving range round out the facility.

Fort Dodge, IA

Fort Dodge Country Club is an 18-hole, semi-private golf course in Fort Dodge, Iowa, designed by architect Bill Hird and first opened for play in 1911. The course plays to a par of 71, measuring 6,652 yards from the back tees with a 72.0 rating and 124 slope, featuring bentgrass greens, tight fairways, mature trees, and several ponds.

Last verified 2026-09-17

Ames, IA

Veenker Memorial Golf Course is an 18-hole public course in Ames owned and operated by Iowa State University, designed by architect Perry Maxwell and officially opened for play on May 12, 1938. The course was built with support from the Works Progress Administration and is named for former ISU athletic director George F. Veenker. It hosted the 1949 NCAA Golf Championship, where a young Arnold Palmer was medalist. Veenker continues to serve as a university-operated public golf facility in central Iowa.

Norwalk, IA

Talons Golf is an 18-hole private golf club located at 1505 NE 36th Street in Ankeny, Iowa, founded in 2004 with a mission tied to charitable fundraising. Since its founding, the club has helped organizations raise more than fifteen million dollars through hosted golf events. Talons operates as an exclusive, membership-based facility with a pro shop, superintendent-maintained grounds, and on-site dining at Talons Grill. Available sources consistently place this course in Ankeny rather than Norwalk, which is worth noting given the city listed for this entry.

Spirit Lake, IA

Okoboji View Golf Course is an 18-hole public golf course in Spirit Lake, Iowa, on West Lake Okoboji, built and opened for play in 1962. The Schnell Brothers purchased the course in 2005 and have since renovated it, including watershed improvements benefiting West Lake Okoboji water quality. The course plays 6,060 yards from the blue tees with a 68.7 rating and 119 slope, with signature holes at the par-3 7th over water and the par-4 16th guarded by a water hazard.

Last verified 2026-09-17

Grimes, IA

Beaver Creek Golf Club is a public, 27-hole bentgrass facility in Grimes, in the western Des Moines suburbs. The East and West nines opened for play in 1991, with a South nine added in 2000. The layout combines rolling terrain with water features across its three connecting nines. A full-length driving range and practice facility support the club's daily play. Beaver Creek is a regular stop for area golfers seeking a longer, championship-length test near Des Moines.

Marion, IA

Hunters Ridge Golf Course is an 18-hole public course in Marion, on the edge of the Cedar Rapids metro area, designed by Bob Lohman and founded in 1997. The bentgrass course spans roughly 7,000 yards to a par of 72 across 400 acres featuring 50 bunkers and 10 ponds. The front nine winds through a residential development with generous landing areas, while the back nine narrows through wetlands and additional water hazards. An on-site lodge hosts events and gatherings overlooking the course.