This course will test every shot in the bag. Most fairways are established enough that good lines are rewarded. Plenty of trouble is out there when you miss though. Although every hole is not memorable there are some true gems on this course. The natural landscape is used very well. The creek and lake make for some wonderful scenery. This park is always well maintained.

Navigation between holes is tough. I could see first timers spending some time looking for the next tee or accidentally ending up on the front course. I could see some bridges being helpful, but I've always been fine without.

I might have a sentimental attachment to this course as I played it religiously in college, but I love this course. This course does what none of the st Louis course do in incorporating water so successfully. This is a very well maintained and established course. Some fine tuning and landscaping around tees and pins is all that is needed for this to be a 5 star course in my mind.

I'd recommend this course to anyone. Plus you can go play the front course when you are done to make a day of it. Great course.

-Matt

61 total pin placements allow for a variety of course setuls. Recoverability from bad drives is usually more than fair. Has a good mix of long and short holes, open & tight. Lots of water (pond and creek). The creek comes into play on holes 5, 6 (really bad overshots), 7, 8 long/gold, 9, 10, 11, 15. Pond on 16 & 17. Has new color coded pin markers in the anchors for each hole. The tee sign has the anchor marker attached to it, although the tee sign has yet to identify which pin is which.

Needs a a bridge on holes 7, 9, 15, 16 & 17 (lots of water, and not great ways to cross), especially for kids. Some small amounts of poison ivy in the roughs on holes 5-15. The cedars need to be manicured and trimmed higher so as to retrieve errant shots easier. Needs new signage with up to date measurements and pdga par ratings for various skill sets. The new anchor markers are nice for pin identification, but new signs need to go in matching the same color code so that players know where the basket is and what the par and distance is.
Also desparately needs directional signage from 4 to 5, 6 to 7, 7 -i, 9-10 & 14 -15

Great use of the woods. You are rewarded with clear shots if you stay on the fairways but it's not like those other courses where if you get offtrack you want to throw your discs away. Throw over a pond on holes 16 and 17. Mowed and hole changes frequently. And even though it goes through woods, the fairways are cleared out except for the trees strategically left there. The best part is the use of the creeks that meander throughout. Multiple pin placements give nice variation. Easy Navigation. The course is forgiving enough for beginners but creative enough to give experienced players a challenge to get that low score. Also the Oakland front course is right there as a very nice complement for 36 holes of golf. Indian Hills is close-by if you just can't get enough.

I really can't think of anything bad to say about this course. There aren't huge elevation changes but then you don't really notice it given the creative design.

This is my favorite course I've played. It's in Columbia, MO--great college town so there's plenty of things to do.