Des Moines, IA

Grandview Park

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3.685(based on 31 reviews)
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12 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Grandview Through and Through

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

I got in a morning round at Grandview while in town for 80-35 music festival, and I'm glad I finally made it out there. It's a good park for disc golf. Grassy hills with a fair amount of mature trees and some rough patches to keep it interesting. The tees are concrete and have ok signage. The red DISCatcher baskets did what they're supposed to.

Only 1 par 4, but some of the par 3 holes can be on the long side. The elevation changes can be big, but leans toward moderate with a hole or two that is relatively flat. It is a fun layout, offering a good mix of birdie shots and still provides some challenge of skills.

3 really nice downhill drives, one with a tough Mando on 18 to send you home smiling. That last one was my favorite hole. 1 is no slouch either. A 500'ish par 3 (according to the sign, maybe I played the short pin) with several tall trees to navigate. I flexed a great shot off the tee and avoided them all somehow. It felt great, but I missed the 40 footer for birdie. 13 is another drop off the tee, but short enough to reach with a putter. Just avoid the trees and brush to the right side. Hole 6 is a kind of cool tunnel shot.

Cons:

Layout crossed over the street multiple times, and is a bit tough to follow. Having a map will make life easier for first time visitors. Luckily I caught up to a local at hole 6 and he guided me around.

Other Thoughts:

I can see why this is a popular course. Fun but not as tough as Walnut Ridge or Ewing. It isn't my top of the list in the Des Moines area, but it's worth a visit for sure.

First time out I was 1 over par. 3 bogies 2 birdies and even on the rest. Will likely return to try again.
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4 0
JackFlack
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Grand, Indeed 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 31, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Absolutely beautiful, old park. This could be the best in the area.
- Convenient location in metro.
- Very entertaining for all skill levels, lots of variety, but not too difficult.
- Easy to follow course design. The layout flows really well hole to hole.

Cons:

- Majestic trees = hitting trees. :)
- Tournaments that close the course. Discovering a closed course after making plans and traveling is very disappointing. :-( If it weren't for this, I'd give it one full higher rating.
- It never has felt unsafe at all, but can be randomly sketchy. Examples: Dirtbikes/ATV's on the course a few times, a few disturbed people, etc.

Other Thoughts:

You should visit if you're in the area!
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15 0
knobby325
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 8.7 years 323 played 248 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The busy jewel in the DSM crown 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 22, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Good baskets
-Dual Tees on most holes, all concrete
-Good tee signage
-Multiple pin locations for most holes
-Good use of area / flow is decent
-Multiple lines for many holes - good mix up/down long/short
-Area mostly for disc golf
-Titan Disc Golf shop just a few blocks away

Cons:

-Map is off (including the one at #1 tee), see Wall for change notes
-Can get busy, many tournaments/league nights here
-While the road is really only in play on #2, you cross it many times
-Facilities are minimal, few benches/trashcans, one bathroom
-No longer a 9 loop, 18 basket to parking is a bit of a walk

Other Thoughts:

Grandview DGC is located in Grandview Park on the east side of Des Moines, IA. The park shares a small amount of boundary with the Grandview Golf Course and has a shelter and playground that stay mostly out of play. This is typically the busiest of the the "crown jewels" of the Des Moines disc golf scene (Grandview / Ewing / Big Creek / Walnut Ridge). This wonderful course, was re-worked slightly a couple of years ago, #6 and #7 changed, #9-16 became #8-15 (all moved down a #), and #16 was added. While all the tee signage has been updated, none of the maps have been updated, including the one at #1 tee. Big old growth trees force some good shot shaping from dual tees and multiple pin locations. There is quite a bit of elevation change for you as well. #12 has a wonderful elevated tee. The map issue, course crowding, and long walk from 18 back to parking take this rating down a notch for me. Still one of the best in the Des Moines area, I will play here again.
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11 0
bigreddog
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.1 years 195 played 62 reviews
4.00 star(s)

My favorite Des Moines course (so far) 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Condition of Baskets/Tees 10/10. Concrete tee pads for long and short tees, baskets are disccatchers in good condition

Use of Obstacles 10/10. This is a great park for disc golf with lots of mature trees and a wooded area surrounding the park, which are used well in conjunction with each other. The course is pretty compact but does not feel cramped, it's a great use of space.

Decisionmaking 10/10. Many holes have multiple possible routes to the basket and it really makes you think about what shot to throw and which gap to go for.

Course Maintenance 10/10. This course has been in great shape both times I've played it. Well mowed, restrooms, running water, trash cans, benches etc.

Disc findability 9/10. You shouldn't have a problem finding discs here unless you really shank one into the woods

Comfort while playing 9/10. In addition to what I have under course maintenance, there is a lot of shade. My one nitpick is there were tons of mosquitoes the second time I played it, but that was with recent rains and I don't remember it being a problem when I played before

Variety of distances 9/10. This course has a great variety of distances from each set of tee pads. Could maybe benefit from having one more bomber hole.

Elevation 9/10. Course plays mostly through large rolling hills. There aren't a lot of severe changes but there is good variety.

Challenging all levels 8/10. The short tees are great for beginners, and the long tees are great for everyone else. My second round here I played with a first timer and he had a blast. Advanced players may find the middle section a tad on the easy side and it certainly won't present the same challenge as some of the other courses in the Des Moines area.

Navigation 8/10. Very helpful map at the first tee. There are a couple long walks between holes that could be tricky. Tee signs are okay and there are only a few blind shots so you can usually see the basket from the tee. Would help to have an indicator of which position the basket is in for the blind holes at least.

Cons:

Variety of openness 4/10. Most holes have a moderate amount of trees and a few others are more open. This course is lacking a couple holes on the more technical side.

Quality of Alternate Basket positions 4/10. Most holes have one alternate position and a couple don't have any. A few of the alternates don't seem to change the holes a whole lot.

Variety of shot paths 5/10. Decent, but there are significantly more holes that are right to left than there are left to right, and with the exception of 18 and 3 short there aren't many sharp doglegs.

Other Thoughts:

Challenge 7/10
A couple years ago I made a trip up from KC to Des Moines primarily to play disc golf and played here, ewing, walnut ridge, and Big Creek (arm was too dead to play Pickard after those 4), and personally this was the course I enjoyed the most of those. Last week I was back in the area for work and I had a chance to play it again and it was just as enjoyable. There are no major negatives here and I would definitely recommend it to anyone passing through the area.
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0 1
mgcoleman
Experience: 18.9 years 20 played 17 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A must-play in the DSM area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 17, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ Stately park setting, plenty of huge, old-growth trees.
+ Good signage, decent tee pads.
+ Felt like a perfect mix of long and short holes, BH and FH friendly holes.

Cons:

- Very popular course, so wait times are common.
- Plenty of pedestrians around
- A couple holes get a bit tight to play areas, so probably best to play conservatively on those (put that spike hyzer away on those shots or risk winging a kid, I guess!).

Other Thoughts:

Played this as the 4th course of the day, so arms and shoulders were a bit tired and frankly didn't notice until the end - the course was that much fun to play. Good round, not terribly slow, nice layout - KUDOS to Des Moines for maintaining a nice course with an urban area and encouraging more people to play disc golf.
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1 1
mchopson
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

One of my favorite in Des Moines area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 7, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Well maintained course, that usually doesn't get muddy when it rains. It's very wide open and is hard to lose a disc; I don't think I ever lost one on this course. Has signs on each hole showing distances and pin locations. They also move the pins around through out the year to change up the holes. Has amateur and pro tees. Good course for beginners to well experienced players, may be easy for professionals.

Cons:

Can get very busy in summer times and may have to wait play and some nights league plays there and once they start playing they don't allow others to play.

Other Thoughts:

This is my go to course when ever I go out and play with my buddies. In my opinion one of the better courses in Des Moines area and would recommend playing at least one time.
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8 0
MitchMileHigh
Experience: 19.8 years 40 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Favorite Course it the DM Area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 24, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Beautiful city park especially in the fall months with the changing leaves
-Good mix of hole types (backhand and forehand shots)
-Great tee signs and multiple pin locations on each hole
-Good use of the elevation that the park has to offer
-Mix of short holes and longer holes that are not to challenging for the average disc golfer.
-Short tee's on almost every hole for beginners or rec players
-Other things to do at this park besides disc golf
-Hole 13 is a throw every disc in your bag kind of hole
-Hole 1 and hole 9 start and end at the parking lot if you want to play a quick 9 holes.
-Nice concrete tee pads with places to sit
-Each hole is different and has its own distinct features.
-Enough trees and elevation to make this course a sweet challenge
-Fun and entertaining course for all ages!

Cons:

-This is the most populated course in DM and you might have a wait on some holes
-Not many trash cans around the course, so you do see some beer cans laying around here and there.
-Arrows on the tee signs pointing to the next hole would be helpful

Other Thoughts:

This is a must play course if you are in the DM area! I would say that this is my favorite course, with Big Creek State Park coming in at a close 2nd.
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0 4
LoewDog
Experience: 12 played 12 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Place to Play! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 15, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Easy to navigate, great shot variety, overall a very good course.

Cons:

The only con to this course is that a lot of people play it, so speed of play can be slow.

Other Thoughts:

I'd play here before Pickard or Ewing...it may not be quite the challenge but it is a better disc golf experience.
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8 0
yearofrolling
Experience: 26.8 years 87 played 18 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Heart of Des Moines 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good pads, baskets; great signs.
There's some garbage cans (but not enough, apparently).
Really nice course map at Tee one.
Multiple pin placements keep it fresh.
Improvements! Many of the teepads have been extensively repaired as of late. Some anti-erosion measures are also being taken this year (2015) to try to regrow some grass in high traffic areas and around some pin placements and in chronically soggy areas.

Cons:

Traffic. Sometimes you wait.
Empties. Sometimes there's garbage.
There's a couple treks between holes/parking lot.

Other Thoughts:

Grandview fills a very important niche for the disc golf community of central Iowa:
A high quality, centrally located and accessible disc golf experience.
Grandview serves the masses.
Its fun for intermediate players and won't leave beginners wishing they had stayed home instead.
Grandview is the teacher.
Grandview is where you play while Pickard and Ewing are a bit out of reach for you.
Its Grandview's welcoming promise of a good time and alluring challenge to try to shoot just one stroke better than last time that keeps me coming back.
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2 12
timj5304
Experience: 19.8 years 161 played 32 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Muddy mess 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 31, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

18 holes with chain baskets, it is in a local park in the city of Des Moines, about a mile off of the interstate. Great location. I would imagine it is in the winter layout currently. Decent distance shots and elevation changes.

Cons:

This course was pure mud between holes 6-11 and partial mud everywhere else. Repetitive shots, overly crowded course during the summertime I have been told by locals. For the most part the shot was the same every single time for a rhbh player, a hyzer. The ice bowl just happened last weekend and the course is a mess of mud currently so walk carefully, maybe even create alternate teepads because the normal ones are mostly muddy.

Other Thoughts:

I recommend passing this one and taking a look at big creek or Ewing insteadad. After getting blasted via pm I will explain why I rated this course why I did, 1,5 says passable on it, to me this course is not a must play when you are in Des moines, ia. Play pickard, Ewing, big creek, walnut ridge or even some of the great courses just to the east of Des moines. If you have time and are in the neighborhood, feel free to play it but don't be surprised if it's crowded and slow.
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5 0
MidwestZest
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 103 played 72 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Park Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 11, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Very nice feel to the course, in a nice large park setting.
- Relatively easy to get to, and to find the first tee.
- Plenty of parking, as well as other activities and facilities on site.
- Obviously played a lot, and for good reason. It's a very nice, approachable course for newer players, with plenty of challenge, length, and interest for more experienced players. Sometimes the 'fun factor' of courses is really underrated, and this course scores high.
- Mostly good navigation, save for the trek from 5 to 6. I imagine like most first time players, I could only see one tee, so I went to it, only to find it was the 6 short. Otherwise not too bad.
- Two nine-hole loops, which is always nice.
- Good elevation on the course, and used well. Some very interesting shots.
- Nice pads, two for nearly all holes, except where not really practical. For the most part, the short pads just reduce length, and don't often give a wholly different look at the pin. It's obvious that the long tees get extensive play.
- Two pin placements for most holes. These DO seem to offer different looks and lines for each hole. Very nice. Older, 'well loved' baskets on the course, but I had no issues.
- Fantastic signs at each pad (except 5, 7, and 16 which were missing)
- Plenty of benches along the course (also a con in places).
- #6 - A fun, long hole skirting some timber. Definitely a little different from most of the rest of the course, even though it's relatively open. Roll-away potential here, into a more tightly-wooded area.
- #7 - I really liked this for some reason, even though it's quite simple and relatively easy. It was tightest hole up to that point, so it was a nice change of pace.
- #12 is a long hole from the far tee, over some undulating terrain. Blind basket over the top of the next hill - pretty cool.
- #13 tee box is well constructed and maintained. Shoots from one hillside to the other, and becomes longer than it's listed if your drive is short and you leave yourself a decent uphill approach.
- #14 is a fun, downhill par 3 that plays like a puzzle. What line will I use to get close at the pin? Tucked very nicely behind some mature trees that make you pick a line and try to skip one in there.

Cons:

- Missing signs at a few tee pads.
- Unfortunately some baskets are very much blind, and it's difficult to know which placement is current. FWIW, occasionally even when you see where the basket is, it's sometimes difficult to tell if that was the A or B placement from the sign.
- Benches and picnic tables are littered throughout the course, sometimes in or near throwing lanes. For as much as the park is used for disc golf, I find it hard to think that these get much use in their current positions.
- Missing some signature holes. There are quite a few memorable ones, but nothing that absolutely stands out. #13 is probably as close as it gets.
- Not many penalties for bad lines here, other than loss of distance or hitting a mature tree. Most bad shots are recoverable. Another reason why it's great for newer players, however. Chances of losing discs = near zero.
- #2 is a pretty open, straight downhill, without a lot going for it.
- #15 also just feels a little pedestrian after the run of 12, 13, and 14. Wide open, uphill, guarded basket.

Other Thoughts:

- I had a very fun round here, which I'm sure will bring me back. The course obviously gets a lot of play for that reason.
- Played just before a league night, which of course is also good to see.
- For a local comparison, this course reminds me of Maytag Park in Newton, IA. Fewer wide open holes though. For a less local comparison, it's much like Chautauqua Park in Fairfield, IA, but with considerably more distance.
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0 4
Bigcountry54
Experience: 9.8 years 21 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun Corse 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 30, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great holes, easy with a hint of challenge for a new player, Trees made it a little technical to play, No water

Cons:

With 2 tees and 2 baskets, things got a little confusing occasionally. A busy course for a beginner.

Other Thoughts:

If I get back to Des Moines, I will play this course again!
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0 5
rocker13
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Hometown Favorite 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 19, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Multiple pin placements. Elevation and tree hazards add some difficulty. On my favorite side of town. Nice tee pads great for driving. Many seats if you get tired.

Cons:

Many holes are very similar. Not too many shots that will really punish you.

Other Thoughts:

I have always loved this course. It isn't that hard but I personally just go here to see how much my skills have improved. Many holes are possible to make in one shot. Some times a poor throw will go towards people but if you can control your shot you will do fine.
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1 8
FightingIllinut
Experience: 10.9 years 24 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

enjoyed the course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

It reminded me somewhat of my home course in that the course isn't carved out of forest but there sure are a lot of trees!!

Cons:

could use some.......next tee ===> ......in one or two locations although having the course map photo on my phone helped with that.

Other Thoughts:

Even here in the Quad Cities where we have many awesome courses I would still make this course a regular part of my rounds.
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6 1
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun park course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 1, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a nicely groomed city park. A few spots play near woods and brush, adding some occasional opportunities for punishment on errant shots. Elevation comes into play on much of the course, with rolling hills throughout and a couple steeper shots. The hills are used well to add challenge and variety, especially on the last several holes.

Mature trees provide the main obstacles here, with a scattering throughout the park. There are enough that several holes force left and right turning shots. The grass was mowed short when I played and some holes have low ceilings, so rollers can come in handy here.

Dual concrete tees on most holes offer a good tee surface. The tee signs are solid, with signs at both holes with length and hole layout. The flow of the course is pretty easy to follow, and there's a map posted at the kiosk. Dual pin positions add some extra variety.

Cons:

I always like to see dual pin placements, especially when they add variety of lines like many here do. It is frustrating to have to guess what pin position is in use though, this area doesn't seem to have any way of indicating that at the tee sign or the course kiosk. There are some safety issues, with the park road and picnic areas in play on some holes.

The course can feel a bit repetitive at times, with similar terrain and foliage throughout the course and only limited punishment for missing your line. Despite good use of the hills and trees, you can get away with a lot of hyzers here.

Other Thoughts:

Beginners will find this course challenging but approachable, especially from the short tees. There is some length, but nothing ridiculous, and lost discs are not an issue here. More experienced players will find some fun shots, but not too tough a test. This is a nice place for a low stress casual round in a pretty park.
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1 5
musclehed03
Experience: 11.6 years 12 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice Course, even when crowded! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 25, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This was the first course I have ever played on, but not the first I have ever seen. It is very nice and I have been comparing all the other courses I have played since to this one. It has a good use of the elevations and the layout is pretty good. It has good baskets, and was freshly mowed.

Cons:

There is a road going straight through it. probably not a problem if you are using a decent disc made of good plastic. at some times the next tee was hard to find. it is a long walk back to your vehicle from 18 if you park by 1. there was no scorecards by the map.

Other Thoughts:

Really a very nice course, all things considered. I will play this again as i have a son in college down there!
I actually can't wait to play this one again!
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1 5
DjKilliQuik
Experience: 21.8 years 57 played 17 reviews
4.00 star(s)

solid public park course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Great use of the park. You dont see this good of use of a park very often. Long and short placements go very well together. Making a lot of good short and long holes.

Cons:

Could be some more technical holes through trees. The trees that are there are pretty easy to get around. Kind of sucks when there is a lot of people at the park. But you will have that with a public park.
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4 1
Wheelz
Experience: 14.2 years 28 played 22 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good Park Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 25, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Design - The course is designed pretty well and uses most of the land available in the park. It caters mostly to the beginner/intermediate golfer as most holes, even from the long tees. The course flows well and it is generally pretty easy to find your way around. The design uses the elevation in the park pretty well.

Infrastructure - Two concrete tees for every hole and very nice, descriptive tee signs for each pad. Bathrooms were located in the park along with picnic tables and park benches. The park is very clean.

Location - Grandview is located in the middle of Des Moines and is close to hotels, food, shopping, etc. It is pretty close to the interstate as well and easy to find.



Cons:

Challenge - Most golfers will find Grandview to be fun, but most pros and some advanced level golfers may find it to be a bit easy as there aren't many long holes. Bad shots aren't really punished in most cases. Even with a bad drive off the tee, most holes are pretty par-able.

Other Thoughts:

If you are in the area, Grandview is worth a few hours of your time. The mix of elevation and trees, along with the clean tee boxes and signs make it a fun round. It is your standard park style golf with above average elevation. Definitely worth a try!
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1 5
Iowa420DG
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 457 played 41 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Overrated 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 1, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is mostly open with plenty of mature trees in play. The trees just aren't thick, and you don't really go in the woods. It's a nice course. Probably a 3.5 for beginners.

Cons:

There were a lot of people playing here at 10:00 am on a Sunday... and I really don't like too many people at one park.
The worst thing about this park is that is has a road winding throughout the whole thing. As you probably know, nothing scuffs up/ruins a disc more than hitting concrete. Kinda ruins my day when I ruin my favorite disc on a nice throw that barely dodged a street that was in play 250' toward the hole.
Another bad thing is that this course doesn't loop. Its a decent walk from #18 back to your car at #1.
It was also kind of confusing as to what teepad to throw from... some holes have two tee pads. A regular, longer pad and an "R" pad which is slightly shorter. I assume "R" stands for Rookie?

Other Thoughts:

SUMMARY; The play of the course itself was nice, although it lacked variation. Other outside factors hurt the score.
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1 5
AcunningStunt
Experience: 23.9 years 2 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Top 3 in DSM 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 31, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is one of the best courses in the des moines it's a good mix of short and long holes open shots and some trees it's also very good for forehand and backhand shots very well kept n clean

Cons:

Inconsistent tee pad summershore and summer long some have mud in front and behind so can kind of get slick Hilly
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