319 golf courses in Iowa, 4,027 holes between them, 143 with published USGA tee ratings.

319

courses

4,027

holes

143

rated

7,550

longest (yds)

146

steepest slope

Every Iowa course

Loading 319 courses…

Every figure here is a published one, gathered from the course and public records — nothing on this page is estimated.

Iowa standouts

Toughest testpublished fact

Amana Colonies Golf Course

slope 146 · from 201 courses

The highest USGA slope rating published for any of the men’s tee sets. Slope measures difficulty for a bogey golfer relative to a scratch golfer — a rated figure, not an opinion. Men’s ratings only: a tee is rated separately for men and for women and the two scales do not compare, so mixing them would rank part of the field on one scale and the rest on another (see peakSlope in course-metrics.ts).

Longestpublished fact

Spirit Hollow Golf Course

7,550 yds · from 302 courses

The longest published tee set, in yards from the tips.

Iowa by the numbers

Iowa courses ranked on the figures they publish themselves. Each list counts only the courses that publish that figure, so the totals differ. Slope and course rating measure difficulty, not quality — nothing here ranks how good a course is.

Longest

— the top 25 of 302 courses with a published scorecard

#	Course	Longest
1	Spirit Hollow Golf Course	7,550 yds
2	Blue Top Ridge	7,481 yds
3	The Harvester Golf Club	7,365 yds
4	Des Moines Driving Range	7,347 yds
4	Des Moines Golf & Country Club	7,347 yds
6	Cedar Rapids Country Club	7,328 yds
7	The Ridge	7,297 yds
8	Finkbine Golf Course	7,239 yds
9	The Legacy Golf Club	7,199 yds
10	Legends Golf Club	7,126 yds
11	Whispering Creek Golf Club	7,113 yds
12	Green Valley Golf Club	7,085 yds
13	Tournament Club of Iowa	7,041 yds
14	Glynns Creek Golf Course	7,036 yds
15	Lake Panorama National Golf Course	7,024 yds
16	Bent Tree Golf Club	7,022 yds
17	Briarwood Club of Ankeny	7,019 yds
18	Hunters Ridge Golf Course	7,007 yds
19	Piper Glen Golf Course	7,005 yds
20	The Preserve on Rathbun Lake	6,987 yds
21	Wakonda Club	6,959 yds
22	Bos Landen Golf Club	6,932 yds
23	Jester Park Learning and Practice Facility	6,914 yds
24	Beaver Hills Country Club	6,905 yds
25	Glen Oaks Country Club	6,898 yds

The longest tee set the course publishes, in yards from the tips. Compared against every course that publishes a scorecard — length is a measurement, not a verdict on the golf.

Toughest test

— the top 25 of 201 courses with a USGA slope rating for its men’s tees

#	Course	Toughest test
1	Amana Colonies Golf Course	slope 146
1	Blue Top Ridge	slope 146
3	Legends Golf Club	slope 142
4	Davenport Country Club	slope 140
4	Glen Oaks Country Club	slope 140
4	The Harvester Golf Club	slope 140
7	Tournament Club of Iowa	slope 139
8	Cedar Rapids Country Club	slope 138
8	Stone Creek Golf Club	slope 138
10	Pebble Creek Golf Course	slope 137
11	The Legacy Golf Club	slope 136
12	Sunnyside Country Club	slope 135
12	Wakonda Club	slope 135
14	Des Moines Driving Range	slope 134
14	Des Moines Golf & Country Club	slope 134
14	Finkbine Golf Course	slope 134
14	Spirit Hollow Golf Course	slope 134
14	The Hawk Country Club	slope 134
19	Crow Valley Golf Club	slope 133
19	Lake Carroll Golf Club	slope 133
19	Piper Glen Golf Course	slope 133
19	Whispering Creek Golf Club	slope 133
23	Hunters Ridge Golf Course	slope 132
23	Hyperion Field Club	slope 132
23	The Ridge	slope 132

The highest USGA slope rating published for any of the men’s tee sets. Slope rates difficulty for a bogey golfer relative to a scratch golfer — a rated figure issued by the golf association, not an opinion about the course. Men’s ratings only, because a tee is rated separately for men and for women and the two scales do not compare; a course rated only for women is not in the running rather than converted.

Hardest from the tips

— the top 25 of 111 courses with a USGA course rating for its men’s tees

#	Course	Hardest from the tips
1	Blue Top Ridge	rating 77.6
2	The Harvester Golf Club	rating 76.0
3	Cedar Rapids Country Club	rating 75.7
4	Des Moines Driving Range	rating 75.2
4	Des Moines Golf & Country Club	rating 75.2
4	The Ridge	rating 75.2
7	Whispering Creek Golf Club	rating 74.9
8	Spirit Hollow Golf Course	rating 74.8
9	Finkbine Golf Course	rating 74.6
9	The Legacy Golf Club	rating 74.6
11	Briarwood Club of Ankeny	rating 74.5
11	Hunters Ridge Golf Course	rating 74.5
11	Legends Golf Club	rating 74.5
14	Bent Tree Golf Club	rating 74.4
14	Glen Oaks Country Club	rating 74.4
16	Wakonda Club	rating 74.1
17	Green Valley Golf Club	rating 74.0
17	Lake Panorama National Golf Course	rating 74.0
19	Davenport Country Club	rating 73.7
20	Amana Colonies Golf Course	rating 73.6
20	Piper Glen Golf Course	rating 73.6
20	The Preserve on Rathbun Lake	rating 73.6
23	Bos Landen Golf Club	rating 73.5
23	Tournament Club of Iowa	rating 73.5
25	Beaver Hills Country Club	rating 73.3

The highest USGA course rating published for any of the men’s tee sets — the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot. Men’s ratings only, for the same reason as slope: the men’s and women’s ratings of one tee are different measurements. It measures difficulty and nothing else; it is not a quality score and never orders these pages by how good a course is.

Widest tee spread

— the top 25 of 286 courses with two or more tee sets of different lengths

#	Course	Widest tee spread
1	Rustic Ridge Golf Course	3,284 yds between tees
2	Waverly Municipal Golf Course	3,279 yds between tees
3	Muscatine Municipal Golf Course	2,987 yds between tees
4	Spirit Hollow Golf Course	2,497 yds between tees
5	Cedar Rapids Country Club	2,488 yds between tees
6	Woodland Hills Golf Course	2,477 yds between tees
7	Blue Top Ridge	2,336 yds between tees
8	Des Moines Driving Range	2,292 yds between tees
8	Des Moines Golf & Country Club	2,292 yds between tees
10	Twin Pines Golf Course	2,287 yds between tees
11	The Harvester Golf Club	2,185 yds between tees
12	Glen Oaks Country Club	2,180 yds between tees
13	Finkbine Golf Course	2,076 yds between tees
14	Tournament Club of Iowa	2,002 yds between tees
15	Whispering Creek Golf Club	1,997 yds between tees
16	Safari Golf Club	1,984 yds between tees
17	The Ridge	1,971 yds between tees
18	Jester Park Learning and Practice Facility	1,943 yds between tees
19	Glynns Creek Golf Course	1,939 yds between tees
20	Hunters Ridge Golf Course	1,917 yds between tees
21	Davenport Country Club	1,888 yds between tees
22	Prairie Links Golf Course & Event Center	1,886 yds between tees
23	Bent Tree Golf Club	1,870 yds between tees
24	Saddleback Ridge Golf Course	1,869 yds between tees
25	Piper Glen Golf Course	1,867 yds between tees

Yards between the longest and shortest published tee sets — how far the course moves to fit a different player. Courses publishing a single tee set are not in the running, because one set is an unmeasured spread rather than a narrow one.

Oldest

— the top 25 of 229 courses with an opening year

#	Course	Oldest
1	Cedar Pointe Golf Course	opened 1889
2	Fairfield Golf and Country Club	opened 1892
3	Dubuque Country Club	opened 1898
4	Burlington Golf Club	opened 1899
5	Elks Lodge Country Club	opened 1900
5	Ottumwa Country Club	opened 1900
7	Waveland Golf Course	opened 1901
8	Bright Grandview Golf Course	opened 1902
9	Highland Golf Club	opened 1903
10	Cedar Rapids Country Club	opened 1904
10	Legacy Hills Golf Club	opened 1904
12	Hyperion Field Club	opened 1907
13	Irv Warren Memorial Golf Course	opened 1908
14	Ames Golf & Country Club	opened 1911
14	Fort Dodge Country Club	opened 1911
16	Audubon Golf and Country Club	opened 1913
17	Atlantic Golf & Country Club	opened 1914
17	Paullina Golf Course	opened 1914
19	Clarinda Country Club	opened 1917
19	Sunny Brae Golf & Country Club	opened 1917
21	Lake Carroll Golf Club	opened 1918
22	Ellis Golf Course	opened 1919
23	Albia Golf and Leisure	opened 1920
23	Clarmond Country Club	opened 1920
23	Estherville Golf Course	opened 1920

The year the course opened, as published. Ranked oldest first. An opening year is not a design credit and not a renovation date — a course that opened in 1921 and was rebuilt in 1998 still opened in 1921.

Highest above sea level

— the top 25 of 319 courses with a coordinate we could sample

#	Course	Highest above sea level
1	Sanborn Golf and Country Club	1,534 ft
2	Sibley Golf and Country Club	1,508 ft
3	Primghar Golf and Country Club	1,487 ft
4	Alta Golf and Country Club	1,481 ft
5	Silver Lake Country Club	1,476 ft
6	Estherville Golf Course	1,467 ft
7	Schleswig Community Golf Club	1,465 ft
8	Marcus Community Golf Club	1,459 ft
9	Woodlyn Hills Golf Course	1,456 ft
10	Indian Hills Golf Club	1,442 ft
11	Meadow Acres Golf Course	1,440 ft
12	Emerald Hills Golf Club	1,439 ft
13	Meadowbrook Golf and Country Club	1,430 ft
14	Okoboji View Golf Course	1,428 ft
15	Aurelia Golf Club	1,425 ft
16	Buena Vista University Golf Course at Lake Creek	1,422 ft
17	Safari Golf Club	1,419 ft
18	Brooks Golf Club	1,416 ft
19	Sheldon Golf and Country Club	1,397 ft
20	Landsmeer Golf Club	1,389 ft
21	River Ridge Golf Course	1,388 ft
22	Otter Valley Country Club	1,381 ft
23	Manning Manilla Golf Course	1,367 ft
24	Breda Golf Club	1,366 ft
25	Paullina Golf Course	1,356 ft

Height above sea level at the course’s own published coordinate, sampled from the USGS 3DEP elevation model. THIS IS A FIGURE WE DERIVED, not one the course publishes — anybody can re-query the same public dataset at the same coordinate and get the same number, but no scorecard states it. Because every course carries a coordinate, this is the only board here whose field is nearly the whole database rather than the courses that publish a particular figure. Elevation changes how far a ball carries; it says nothing about whether a course is good.