St. Louis Courses Challenge Golfers of All Skill Levels

First posted on 07-23-2008

Beginner, intermediate or pro, St. Louis area golf courses offer something for everyone. Courses here run the gamut from a great links course just five miles from downtown to an 18-holer set in beautiful Forest Park, the city’s 1,300-acre centerpiece park. Gateway National Golf Links, one of the area’s best links courses, is just five miles from downtown St. Louis across the Mississippi River in southwestern Illinois. Its location within sight of the Gateway Arch makes this course very convenient for visitors staying in downtown hotels. The 18-hole course, designed by golf architect Keith Foster, is the only public-access course in the St. Louis area featuring bent grass fairways. Nestled in the Mississippi River basin Gateway National features rolling links with gentle berms on lush green pasturelands. It offers the visitor great views of the St. Louis skyline. When it opened in 1998, Gateway National was named one of Golf Digest’s best new public courses. The facilities include a 20-plus acre driving range and a 7,000-square-foot clubhouse with a pro shop.

Gateway National Golf Links, 18 Golf Dr., Bend Road and Highway 203, Madison, Ill. 62060, 314-421-4653, http://www.gatewaynational.com. Fees: $56, Monday-Friday and $59 Saturday, Sunday and holidays including cart. Without the cart, weekday rates are $48.50 and $51.50 on the weekends. A business special from 3:30-4:30 p.m. is $37.50 and $27.50 after 4:30 p.m.

Forest Park Golf Course at 5591 Grand Drive in beautiful Forest Park, seven miles from downtown, offers the golfer a 27-hole course in one of St. Louis’ most scenic areas. The course includes 18 holes of moderate difficulty and a flat 9-hole course with no sand traps that is suitable for novice players. Built in 1912, the course is one of the oldest in St. Louis and gives golfers the opportunity to play in beautiful surroundings with historical significance. The greens are well-conditioned and have true rolls. One hole crosses Grand Basin of Art Hill where the 1904 World’s Fair was staged. The pro shop is in the Lindell Pavilion, which was a train station office built for the 1904 World’s Fair. Nearby is the St. Louis Art Museum, the world-famous Saint Louis Zoo, Saint Louis Science Center and the Missouri History Museum as well as other park attractions. Forest Park Golf Course, 5591 Grand Drive in Forest Park, St. Louis, MO. 63108, 314-367-6848, http://www.americangolf.com. Fees: $18 to walk, $25 with a cart for 18 holes, Monday-Friday and $21 to walk and $30 with a cart for 18 holes Saturday, Sunday and

Holidays. Nine hole rates: $11.50 to walk and $16.75 with a cart. The course also offers a luncheon special of 18 holes, a sandwich, chips and a soft drink for $29.95 or a hot dog, chips and soft drink for $28.95.

Annbriar, an 18-hole public course with a 4-star rating from Golf Digest, is just 23 miles from downtown St. Louis in Waterloo, Ill. Suitable for golfers of all levels, the front 9 holes are a links-style course while the back 9 holes are on rolling terrain. Designed by golf architect Michael Hurdzan, the course has a minimum of five sets of tees for each hole and a 141 slope.

Annbriar Golf Course, 1524 Birdie Lane, Waterloo, IL 62298, 618-939-4653 or 888-939-5191 http://www.annbriar.com. email: . Fees: $53, Monday-Thursday; $63, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays, includes cart and free range. Specials are $45 for age 49 and under on Monday, ladies on Tuesday and seniors (50 and over) on Wednesday.

Belk Park Golf Course, only 11 miles from downtown St. Louis in Wood River, Ill., is one of the most popular courses in the St. Louis area. This municipal 18-hole championship course was designed by golf course architect E. L. Packard and has been described as long enough and challenging enough for experienced golfers and open and forgiving enough for the inexperienced. New tees have been added making the course suitable for varying abilities. The course recently installed new granite tee signs on every hole and took possession of 84 new EZ-Go Golf Carts which help make playing there a breeze.

Belk Park Golf Course, 633 Wood River Ave., Wood River, IL 62095, 314-355-1100 or 618-251-3115, http://www.belkpark.com. Fees: $17 greens fee and $11 for cart, Monday through Friday and $23 greens fee and $11 for the cart weekends. (Golfers must take a cart before 2 p.m. on the weekend.) Effective July 1, fees will be $27 greens fee and $11 for a cart, Monday-Friday and $23 greens fees and $11 for a cart Saturday, Sunday and holidays. During Daylight Savings Time, the course offers a twilight special. Golfers can play as many holes as they want from five hours before sunset until dark for $23 with a cart during the week and $25 on the weekend. Seniors can play Monday through Wednesday for $26 with a cart; women can play for the discounted price on Monday.

Native grasses and tall oaks are what you’ll find at Far Oaks Golf Club in Caseyville, IL. This 27-hole, par 72 semi-public course is just 15 minutes from downtown and offers rolling, tree-lined fairways ending at large but well-protected bent grass greens. Lakes, mounds and 96 sand traps make the course a challenge although players at all levels will enjoy this course. There’s also a 9-hole par 3 course and a great driving range. Tee times at this course, designed by past Masters champion Bob Goalby, are taken up to seven days in advance. The facility includes an 8,000-square-foot clubhouse with a full-service restaurant, a PGA-staffed pro shop and a multi-level practice range with a 9-hole target course. Golf outings are this course’s specialty.

Far Oaks Golf Club, 419 Old Collinsville Rd., Caseyville, IL 62226, 618-628-2900. E-mail: : $65, Monday and Tuesday; $75, Wednesday-Sunday;$49, twilight rate seven days a week; $49 for seniors, Monday and Tuesday; $49 early bird special before 9 a.m., Monday-Thursday.

Described as a good course for beginners, Lakewood Golf Club offers a 9-hole course 20 miles southwest of downtown. Set on rolling hills, the course has three par 3’s, one par 5 and five par 4’s for a total par 34 on rolling hills with trees and sand bunkers. Golfers can make reservations to play at the course up to five days in advance.

Lakewood Golf Club, 1015 Bowles Ave., Fenton, MO 63026, 636-343-5567. Rates: $18, Monday-Friday; $20 Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

Stonewolf Golf Club in Fairview Heights, IL, 14 miles from downtown St. Louis, is an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature course measuring 6,900 yards with five sets of tees for each hole. The course, rated No. 2 in the country by Golf Digest for best new courses to open in 1997, has zoysia fairways and tees and bent grass greens. With wooded and scenic hills with sharp elevation changes, the course presents a unique and challenging game. The club also features a state-of-the-art practice facility and global positioning systems on all of its carts. The 8,500-square-foot clubhouse can handle parties from 4 to 400 and Jacks on the Green, the course’s restaurant, serves American cuisine.

Stonewolf Golf Club, 1195 Stonewolf Trail, Fairview Heights, IL 62208, 618-624-4653, http://www.stonewolfgolf.com E-mail: . Fees: $64, Monday-Wednesday, $64 with cart and $74 Thursday-Sunday and holidays.

Spencer T. Olin Golf Course in Alton, IL is a 18-hole championship course 20 miles from downtown St. Louis. Designed by Arnold Palmer and managed by a Palmer golf management company, the course is city-owned but does not have the feel of a typical municipal course. With four sets of tees on every hole, this course can accommodate players of all levels. The course has a fully-accessible driving range, a practice putting green and a chipping green. The USGA Men’s Amateur has been held here and televised on ESPN. Located in Gordon Moore Park about 20 miles from downtown St. Louis, visitors will find baseball and soccer fields, championship tennis courts, a world-renowned tennis court and a fishing lake nearby.

Spencer T. Olin Golf Course, 4701 College Ave., Alton, IL 62002, 314-355-8128, http://www.spencertolingolf.com. E-mail: . Fees: $41, Monday-Thursday; $46 in the morning and $41 in the afternoon, Friday and Sunday; $55 before noon and $45 in the afternoon, Saturday. Prices include cart.

Quail Creek Golf Club is an 18-hole, Hale Irwin-designed course just 15 miles from downtown St. Louis. Set among rolling hills with Bermuda grass fairways and with a stream meandering through it, the course is a challenging par 72. It is best suited for the experienced player although four tee placements will accommodate most players’ abilities. Strategically placed bunkers make driving a premium. The course, considered one of the finest 18-hole facilities in the St. Louis area, has hosted USGA tournaments and a U.S. Open qualifier.

Quail Creek Golf Club, 6022 Wells Rd., St. Louis, MO 63128, 314-487-1988. Fees: $45, Monday-Thursday with a twilight rate of $32 after 3 p.m.; $52, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays with prices decreasing $10 every hour after noon. Rates include a cart.

Tapawingo Golf Course in suburban Sunset Hills, 18 miles from downtown, was designed by golf great Gary Player who has said the site is so perfect “God designed the first six holes,” and his design company “helped out with the rest.” The course has trees, rolling terrain, good elevations and water. The Meramec River borders the lower area. Gentleman’s Quarterly has rated Tapawingo the most difficult course in St. Louis. The woodlands course has a lot of elevation change, the prairie nine is a links-style course and the Meramec nine skirts the scenic Meramec River.

Tapawingo National Golf Club, 13001 Gary Player Dr., St. Louis, MO 63127, 636-349-3100, golfmasters.com. Fees: $50, Monday-Thursday; $60, Friday-Sunday including cart.

Designed by Tom Fazio who is considered one of golf’s top architects, Missouri Bluffs Golf Club has been rated the best public course in Missouri and No. 5 among all courses by Golf Digest. The 18-hole public course, located 35 miles from downtown St. Louis in St. Charles, Missouri, has a 74.4 rating and a slope of 140. With five sets of tees, the course is appropriate for every skill level. It features zoysia fairways and tees and bent grass greens. The Nike St. Louis Classic Tournament was held here in 1996. Facilities include a restaurant which can accommodate outings, weddings, banquets and meetings.

Missouri Bluffs Golf Club, 18 Research Park Circle. St. Charles, MO 63304, 636-939-6494. Fees: $55 plus $10 for a cart, seven days a week. Twilight rate is $35 plus $10 for a cart. Call for details.

For more information on St. Louis golf and recreation, call the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission at 1-800-916-0040 or visit our web site at http://www.explorestlouis.com.