Distracted by the Gateway Arch in the comedy classic "Vacation," Clark Griswold takes a wrong turn and finds himself in a rough part of St. Louis. For visitors seeking quality public golf in the Mound City, there is no such thing as a wrong turn as there are excellent courses in all directions.

You want history? Go to America's oldest public course west of the Mississippi, Normandie Golf Club, which opened in 1901, or to Forest Park Golf Course, a still vital, 27-holer from the same era. Looking for a star-power design? In nearby Alton, Ill., Arnold Palmer created Spencer T. Olin Golf Course. Head east to Fairview Heights, Ill. for Jack Nicklaus' Stonewolf Golf Club. Gary Player's Tapawingo National Golf Club is a 27-holer rated by GQ as the toughest golf course in St. Louis.

For tracks by former PGA stars with local ties, try Fair Oaks Golf Club by Bob Goalby, or Quail Creek Golf Club by Hale Irwin. Gateway National by Keith Foster, five miles east and still within view of the arch, might be the area's best public course. Others up for the distinction are Missouri Bluffs Golf Club by Tom Fazio), Peveley Farms by Arthur Hills, and Annbriar by Michael Hurdzan.