Tournament Club of Iowa

Course is not as advertised. Golfnow, course is not well-groomed. Tweeter, course is not upscale public facility. Facebook, course is not in great shape. Practice area is all dirt. No ball washers or towels on tees/holes. Tees and fairways full of divots and dirt patches. Bunkers not racked. Greens have several hole replacements that haven't healed.

PACE: Played thru the only group in front of us all day.

CONDITIONS: Some burnt out spots in the fairways, and the rough was a bit scruffy. Greens were average. It seems as though TCOI has had better conditioned days than the day I played it.

STAFF: Friendly and helpful.

VALUE: $60 w/ a cart for twilight seems about right given the potential for this course. But the conditions I experienced this day make something like $40 would've been more fair.

LAYOUT: You cannot/should not walk this course. It felt like a 5 minute drive just to the 1st tee (a bit dramatic there...). There is a good combination of short and long holes, all interesting, most are fun. The steep slopes that come into play on many holes add an element I wasn't expecting.

This was my first time playing this course as I was visiting the Des Moines area for a quick trip. A quick review of Golfnow allowed me to take advantage of a lower cost tee time. A bonus was getting range balls included in the price; however, the stock of balls was a little lacking. Given the short time that I had to warm up, there were plenty of balls; but if I would have been able to do my normal warm-up, 1 hour prior to tee time, I would have not had enough balls to warm up. The other thing that was interesting is that the driving range is elevated so you hit down to the target areas. Therefore if you do not have a range finder with a slope calculation; then you really have a hard time knowing how far you are actually hitting your clubs for the day.

Due to taking advantage of a "hot deals" tee time, I was paired with a 2-some... no issues there; but the pace of play was slow due to the fact the course stacks its tee times. During the round we ended up playing through 4 other groups; so the only downfall to the day was the fact it took 5+ hours to finish my round, making me a little late for my post-golf events.

The course is truly an Arnie design; because it required some serious target golf. It did not help that it was a decently windy day; so, therefore, you had to take the wind into effect when figuring out your target lines. There are many bunkers and they were definitely placed to penalize a poor shot, but the fairways were reasonably open and the greens were awesome!

The greens had plenty of character. They rolled true and reasonably fast; however for a course of this caliber I expected them to be much faster than they played. This was one area where I was disappointed because the warm-up putting green ran much faster than the actual greens; which caused me to misread the putts for the first few holes.

Overall, I would play this course again and if I lived in the Des Moines area, I would definitely add it to my normal play rotation.

Great course and friendly staff. I am from out of town and rented a set of Mavrik Iron and Driver.

TCI offers a challenging and somewhat dynamic layout in very good condition with excellent facilities and staff, making it a top public golf destination in central Iowa.

On the day I played the course conditions were a bit soggy from recent rain but the course seemed to drain relatively well, though a couple bunkers had some standing water. The biggest fault was just in the signs of heavy use with lots of divots in the fairways and old ball marks on the greens. Otherwise the course looked and played great.

The layout was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Nearly every hole has its own character and flair to it but there were some routing quirks that didn't appeal to me as much, such as 10-11-12 all being par-4s that take driver out of your hand as well as 15 and 16 being back-to-back par-3s with similar distances. Some golfers might enjoy 17 and 18 being a challenging finish but I would have liked a birdie opportunity there after not having my best stuff for most of the back 9.

I loved the practice facilities, with a great putting green, a separate chipping green and a nice practice bunker all which really helped me prepare for my round.

The interior facilities are very nice as well and the staff is friendly. Overall, TCI is a very good value and if you're up for the challenge can be a fun round.

Tournament Club of Iowa (TCI) is one of the more widely known public courses in the state of Iowa. Designed by Arnold Palmer, and opened in 2003, this challenging layout has played host to the Champions Tour as well as Iowa Amateur events.

TCI is a par 71 that winds it's way through woodlands and a neighborhood in Polk City, IA. While some houses are visible from the course, they never seem to encroach into play. The fairways are ample, but if you are off your game, you'll quickly start losing golf balls.

Where TCI falls short of 5 stars is the layout. The course is not really walkable, and there are quite a few large distances between greens and tees. Additionally, holes 10-12 to start the back nine take driver out of your hands, and force layup shots, which I personally do not like.

The condition is what you'd expect from an upscale public course. The fairways are well manicured bent grass, and the greens roll fast and fairly smooth. A few greens looked quite beat up, but still rolled fairly true.

If you're looking for a well maintained course, by a big-name in the golf industry that will challenge every facet of your game, Tournament Club of Iowa is a solid choice. If you're a higher handicap player, or just looking for a lower stress round, I think you'll find yourself struggling around this difficult layout.

My favorite hole is the par 3, 3rd. From the Palmer tees it plays 170-185 depending on the pin location. You can go right at the green, or use the slope to the right of the green to kick your ball onto the putting surface. But beware because trouble lurks left!

You can't walk this course and I don't encourage you to bring your friends that get frustrated by losing balls. This is true target golf and will require a strong set of patience. Keep the ball in the fairway and you'll be fine. So many hills and streams with bunkers. You'll feel like you're alone with your group on the front 9 while the back 9 opens up and ends with some great finishing holes. This is a great public course for a great value presenting a lot of challenge.

Be sure to play this course on a great day because the views are fantastic. Surrounded by hillsides and creeks, you'll feel all alone out here until you get to the back 9. The front 9 will have you keeping your shots in control while the back 9 opens up a little more with 5 great finishing holes to end. This course could be $100 and it would still be a great value. Play it for only half of that but be sure you have some extra balls in the bag and don't bring those friends that get frustrated....true target golf course.

Great variety of holes - enjoyed every one of them. Scenic, challenging yet score-able - tremendous fun.

A fun course to play and can seem intimidating at first with problems either side, but the fairways are generous and some rough then trouble starts! Greens roll at about 11...maybe 12...the bunkers are well maintained. We play it at about 6,600 or so. Knowing which side you tend to miss it on is a big help....if you have a 2 way miss going-bring more ammo....

This course is one of the best in Iowa. I try to play TCI 2 or 3 times a year. Great layout. There is a lot of trouble, but plays fair. Greens are sometimes beat up. Great 4 finishing holes. This course finishes Par 3, 3, 5, 4. Both Par 3s are neat first over a revine, next over water. Both about 175 yards. Then you get the 600 yard par 5. After that one of the most difficult par 4s on the course to finish. Great test of golf. This is a really fun course for a 4 per best shot too. I played with a friend from Florida and he said this would be $150 per round down there. Great Arnold Palmer Design.

Play this course a few times per year. The layout is fun and is definitely a shot-makers course. Picturesque holes all around. The greens were a bit beat-up this year and the bunkers need some maintenance. Don't even think about walking this course!

Overall in great shape -- except for aeration on three holes (to be expected at this time of year) -- no leaves, not even in the fairway fringe. Greens were in excellent condition.

A lot of meticulous maintenance makes for an enjoyable round of golf in a picturesque setting. Great job ground crews!

upscale golf experience. Terrific golf course. Challenging with great holes and very scenic. Will play here anytime I am in the area and have the time (rare)

Rolling hills, fairways cut through the wooded countryside, manicured fringe. Each hole with a beautiful scenic view. Very challenging. Shot placement a must!

We played last weekend and had no problem getting on. The staff was very helpful and took care of what we needed.

As for the course even with the super hot summer the course was in good shape. Each hole offered something different. Also the course having both GPS in the carts and the LaserLink flagsticks was nice with multiple players on the course. Would play here again.

First time at the course. It was beautiful and challenging. Every hole offered a different obstacle as well as a scenic view. Used every club in the bag which I enjoyed. I look forward to playing TCI again soon.

Course was in outstanding shape for this time of year. Greens and fairways were leaf-free. Plan to lose a few golf balls if you are an average golfer. Fun course to play and very challenging.