BloodyMaryGolfr

Ridge Stone Golf Club in Sheffield, Iowa is quite the course. When I decided to play this course I wasn’t sure what to expect, but heard it’s one of best nine hole courses in the state. I think I would have to agree.

Ridge Stone Golf Club is open to the public with approximately 300 members. It’s a link style course with a fun layout, allowing you to hit every club in the bag. It offers four sets of tee boxes catering to all abilities and plays between 2,437 and 3,374 yards and par is 36.

The course was extremely well maintained with full course irrigation, properly cut fairways, and true rolling greens with a good amount of undulation. Most holes were quite scenic, especially signature hole 7 with Bailey’s Creek on one side and a small pond on the other. I especially enjoyed hole 4 as it was reminiscent of Chambers Bay with stone structures that come in to play, alongside a set of railroad tracks. According to Ridge Stone’s website, “Hole 4 pays homage to the Smith Brick & Tile plant, which was once a landmark of the Sheffield community. Golfers will find themselves playing through the remains of the brick plant as they approach the green.”

Ridge Stone has an excellent club house with a full bar and menu on most days. Outside sitting makes it a great place to take in the views and enjoy a post round drink.

I highly recommend Ridge Stone Golf Club and look forward to playing it again.

Heading out to play for the first time this year, I choose to play Homewood Golf Course in Ames, Iowa. Homewood is very shot nine hole municipal course that plays 2,283 yards from the men’s tees. Green fees here are cheap at $10.50 on weekdays and $14 on weekends, and golf carts and push carts are available for additional fees. There is a nice sized practice green available, but no driving range. Pace of play is slow to average.

This is the first time I’ve played Homewood since 2015 and the course was in pretty good shape. The watered fairways were in good shape and the rough wasn’t too long. Greens here are small, which adds a bit of a challenge to an otherwise simple course. New cart paths were added in a few areas, but most golfers that play here prefer to walk, as it’s flat with only a few small slopes. There are also only two sand bunkers on the course that really don’t come in play. If you find yourself on the beach, don’t expect much as they’re not well maintained. One great feature at Homewood are the large number of mature trees. The trees will reach out and grab your ball if you stray too far from the fairway, but they really enhance the beauty of the course.

At Homewood you definitely won’t use every club in your bag. You probably could get by with a driver (only usable on a few holes) a hybrid, seven iron, wedge and putter. Like I said the before, the course is very short, making it a great choice for beginners or weekend warriors. If you’re an above average player, I would recommend going somewhere else to play.

Our annual mantrip brought us to the small town of Afton, Iowa. With a beautiful Saturday and not much to do, we heard there was a best shot tournament at the Lakeshore Golf and Country Club. As a late entry, we were the last team to get in for the event. A short drive in to town and we arrived at the Lakeshore Golf and Country Club. As we pulled in to the parking lot we noticed the course was packed, not what we expected for such a small town. Check in was well organized and beer was well priced at around $2 per can. I opted for the usually Bloody Mary which was more or less a Bloody Mary bar, and needless to say I make a pretty good Bloody.

Out on the course I asked some of the locals what to expect. Everyone I spoke to said there wasn’t a flat spot on the course, and they were right. The course is a nine-hole par 35 made up of two par 3’s and one par 5. The fairway was like playing in the first cut and the greens were small but well maintained. Lakeshore Golf and Country Club is built on lots of hills with big elevation changes leaving lots of sideway lies. There is also a handful of holes where water comes in to play adding to the difficulty. Club selection at Lakeshore is key as on nearly every shot you must take yardage, lie, cut and elevation in to consideration.

Lakeshore is your average small town rural course, but more challenging. I had a great time playing golf here, but I think the best part was playing with my buddies and some of the locals. The clubhouse staff was very friendly and accommodating, and ran the tournament without any hiccups. That being said, it didn’t hurt turning in a score card that yielded a third place finish and $124.

All in all, Lakeshore is a fun course that presented more challenges than expected. You can bet I’ll be back again as its just down the road from our mantrip camping spot.

Let me start out by saying that I was truly impressed with the layout and course condition at Warrior Run. I had played this course when it was 18 holes as Country Side a few years ago, and since the new owner took over, and even though it’s now only 9 holes, the course was in great shape and lots of fun.

Our annual mantrip brought us to Warrior Run. We checked in, which was a bit slow, but we were able to get our beer and get to the number 1 tee box in good time. We tee’d off on number 1, which was a dogleg right par 5 and not an easy way to start the round. After your tee shot around the dogleg, you are immediately met with powerlines running between number 1, 2 and 3. At first I thought this was going to be a bit of annoyance, but actually found it kind of cool as it never was an issue.

As we continued our round I noticed the fairways were average width and pretty well kept. Bunkers at Warrior Run were also well maintained and had staff working on the bunkers as it they had received a fair amount of rain the night before. It was nice to see staff working hard taking pride in their work. There was also a good amount of water/ponds on the course that came in to play often and added to the beauty of the course.

My favorite hole at Warrior Run was the finishing hole number 9. This day it was playing as a 160 yard par 3 over water with a bail out on the right side, and a tempting left center pin location. If attacking the pin, knowing your yardage is key to making birdie, which I did, if I wouldn’t have hit my first shot in the drink.

Between rounds we stopped into the clubhouse for a snacks and beer. The clubhouse at Warrior Run is modern with a good selection of food ranging from burgers, brats and dogs. They also have cold beer, a must for any mantrip.

Last but not least, I must mention that Warrior Run offers Foot Golf. While playing we did not run in to any foot golfers, but did notice the tee boxes and holes along the rough, outside the fairway. The way Foot Golf was setup at Warrior Run, I do not see how these players would get in the way of your round. We spoke to staff at Warrior Run who stated the extra business is really helping the course and there have been no complaints from the golfers.

Great job Warrior Run, can’t wait to get back and play again!

As an average golfer, I like to play courses that aren’t too long yet still allow me to play a majority of clubs in my bag. I was pleasantly surprised by the course layout and condition while playing at River Bend for the first time. Putting a birdie on the scorecard makes me like this course even more. River Bend is a Par 36 with two par 3’s and two par 5’s. A couple dog legs, bunkers and a few holes where water comes into play adds to the enjoyment. The only thing this course is missing is elevation change.

The fairways at River Bend are nicely cut and groomed, ensuring a nice approach shot if you get your FIR. If you miss right or left and land in the rough, your still ok. The rough was short enough to still have a fair approach in to the green. The greens were also in great shape, readable and without much undulation. During my round I did struggle a bit with two 3 putts, but that was my own fault.

The pace of play at this track was great. I played a weekday afternoon by myself and had no problem scooting around the course at a pretty good pace. Most of the other golfers on the course were also playing as singles in carts which sped up the pace.

Post-round I headed into the clubhouse and was surprised how nice it was. They offered free popcorn as well as your usual clubhouse snakes and beverages.

This course is perfect for just getting out and having fun. It’s a short course yet the layout offers challenges for all types of players. I will be back to play River Bend G.C.

A beautiful weekday and nothing much to do, my 12-year-old son stated he wanted to go golfing and drive the cart. Because my son is a junior golfer with not much experience, we decided to find a 9-hole rural course and decided to check out Friendly Fairways in Radcliffe, IA.

We arrived at the golf course and checked in at the clubhouse. Using the Iowa PGA member card we were able to play 9 with cart for $10. The scorecard showed a par 36 with two par 3’s and two par 5’s. We jumped in the cart and headed for number 1.

As we started our round with well-placed tee shots in the tree lined fairway, it felt more like we were playing in the light rough. This is to be expected when playing small town courses, and to be honest, I play most of my shots from the light rough anyway. All the fairways were in good shape, especially considering we haven’t got much rain in the last two or three weeks. The greens here were in good shape, average size, average speed and without too much undulation. As far as bunkers, water hazards or elevation changes, there wasn’t any.

The pace of play at Friendly Fairways was excellent. It was excellent because there were only a few golfers on the entire course, making it very relaxing and a lot of fun for my 12-year-old son, who was able to play all 9 holes without being rushed. He also enjoyed cruising around in the cart, which he wouldn’t normally been able to do.

The difficulty of this course was pretty easy. It is an excellent course for beginners, kids or seniors to get out on and just have fun. I had so much fun with my son that he wanted to go back for another round. All in all, this course is just “Friendly.”

A short business trip brought me to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, and after extensive research I chose to play Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon. I booked online at GolfNow for $50.

I arrived at the course and immediately took note of the first class facility with valet parking, bag check and excellent club house. I checked in and grabbed a bloody mary to go. The bloody mary was good but nothing special, but it did hit the spot in the 100 degree heat.

I headed to the starter who already had my bag on the cart and ready to go. He advised I could use the range and head out whenever I was ready. The cart included GPS, a cooler and club/ball washer. The cooler was important as there is no water provided on the course.

I hit the range for a few warm up shots. The range was ok and utilized well worn mats. It would have been nice to hit off of grass or a better mat, but it was good enough for a quick warm up.

I then headed for the number one tee box and was immediately impressed. The slightly elevated tee box surrounded by mountains provided a spectacular view. These types of views were found on nearly all eighteen holes and made the round extremely enjoyable.

The fairways at Dinosaur Mountain were perfect. Lush, green and so well maintained was impressive for a desert/mountain course.

Greens here were very fast and firm. It was difficult at times to hold the green and putting was extremely difficult. That being said they were in good shape and offered much undulation.

While playing I only hit a few bunkers. When I was in the bunker, they were a bit firm and were filled with what I would call desert dirt. After hitting my shot and raking, some of the dirt was clumped together.

All in all, this course a ton of fun and a must play if you’re in the area. The spectacular views, the fun elevation changes, and excellent playing surface will not leave you disappointed. I highly recommend this track and would love to play it again it I ever get the chance.

As the only eighteen-hole course in Aruba and after hearing great reviews from other vacationers, I knew I had to play this track. One thing everyone told me was expect to “club up” two or three clubs when hitting in to the wind. This was a valuable tip as Aruba consistently has a 20 to 30 mph wind.

I arrived at Tierra Del Sol which is part of high-end resort with all the amenities you could wish for. I checked in at the club house and was ready to go. Once outside, the bagboy loaded my bag into the cart and directed me to the starter. The cart had a GPS with score keeping which was a nice feature. The starter then directed me to the range and stated he would come get me when I was up. The range here was on a hill facing the Caribbean Ocean and was facing into the wind. Here I learned exactly what to expect when hitting in to the strong wind. A short time later I was up. I grabbed a Bloody Mary from the snack shack before I headed out and was less than impressed. The Bloody Mary was made of a generic mix, a dash of Tabasco and vodka. It was OK but I would not order it again.

The first tee box was elevated and I was hitting downhill with a strong wind behind me. This was excellent as I hit my longest drive of the year by about 20 yards. Several holes were downwind making it extremely challenging when determining the right club to hit. Going in to the wind was also a major challenge as it was in fact necessary to club up 2 or 3 clubs. These challenges were a constant throughout the round, but course designer Robert Trent Jones II did an excellent job designing Tierra Del Sol with the wind in mind, making very playable.

The fairways at Tierra Del Sol were open and very well maintained, as well as the rough and bunkers. There greens here were very soft, almost sponge like. On a few occasions my ball was 2/3rds plugged after hitting a hybrid in to it. Well placed approach shots often stuck as the greens were very receptive.

The views at Tierra Del Sol were spectacular. On the way out, several holes offered views of the California Lighthouse. Views of the spectacular Caribbean ocean and wind surfers also made it hard to concentrate while playing, especially mixed in with the desert layout. Playing an ocean and desert course at the same time is quite the experience. There was also some wildlife on the course including a herd of Billy Goats that came in to play on more than one occasion.

All in all, Tierra Del Sol is a must play if you’re in Aruba. Lots of elevation changes, lots of views, lots of wind on a very playable course and lots of fun. As Tierra Del Sol says, “Where can you play Scotland, Scottsdale and the Caribbean all at the same time!

The Hubbard Golf and Recreation Club is your average small town rural course. It's a par 35 with two par 5's, three par 3's and four par 4's. Hole 1 and 9 have water over a small pond and there are no bunkers on the course. The cost to play here was $10 for green fees, and it you want a cart it’s an additional $10, but this is a course that is easily walked.

While playing at Hubbard Golf and Recreation Club, I was truly impressed with the conditions of the greens. They rolled true, a bit fast and were somewhat small. The fairways here were less than average and more like the light ruff. In some areas you couldn't tell the difference between the fairway and first cut.

The course is a bit hilly with a fair amount of elevation change keeping it interesting. During my round it was windy, which made approaches challenging on long uphill shots on small greens.

Staff at this club was excellent. The board president Ed was working in the clubhouse and served up a good burger and beer. He also joined me at my table while we chatted and watched the final round of the AT&T Byron Nelson.

All in all, this was a fun little track that would be great for couples or beginners. The price is good and the pace of play is excellent.

This was the second time I've played Honey Creek and my second review of this course. I must say this course still gets a five-star review because of the fun and challenging course layout with excellent views, especially on the back 9.

A few friends and I decided to play hooky and hit this track on a Friday morning. I started out with a Bloody Mary, which was pretty standard made up of your store bought mix and some vodka. Nothing special but it still hit the spot.

The front 9 is pretty straight forward with not much elevation. Fairways are wide open, the rough is about right and the greens rolled true. Going out I was +8, not typical for someone with my high handicap.

After 9 I stopped in the small clubhouse for the typical course hot dog. They also had a few other types of dogs and brats on the roller, and everything else you would expect in a smaller club house.

The back 9 is a different story than the front. Lots of elevation change and views that are sure to distract you. My round fell apart coming in but it didn't matter because the course here is so beautiful. Again the fairways are wide open making the course very fun and playable. I also felt the bunkers were strategically placed and came in to play a bit more on the back 9.

The pace of play throughout the round was excellent, the cart was speedy, the staff was friendly and the beer was cold. If you are in the area, you must play this course. Once you hit hole 11, you'll forget you’re in Iowa.

I have been wanting to play Cedar Point for sometime just because it's close and you can always find a "Hot Deal." on Golf Now. I booked 18 holes with cart for $11. I arrived at the course, checked in and jumped in my cart. There was a twosome in front of me so I checked out the range and putting green. Both average and what you would expect to find at most courses.

I was now up and tee'd off. The front 9 was definitely part of the old course and was in average condition. The tee boxes were in OK shape and the fairways were like playing from the first cut. The greens on the other hand were in pretty good shape. Most of the holes were pretty straight forward and did not require much imagination.

After the front 9 I stopped in to the clubhouse for a bloody Mary and a hot dog. The hot dog was average but the bloody Mary was pretty darn good. I could have sucked down a few more of those but wanted to keep my drives in the fairway.

I then hit the back 9 which is much nicer than the front 9. This part of the course is much newer and works though a new development of homes being built along the course. There are some nice holes, the fairways are better groomed and it offers some nice water/hazard features.

Throughout the round, the pace of play was excellent. The cart was in good shape and was pretty quick. Ball washers on each hole as well as hole layout signage. The signage was a big help as this was the first time I have played here.

All in all this course is pretty average. I would like to see better fairway conditions but it is early in the season and for $11, who cares. This is a track that I will probably only play once a year.

Over the years I have always heard how great Honey Creek is and how cheap it is to play but never really gave it a chance. After searching tee times on Golf Now, I booked 18 with a cart for less than $20.

I arrived at the course and entered a small but average clubhouse. I didn't take much time to look around as I wanted to get out and play, but I did notice they had an average number of menu items, a full bar and a few items for sale such as tees, balls and gloves. I was about 30 minutes early for my tee time and was allowed to hit the course early.

I teed off on number one and realized how nice the bent grass fairways were. On number two I caught up to another player who let me play through without any problem. As I continued to play the front nine I couldn't believe how nice the course was kept.

As I got to the back nine, really eleven through eighteen, I couldn't believe this course was in Boone, Iowa. Lots of elevation change carved in to the Ledges State Park with amazing views as far as the eye could see. You will play every club in your bag and be forced to make decisions on shot type. Greens here were in perfect shape and offered nice undulations. The wildlife was abundant as deer and bald eagles really made the experience that much better. A few years ago I played The General at Eagle Ridge, a 4.5 star course on Golf Advisor, and found these two tracks very similar. The only difference is green fees at The General were $165 and at Honey Creek they were around $20. I know this is hard to believe but I am telling you to play this course, as you will not be disappointed.

As far as pace of play, I played all 18 in about three hours. During this round of golf I took my time and didn't have anyone in front or behind. It was a perfect and relaxing round of golf.

Played this course for the first time with two friends on our way out of town for a camping trip. Called to get a tee time and was informed they do not take tee times.

We arrived at the course and found it to be quite busy. The clubhouse was nice with a clean locker room and lounge. They did offer a small pro shop and some snacks and can/bottled beverages. I tried to order a Bloody Mary but was informed they do not offer any mixed drinks.

After paying we headed out to the starter. There were several groups in front of us so we asked to start on the back 9 and were given the go ahead. They did warn us of a 96 year old man playing in front of us.

As we played we found the course to be in pretty good condition. This course is a good choice for average golfers and was not too challenging. Some bunkers do come in to play on a few holes but water hazards here are not an issue. The course is pretty flat with some elevation changes. The fairways here are wide open making it fun and very playable.

All in all I would play this course because it was fun and open. The only thing that I did not like was the lack of tee times.

I have played this course several times and still find it quite challenging. I booked a tee time using the Golf Now app and got a great price. Because I booked using Golf Now I was paired with another player which was fine but I expected to play by myself. The course was not busy but staff still paired us up. The course itself was in great shape with lots of long holes, challenging fairways and tight shots. This course will force you to think about your club selection making it tough for your average golfer. The course is full of mature trees and has nice elevation changes. The pace of play was excellent as I was able to finish is less than 3.5 hours.

The clubhouse is a a bit dated and has a small pro shop, food and drinks. There is also a small locker room for guests.

Veenker also has a nice driving range with several marked targets, as well as 3 practice greens for chipping and putting.

Overall Veenker is a great course and a lot of fun to play for all golfers. You will not be disappoint playing this track.

Played this course for the first time after a member invited me. This course plays to a par 36 with three par 5s, three par 4s and three par 3s. The fairways here are not cut tight and feel like your playing from the light ruff. Greens are small and somewhat undulating. Lots of good elevation changes and a few narrow fairways keep this course challenging. There is a meandering stream that comes in to play on several holes and enhances the scenic views. $20 all you can play with cart on MWF is an absolute steal. Only eight other players on the course the entire time we were out there so pace of play was excellent. The clubhouse has a full menu and drink list for great prices. I had a cheese burger and fries and it was excellent. The name of this course has changed to Oak Park and Recreation Golf Course. Give this track a try!

While vacationing in Cancun I used the GolfNow app to locate courses nearby. Puerto Cancun was close and had amazing reviews. The hot deal for $45 for 18 with cart and range balls was one I could not pass up. Early in the morning I jumped in a cab and told him where to go. The course is brand new so he was unsure exactly where it was but we found it with no problem. We arrived at the course and as others have said there is no club house yet, but one will be completed by the end of summer. The starter directed me to start on the back 9 and off I went with no one in front of me. I played all 18 and did not wait on any other players. The course was amazing with two holes playing directly alongside the ocean with several other holes along waterways lined with large yachts next to amazing homes, condos and apartments. The course was in great shape and was quite challenging. I played from the middle tees and it was still pretty long. I loved this course and I would have paid at least $250. Once the construction around the course is completed, I guarantee the price to play will be high. PLAY THIS COURSE!

This course is well maintained with watered fairways and nice greens. This is a 9 hole course with two par 3's, seven par 4's and zero par 5's. The course is short but moderately challenging due to the number of mature trees. The club house has the usual beer, pop and snacks and the cost to play 9 walking ranges from $9 to $12. Carts are available but its a really easy walk.