WAVELAND GOLF COURSE

Official Site

4908 University Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa  50311
(515) 248-6302

The golf course is open for sledding and also cross country skiing from sunrise to sunset whenever the ground is uniformly frozen and there's a minimum of four inches of snow pack on the hills.  This standard assures that sledding does not cause costly damage to the golf course turf.

New this year the Waveland's Clubhouse will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for food and beverages.

Layout and Yardage 

Waveland Golf Course celebrates 100 years in 2001!  It is the oldest municipal golf course west of the Mississippi.  This 18 hole course was built in 1901 and has a traditional layout.  Waveland, probably the nicest municipal course in the state of Iowa, is located at 4908 University Avenue in Des Moines.

The feature that sets Waveland apart from the other two Des Moines public courses is the incredible amount of slope.  The entire course is built on wooded hillsides.  The trees are mature, a given for a course of this age.  As expected, a golfer needs to be accurate at Waveland.  The course isn't overwhelmingly long but continuous play in the trees might make it feel that way.  For men, the course measures just over 6500 yards.  Even with the difficulty of the course there are still over 40,000 rounds of golf played at Waveland annually.

Many people consider hole number three, sometimes referred to as "The Tunnel", to be the toughest at Waveland.  There are trees and water to the right of the tee and a deep valley between you and the green.  A golfer must deal with water a second time before reaching the green, guarded by trees on both sides.

The greens are in excellent condition, but tend to be on the fast side and are often difficult to read.  Sand traps are limited, due to the amount of hills and trees.  The fairways are fully irrigated, but the grass sometimes suffers due to the lay of the land.  Along with the trees, the rough is relatively high.  It often fills the space in between the fairways which may frustrate those with a hook or slice in their shot.

Approximately 70 percent of Waveland golfers utilize one of the course's 72 golf carts which is understandable considering the hilly terrain.  Don't get discouraged if you don't master this course right away.  Even experienced golfers who attempt this difficult layout for the first time feel frustrated. 

The clubhouse is a vintage 1940's red brick building.  It has excellent food and a full banquet hall and pro shop.  The clubhouse has a calming and pleasant atmosphere, ideal for chatting with fellow golfers or checking out the newest equipment.
 

BRIGHT GRANDVIEW GOLF COURSE

Official Site

2401 East 29th Street
Des Moines, Iowa  50317
(515) 248-6301

Bright Grandview Golf Course Construction map

Layout and Yardage

Bright  Grandview Golf Course, built in 1902,  is one of the oldest courses in the county.  Bright Grandview is located at 2401 East 29th street.  The course is adjacent to Grandview Park.

With its age, Bright Grandview is unique and does not have the look of most modern courses.  The layout is quite flat, making it a favorite for older golfers. Trees are the biggest hazard at Bright  Grandview, but even with that it is not a difficult course to handle. Although it is not a very long course, Bright Grandview's small to medium size greens pose a challenge to some individuals. The fairways are wide so you can take a full swing and not worry about losing your ball. If your aim or execution is off, it is possible to hit the ball into another fairway and still have a pretty good look at your own pin.

There is one pond at Bright  Grandview directly in front of the tee box on the par three, 11th hole. Golfers must attempt to clear the water and get the ball to settle on the green. Hole number six is the most difficult hole at Bright Grandview. It is a long par four with bunkers guarding the green. Even though Bright Grandview is not made up of primarily hills, there are three holes with blind tee shots. The only par five for men is the 17th hole which is uphill.

The course is fully irrigated in its fairways and the greens are in excellent condition.  Another plus about Bright Grandview is that it is not as long as the newer courses.  This is advantageous for those players who may not have great distance off the tee.  The total yardage of the course for men is 5422 and 5191 for ladies.  There are a lot of juniors and seniors who play Bright Grandview for this reason.  The average round of 18 holes takes around three and a half hours to complete, which is significantly less than other public courses in the area. Often, golfers will have their best scores at this course.

At the club house, there is a full line of golf equipment including balls, clothing, gloves, and shoes.  The fees and membership costs are very reasonable for an 18 hole golf course.

Youth Golf Programs

First Tee Greater Des Moines

The mission of The First Tee of Greater Des Moines is to impact the lives of young people around the City of Des Moines by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.

The First Tee Greater Des Moines offers instruction by local high school golf coaches and trained staff. Lessons include rules of the game, etiquette and advance skill development following written and oral testing at the beginning of the program. Additional First Tee Life Skills Curriculum will be incorporated within this program. 

This program is administered through The First Tee of Greater Des Moines, 12928 NW 85th Ave, Grimes, IA 50111.  For more information about the program visit their website.

Golf Instructors:

 

A. H. Blank: Tom Hawkins, Rick Williams

Bright - Grandview: Pat Dunbar, Joe McQuerry

Waveland: Matt Campbell, Kate Galligan, Shirley Corkhill

Adult Golf Offerings

The City of Des Moines offers three public golf courses for your golf enjoyment.  Season Passes are available for purchase at golf courses starting January 1st of each year.  Courses accept cash, MasterCard, Visa, and Debit Cards; checks are not accepted.  See the link to the official golf course of choice to schedule tee times, view course layouts, scheduled golf outings, golf rates, directions and more.

Des Moines Disc Golf Courses

Disc Golf is a great way to enjoy outdoors, exercise and meet people. Thanks to the Des Moines Disc Golf Club, Des Moines has two courses available for public play:

Grandview Park, E. 32nd and Easton – First tee between lot and ball golf course. Great use of terrain makes this course fairly difficult. 18 holes Total Course Length: Short Tees: 5713 Long Tees: 4045 Hole Length: under 300 ft: 8 300-400ft: 7 Over 400 ft: 3

Ewing Park, Indianola and McKinley – First tee is at north end of parking lot This course is huge, with Pro tees to Pro baskets going over 8000 feet. Tees are cement. 18 holes Total Course Length: Short Tees: 5680 Long Tees: 8175 Hole Length: under 300 ft: 10 300-400 ft: 4 Over 400 ft: 4

For information on area disc golf go to: www.discgolfdesmoines.org