Glen Oaks Country Club

Thanks to the Iowa Golf Association's Member Play Days, I got to play Glen Oaks CC. The golf course was a terrific experience. The layout and routing are interesting, yet challenging. I found the front 9 to be significantly more forgiving than the back 9. Overall Glen Oaks is a fair course, but presents challenges if you miss in the wrong spots.

The Good:

Glen Oaks was in fantastic condition. They had aerated within the past few weeks, but this didn't affect the pace of the greens or the trueness of the roll. The fairways were fast and firm. Finally, all of the bunkers were raked and had sufficient sand.

The Average:

I was lucky enough to play with two employees. They were both fantastic and made my experience on course really good. However, they were not working. I felt like the rest of the staff that was working was just okay. They don't take cash for anything, which is weird. Thankfully, after some back and forth, the beverage cart girl did take cash from me. I hope I didn't get her in trouble.

The Not So Good:

This is really nitpicking, but if I could change one thing it would be to open up some more chipping areas around the greens. I felt like the only shot to play when I missed a green was a high, soft pitch. While I was able to create some interesting angle for shots doing this, it would have been fun to play more on the ground with some chips.

As I said, the "Not so Good" is really nitpicking. Overall Glen Oaks is a fantastic golf course. If you get an opportunity to play, I highly suggest you take it.

Played here a couple times for corporate outings. The facilities are very nice with a clubhouse with all the amenities. The course is not long at all unless you want to play from the tips. The course is pretty well kept, but not impeccable. You can walk the course if you are in pretty good shape... mostly flat, but some moderate hills. Entry into the grounds is through a security gate, so you have to have an invitation to get in. The Principal Charity Golf Classic (Champions Tour event) has been played here a few times.