Gunpowder Golf Club

Gunpowder is not the hardest course I've ever played, Waveland Golf Course in Des Moines still holds that title, but it comes close.

Gunpowder is a rustic course designed around the natural landscape. You will see deer, groundhogs and foxes as you walk the course, I recommend walking the course. The Fairways are tight and tree limbs narrow your shot window. This is a course that demands accuracy on drives and approach shots, and punishes missed shots severely. It is a hilly course that means you almost always be hitting from the fairway on either a down or up slope and rarely level. The greens are small and fast with breaks that you rarely expected. The ground crew moves the cup and tee boxes every couple days to keep it interesting and challenging.

Pace of play can be maddening sometimes but that is more or less the result of two local golf courses closing in the last year and recent influx of golfers. But part of this is golfers who underestimated the course and spent too much time searching for balls they'll never find. In the words of one Ranger "Don't hit the ball if you can't afford to lose it." Hole 3 is a perpetual choke point on busy days that slows play on the front 9. Either because people have sliced into the woods, failed to clear the water hazard or both.

Gunpowder does not have reserved tee times. Walk up and tee off. Twilight is $12 and usually novice golfers. Dawn is usually more proficient golfers. Mid-morning to early afternoon is the busiest time of day on the weekend. And if you go out on a holiday...well grab a hotdog, some beers and buddy up with someone. You'll be friends by the time you finish.

The staff are friendly and know all the members by name. The members are gracious and considerate. I've frequently started a round solo or with a partner and ended it with a foursome.

The Ranger did an horrific job of pace of play. I started my play at 10:40am and by 12:10 I was (still) waiting to tee off on hole 3.

When I arrived no one was on 10 to include on the 10 putting. I asked to play the back 9 and the Starter said no. Be advised while waiting to tee off on 1, for 15 mins no one was on the 9th hole putting.

After waiting an hour and a half to tee off on the 3rd hole, I left and requested my money back. This use to be a great course. The corse itself is good to very nice.

The past 2 years the Starter and management have slipped. Don’t know what would bring me back to this course.

I have addressed these issues with the upper management last year. Nothing has changed or gotten better.

This is a weird one, as a professional golf course this isn’t great the time and money has not been put in here to make it a grade A course,

With that said to play this course just to relax and hang out it can be great,

First thing is there no tee times and if you pay for 18 you can play all day or go home and play later that day as much gold as you want which is awesome for a day out with the boys,

This course doesn’t seems to have been professionally built due to the uneven and lumpy tees boxes and the crazy humped greens narrow tee box’s and fairways,

All in all the price that you pay to play here is great $30 on a weekend to walk all day is perfect the greens were in really nice shape fairways were good enough and you just have to find good spots on tee box’s,

The greens are pretty small and seem to be impossible to lay up on because of the slopes and angles,

If you would like a day of golf where you play a shorter course that is very challenging this could be a good option,

If you would like a pga quality course like you see on tv you may want to try somewhere else,

Widely varied terrain. Very pleasing to the eye. Greens difficult to read but in good condition.

Blue collar course. Small greens. Very short, and also very tight. Huge improvements made in course conditions with new irrigation system.

I have played here countless times over the years. It has been in bad shape in the past, but has been much improved recently.

The greens are in good shape and as long as you keep the ball near the fairway, you will draw at least an OK lie.

It is a short course, but tight in many places. Hitting the fairway often times isn't enough to score well...you need to be on the correct side of the fairway.

Nice lillte course, fairly well maintained. However, you had better play very fast (better than 3-1/2hrs for a 4-some) or the starter will come see you. Seems to be prarmount emphasis on fast play and 2-somes.