Otter Creek GC
A sunset view of a hole at Otter Creek Golf Course.
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Rating Index Rating
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4.5
242 Reviews (242)
5 Stars
151
4 Stars
79
3 Stars
8
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
3
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.7
Layout
4.7
Friendliness
4.7
Pace
4.4
Amenities
4.6
95.7%
Recommend this course
231 out of 242 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.4
5 Reviews (5)
5 Stars
2
4 Stars
3
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.2
Value
4.2
Layout
4.4
Pace
4.6
Amenities
4.3
StaffFriendliness
5.0
100.0%
Recommend this course
5 out of 5 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.5
26 Reviews (26)
5 Stars
15
4 Stars
10
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.7
Layout
4.7
Pace
4.4
Amenities
4.8
StaffFriendliness
4.8
96.2%
Recommend this course
25 out of 26 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
This challenging and beautifully designed course consistently impresses with well-maintained fairways, strong overall conditions, and outstanding value. Welcoming staff and a smooth pace of play make it a favorite among Des Moines area golfers.

About

Holes 18
Type Public/Municipal
Style Links
Par 71
Length 6895 yards
Slope 125
Rating 72.9
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Otter Creek Golf Course (IA)
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Course Details

Year Built 1982
Fairways Bluegrass
Golf Season Open: 3/15 Closed: 11/15

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Proper attire is required.

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Meeting Facilities, Banquet Facilities

Accolades

The Best Way To Book Is With GolfPass+ Annual
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12 rounds of waived fees
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Reviews

4.5
242 Reviews (242)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 12
Watching the Game 7
Course Challenges Include:
Water Hazards 13
Bunkers 12
Thick Rough 8
This course/club is great for:
Locals 12
Advanced Golfers 10
Entertaining Clients 9
This Course's Location is:
Convenient to the City 11
Worth the Drive 10
In the 'Burbs 9

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Fun course and challenging

The only issue i see with the course is the number of ball marks on the greens. People are not repairing their marks and it impacts the putting. Other than that, the course is in great shape and well maintained.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great Value

This is a great course! Senior rates start at 55 and the discount is significant. I will play here every week. Very well maintained.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Book it w/ John Urness

Course was in great shape....staff always friendly.....ready to challenge the golf legends of Beard and Urness.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Fun

it was a beautiful day and the course was in excellent shape. The only bad thing was my driving.
I would highly recommend the course.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Golfer

Excellent golf facilities and a staff that matches it.Had a great time as I always do when I have played there and would recommend it to anyone!!!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Average weather
Used cart

Good Course

First time playing since the renovations, I was really impressed with the layout, clubhouse, and staff. Course conditions were a little suspect in some areas as they haven't recovered from the winter but I anticipate they will be fine once the weather warms up.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Great golf at a great price

This was my first time playing this course and I was a bit skeptical due to the drive.....after my experience, I'd be willing to drive hours to play again.

The course was in great shape and every staff member was extremely friendly.

The golf shop has a great selection and the Tin Cup grill had everything needed and more.

I would highly recommend this course to any golfer...beginner, intermediate, advanced, senior, etc... Several sets of tees will allow you to have a great round no matter what your skill level!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Fair weather
Used cart

Early season round

First round for me this year. As the weather improves the course will green up and the greens will speed up. Greens were in good condition given that there was snow on the ground last week. Greens were slow, but I know that will improve.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 16
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

A fun course

I recently played Otter Creek while I was in town for a wedding. I was happy that I picked Otter Creek over other courses in the area. The course layout is very fun. It's fun to play a links style course that can punish wayward shots. The par 3 with the elevated tee is also a very fun challenge. The course was in good shape, and nicer than a lot of Iowa courses I have played in the past. The staff couldn't of been more friendly. I will definitely play here again the next time I am in town.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Awesome Course!!

This is an awesome course that is kept in prestine shape! One of my favorite public courses in Central Iowa!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Course is great

Wind was blowing up to 30 mph making the course very difficult, but we still had a great time.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Otter Creek is in great shape. I particularly enjoy the well kept fairways.

I would recommend this course to golfs at all stages of the game.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Good course, service lacking

Good solid course, great value at the $13 pp price. Just wish staff was more welcoming & friendly. Also - didnt like cart path only & heard from others that they do this there frequently. While I'm an avid golfer & appreciate protecting course conditions, it seemed like cart path only wasn't needed on day I was there, and play was very slow as a result.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 26
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Good greens that are well bunkered. I think there are 14 water hazards but some don't come into play.

The golf course was in good condition but not pristine. A links style layout with a few blind shots were water hazards and out of bounds will easily come into play if you are not familiar with the course. The wind is always a factor and the prevailing summer time wind out of the S/SW makes the long par 4's play very difficult.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

One of the best courses in the Des Moines area.

Great links-style course. Can be windy but that adds to the links feel. Excellent redesign from the original course. Always in very good condition. Good food and friendly pro shop staff add value.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

A great links style course with beautiful bluegrass fairways.

Scored an outstanding deal on Golfnow to play a challenging links style course on a sunny afternoon. Despite the seasonal drought condition and its affect on other area courses, Otter Creek was in exceptional condition.

The rolling bluegrass fairways and the mounding with the tall grasses accentuating every hole made our round. The pro shop staff was extremely friendly. The starter and the rangers kept play moving along at an expected pace. A must play course in central Iowa!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great value for a nice course

Otter Creek is a solid 18 hole course located in and owned by the City of Ankeny. Nice layout, multiple tee box choices, great clubhouse and the course is well maintained. One complaint is their rental clubs are in serious need of an upgrade, family from Florida was less than thrilled with what they received. Other than that, had a great round, definitely give it a visit!

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great course!

I was very impressed with the condition of the course after some brutal heat and little rain over the last month. The greens were in phenomenal shape! I highly recommend it!

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
First Time Playing

Just Okay

I wasn't blown away by this course. I didn't find it overly challenging, and was wondering why they don't use bent grass in the fairways at the rates they charge. Which gets me to my next point, at their rates I would much rather play TCI or Legacy. Despite not using bent grass the fairways were cut short and played relatively well. The tee boxes and greens were also maintained well and I was surprised how soft the greens were despite the lack of rain.

I also do not like the proximity of the course to the interstate. Interesting thought to build a links course in that location that would obviously generate a ton of white noise. You can hear the interstate on at least half the holes which, unfortunately, takes away from the experience.

Pretty well maintained course, an okay layout, but I wouldn't play at standard pricing.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Public country club

Course is top grade and in great shape. Concierge service from the staff. Why join a country club when you have a public course like this?

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
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