Ottumwa Country Club

Really enjoyed my round. Pace of play was awesome, greens were in really good condition and the course overall was in great shape.

The course layout was confusing. Even finding the next tee box, was a challenge at times. On one hole, my son actually hit the ball to the wrong green.save your money. Cedar Creek, in Ottumwa, is a much nicer course.

Short but tough. Keep the ball in the fairway rough was tall and thick. Teed off at 9am and was only ones on the course and played at our own pace.

Given that Southern Iowa doesn't have a lot of great golf to offer until you get closer to Des Moines, this is one of the best you'll find in the area. It's still a good course putting that aside. The conditions are usually terrific, and there are some scenic views, especially in the fall.

Since it's an old country club, you definitely need to hit it straight. At the same time, there are a few points where you can get away with hitting a bad drive, especially if you hit it on the hole parallel to it, and just hit back over the trees. I've played here about 20 times, and I hit driver usually 11 times, which is certainly on the high side. The greens are relatively small on the front nine. They are much bigger on the back.

I really enjoy playing here a couple times a year, but it can be a frustrating course if you don't know the wrinkles and are concerned about your score. So, I'll give a walkthrough for those who are interested. If not, this is a course worth playing if given the opportunity.

The first four holes don't have any surprises. Take advantage of No. 3, a short par 5. You can bail out left to No. 4 to make sure you don't hit it in the road. Then just hit back over the trees. There's a downslope in front of the green you can land the ball short on so it'll hop onto the green.

No. 5 through No. 8 is a difficult stretch. I wouldn't hit driver on No. 5. The green up top is a small nasty bowl with weird curves, so hitting it is crucial. No. 6 - do not try to hit driver over the pond. I don't remember the exact yardage, but it's approximately a 280 carry from what I remember. You're also hitting into an upslope, so it isn't worth it. Just hit a long-to-mid iron. The right side of the fairway is flat, but the branches of the tree can guard your second shot if you're too far right. No. 7 is the toughest hole in my opinion, especially from the blues. It's a long par 3 without a good miss. Being just long or just short is much better than left or right since the slopes are so severe. This green is bigger though (depth wise). No. 8 you have heavy trees on both sides and OB right. It's just a narrow tee shot with an optional bailout left to No. 9, but you have to bail out hard. Otherwise, the hole plays what it looks like.

No. 9 and No. 10 are easy and play like they look. The green on No. 10 is much bigger than it looks from the fairway though. I'd definitely check the pin placement out.

No. 11 and No. 12 are unique and can be painful if you're not careful. For No. 11, the whites are a lot easier, and you only need to hit a long iron. From the blues, you're hitting probably a fairway wood. The fairway is narrow, and there's a pond at the end of it. The important note is that the green you see from the No. 11 tee box is actually the No. 15 green. The No. 11 green is to the left of that and blind from the tee box (you can see the right edge of the green from cart path). So, if you go straight, you're good. If you go right, you have trees, but a good angle. If you go left, you have to pitch out to the fairway because of the trees, or you can go over with a wedge if you have the swing and distance to pull it off. No. 12 is a par 5 where you can make eagle or double bogey. There is OB left (in-play more than you think) and a creek/woods to the right that comes into play as the downslope starts. Left center of the fairway is your target. Accuracy beats distance here. As for the approach, the green slopes severely back to front. If the greens are fast, good luck. I've played in the Ottumwa Amateur here, and I've seen multiple people (including some really good players) walk off due to the ball rolling to the front of the green on every putt you hit. Having said that, this is rare (they may have fixed this issue by now anyways), and I've never seen this issue in a casual round. Just keep the ball below the hole if possible.

No. 13 through No. 17 are easier as long as you don't hit a horrendous tee shot. No. 13 for longer hitters and want to hit driver, if you smoke one, you can go over the hedges on the left (or even the corner of the road) and end up just short of the green. It's very risky, and there are houses in play if you do this. It's your risk to take. No. 14 plays as it looks, but the green is huge. No. 15 go to the right side of the fairway. That pond from No. 11 extends to the left side of the fairway on No. 15 at a blind spot in the fairway. No. 16 is a simple par 3. No. 17 you can definitely make eagle on, but the green is actually fairly small compared to the previous holes on the back nine. Right side of the fairway is your target.

No. 18 is a lot easier from the whites. You just need to hit a long or mid-iron to the center of the fairway. From the blues, you're hitting a fairway wood. It's a very tight shot. Woods and lateral hazard to the left - OB to the right. The green is small on the approach, and the ball will roll back down the slope in the fairway if you're short.