Meramec/Prairie at Tapawingo National Golf Club

I’ll definitely be back, probably my new favorite course!

Tapawingo got flooded out a couple years back and I hadn’t played there since then. Heard that it is back to its usual conditions, and was pleased to see that it was! The conditions were worthy of the pretty high greens fees.

A nice touch was that after dropping our bags off (you should do it because it is pretty far from the parking lot back to the clubhouse) someone came to pick us up at our cars and gave us a ride back to check in.

We played the Woodlands/Prairie combo. The course looks great and played in top-notch fashion. There are a few big elevation changes with both up and down hill tee shots.

On the Woodlands, No. 3 is a big carry all over water to a hole that looks like it is cut into the side of the hill and photo worthy. The next hole is a brute (water left and houses right) that is long and plays uphill all the way.

No. 1 on Prairie is an odd hole with a major dogleg right at about 175 yards, with a second shot that is crazy downhill. No. 2 is a long par 3 back up that same hill but I made an insane putt for a birdie! Four and five run next to a road and a hook off the tee could hit a car, so watch out.

The downer was that the course was really crowded and led to a relatively long round. The greens fees are among the highest in the area but I think the course is fun and worth it. Will have it back in the regular rotation as a “play there once every year” type of track. For sure, a high-end course.

It’s been a long time since playing Tapawingo and it didn’t disappoint. A challenging track from the back tees but absolutely accessible with so many tees. Some greens are tough while others are flat and accessible making it work for all skill levels.

Tapawingo National Golf Club was a 5 star experience in every way. Outstanding and friendly service, great clubhouse and convenient snack bar, and ample parking greeted me. I hit a bucket of balls, practiced chip shots, and putted on excellent facilities prior to my round. With 27 holes, I have reason to come back and play again to see the rest of the course. Tee boxes were excellent, fairways were firm and well maintained, sand traps were still drying out from a recent rain but playable, but the star of the round was the putting on some large and challenging greens with some undulations and slopes that made the round very interesting!! Cannot wait to return for another 5-star experience!

Needs better pace of play and also more regular drink service from the cart girl. Saw once in 5 hours I believe.

The course is beautiful. Gem.

This is a very beautiful course, the tee boxes and fairways were in great condition. Greens were very bumpy. Pace of play was horrible- why have a starter if you’re not going to have a Marshall going around to monitor play? Greens keepers will drive their gators right by you when hitting- water the greens while you are putting. It’s a great course but not ran how it should be for the price.

Tapawingo National has three nine-hole courses. We always try to include the Woodlands nine because this is the most picturesque nine. We played the Woodlands/Prairie nines. It has many moguls on sides of fairways and greens. Difficult to walk when it is carts on path and you can fall if the grass is wet and going downhill.

Let’s first talk about the good things about the course.

The greens were fast, firm, and smooth. I think the fastest I’ve ever seen them. They do have a mixture of bent and poa annua grasses on the greens. Right now, the poa annua grasses have a yellowish color to them.

I saw the beverage cart at least 5 times which will be more important on the warmer summer days.

It has a large and beautiful clubhouse. The pro shop is very appealing to the eye. They also have the best hot dog in town. They split an all-beef hot dog, grill it, and then placed it in a toasted hoagie style bun. Delicious!

They had two people in the pro shop helping players pay for their green fees. Rarely seen.

Now, let’s talk about the issues with the course.

The tee boxes are in desperate need of attention. Almost every tee box had bare spots and the worst being the tee boxes on the par 3, 6th hole on the Woodlands. There are also numerous bare spots throughout the course – near hills and some greens.

The price of $72 on a Saturday morning is too high considering the shape of the tee boxes. You can play two better designed golf courses, which are in better shape in the area for the same price. Annbriar ($70) & Gateway National ($75). I have not played Spencer T. Olin yet this year, usually in great shape and an even better green fee rate.

I think the course needs a starter with more of a pleasant personality. Overly obsessed with the cart numbers of the carts, instead of saying “Welcome to Tapawingo – hope you enjoy your round.”

I’ve always felt the zoysia fairways have always been on the thin side when compared to other courses with zoysia.

Our pace of play was not good. We waited about 5 minutes on every shot. There was a course ranger, but I don’t think he was doing anything about it. I saw a five-some on the course with the 5th person standing and riding on the back of the cart. Something, I don’t want to see when pace of play is an issue.

The course has a large population of Canadian geese which have had numerous babies. With the parents hissing at you when you pass. They do have a fake coyote on the 8th hole of the Prairie nine which seemed to help because there were no geese in that pond. Maybe they need more fake coyotes or dogs to chase them away.

In summary, there are better choices in the area to play that are in the $70-$75 price point.