St. Louis Golf (Bellerive in particular)

[PCCraig]

Hey all,

  I had the chance this past Summer and Fall to make a couple trips down to St. Louis, and was fortunate enough to play a couple good golf courses while I was there.

 The first I played was Bellerive in the summer, I really liked the golf course, mostly because I thought the course flowed well. And I thought the par-3's were great. Now I hear that they are completly gutting the course, any St. Louis people know anything about it?

 Secondly, I got out to Old Warson in the Fall, didnt think it was overly tough, just a more hilly version of Bellerive.

 Both I felt were good golf courses, just wondering what you all think of them.

   Pat Craig

[Hunt]

Bellerive is being redone and currently shut down. The greens will be the most noticeable difference when finished. As you recall, that is one long course with huge greens.

My guess is that the greens will have more severity and the bunkering will be adjusted for greater carry distances for pros.

When completed, they may be in the running for an Open.

Old Warson is a wonderful course that I believe hosted the '74 Ryder Cup.

[Steve Pozaric]

I have seen some basic plans a while ago.  I think they are making some pretty significant changes all over.  I think this fall is the target reopen date.

[Jim Nugent]

Here's hoping more of you who know Bellerive well weigh in with your opinions.  I haven't played or been on it for 36 years.  Back then I was decidedly unimpressed.  Long, hard, but boring to me.  In fact the old Forest Park muni had several holes that I thought were more interesting than anything Bellerive offered.  

[Wayne Freeman]

Jim-  nothing much has changed at Bellerive since you've been there. I played it last year and was pretty unimpressed as was my buddy from Prairie Dunes who had been there 10 years before.  Just not much to get excited about-  it's got a few pretty good holes on the back side.  They put a lot of money recently into Forest Park and I thought it was a lot of fun.  Some very good par 4's and a dynamite Redan hole.
 Pat-  if you ever get back to St. Louis, put your energies into trying to play St. Louis CC-  a real gem!!

[PCCraig]

I think I have actually seen this forest park...is it the course on the same park as the Zoo? If it is, it definatly looked neat. Busy, but good.

I am more interested I guess in the improvements that Bellerive is in the middle of...I liked the course alot, but there were just some wierd things about it (too sharp of doglegs, small ponds in the middle of the fairway, etc..) but some really good holes, IE the par 3's.

  thanks for all of your comments

[William King]

Pat,

I lived in StL for a couple of years and, although I did not get on any of the Private courses, my favorite in the area was Annbriar GC in Waterloo Il. It is a great test of golf with firm fast greens and always in good condition. It was designed by Michael Hurdzan, who also did St. Albans CC west of StL around Manchester.