The Sioux City Country Club is private but they do have the occasional public event such as hosting an reciprocal reduced fee play day with other country clubs in the area or a Univ. of Iowa coaches event. Unfortunately, the few times I’ve tried to make time to play there, work gets in the way. I don’t know if they will allow someone to play that just walks in. You may want to call ahead. I do know when they have a reciprocal club event, the visiting club members have no access to the clubhouse.
Dakota Dunes was designed by Arnold Palmer Design Company and is currently unplayable. Several holes have been under water (Missouri River flooding) and I think some holes have levees built through them in order to protect homes. Across Interstate 29 from Dakota Dunes is Two Rivers Golf Club, that used to be part of the Sioux City Boat Club. The course is public and is about the same age as the Sioux City Country Club, except they sold some property for a corporate headquarters and had to build a couple new holes. This changed the routing of the holes and it created some odd green to tee routes.
Jason Topp mentioned Whispering Creek which is a 10 year old 18-hole course on the east side of Sioux City. This course has some interesting holes and was designed by Todd Sapp. I believe this was Todd’s first and only design. Todd basically was able live the dream of many on this board. Being a first design, there are a quirks. They had to rework one green because you couldn’t keep the ball from rolling off the front half of the green do to the severe slope. Then there is the 16th green that is basically 2 greens separated by a 5’ swale that is part of the green and can make for some interesting putting. I enjoy play there.
I think Todd helped with some shaping of the 3rd nine that was added to the Le Mars Course that Jason also mentioned. Le Mars (Willow Creek) golf course is where I learned to play, but moved a little ways north before they added the 3rd nine. Similar to Two Rivers, switching holes around to incorporate the new holes wasn’t a good thing for the overall flow. I wish they’d left the original 18 alone; had to get some holes for housing lots on the golf course.
Just to the north of Le Mars 15-20 miles are two 18-hole courses; Landsmeer Golf Club (Don Sechrest design) in Orange City and The Ridge Golf Course (Jerry Slack design, 3 years old) in Sioux Center. I was a member at the Ridge the last couple years and didn’t get signed up due to work, weather and family activities this year. I live in a neighboring county and one of the best deals in golf is having and out of county membership at either of the courses because you get full playing privileges at both for half the cost of an in-county membership. For $240, I can get a single membership to play at both courses.
http://www.siouxcenterridge.com/