Hillcrest Country Club in Kansas City

[J.D. Griffith]

Once given up for dead, the challenging Donald Ross-designed Hillcrest Country Club is thriving again:

http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/once-given-dead-challenging-donald-ross-designed-hillcrest-country-club-thriving-again

Has anyone in the treehouse spent time on this course?

[Brandon Urban]

Jeff Sherman, Jeff Goldman, and I spent a summer day out there last year. It seemed they were moving in the right direction.
There is definitely some Ross there. It's some way over-watered Ross, though.

[BCowan]

Great article, thanks for posting J.D.

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

JD,

I've played it 3 times while visiting friends in KC. As it teetered on oblivion we always remarked how crazy it could be for a Donald Ross course to simply vanish.

I found the conditioning to be much better than it was described in the article. The 9th hole was ridiculous with that tiny green. Couldn't have been more than 1000 sq feet. Until I read the article I had no idea it was meant to be permanent. You could see the old green above it and I assumed they were saving it. Crazy to think that tiny patch of grass was the regular green.

And Garrity is right about the 1st - a 240 par 3 as your opening hole. Tough, and I don't think they have a range to warm up. The 2nd may be the best hole on the course IMO.

I definitely would recommend it. Within a mile or 2 you can play a Ross, and a Tillinghast at Swope Park. Pretty special, at least in Missouri

[Ken Moum]

My wife and I played it not long after the current owner bought it.

FWIW, it went under for the same reason the Donald Ross we play in Topeka did... too damned much money spent on clubhouse and pool.

I had a discussion with a 25-year employee at the time and his story would be compatible with the stuff in the article.

It's an interesting layout but personally I think Shawnee CC in Topeka is a slightly better course.  I wish we'd have been able find s buyer with the commitment he apparently has. Although I doubt if I would have lasted through the reign of Vlad.

K

[Jason Hines]

Hi J.D.,

Just to add, here is a link a year or so ago.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,54552.msg1259169/topicseen.html#msg1259169