Thanks for the advice on the courses. I ended up playing two: Annbriar and Aberdeen (new Gary Kern course near Eureka).
Annbriar is the best public course I've played in the St. Louis area. If you're driving from St. Louis to the course in the morning, it's a quick trip because you're going against traffic.
The front nine ends with two solid holes, and a great birdie chance at #9. The hole that really sticks with me is #16, a long, downhill par 4, with a Donald Ross-inspired green complex. A lot is said about #11's beauty, and the praise is deserved. The people there, too, are just exceptional. The only criticism I have is that it's a walking course in theory, only. Especially the back nine. The distances between greens and tee boxes are substantial.
I'm not sure what to think about Aberdeen. It's billed as a links-style course, and that's accurate, but I doubt the course gets extremely windy, and without any wind, it's a pushover. But it's a fun track, and if they have the money to put into maintenance as it matures, I think it will be solid. The weakest hole, by far, is #17. A nothing hole.
Also, I went to Ted Drewes, the zoo, Rigazzi's, Butterfly House (can you tell I have kids?), Busch Stadium. A great week.