During my whirlwind 4-day Iowa adventure last year, I got to see some amazing golf. The biggest surprise to me overall was the land. People think Midwest and they automatically assume flat. No one who has visited Cincinnati will say anything about flat. In fact, some areas in NW Ohio get pretty hilly as well.
I suspected Davenport would have some undulation being by the river, but I never expected Des Moines to be as hilly as it was. The land at Wakonda has to be seen to be believed. Even Des Moines G&CC has quite a bit of elevation. The hike up 7 on the North course, my 25th hole of the day, was when I started to cramp hard.
The land at Cedar Rapids CC was my third biggest surprise of CRCC. When the pro at Wakonda was warning me about the 18th at CRCC, especially after playing the 18th at Wakonda (a very uphill hole), I knew I had to adjust my expectations. My drive from Des Moines to Davenport was anything but flat. I was later told that the flat land is really Western Iowa.
The first two surprises were what the renovation team was able to do, and especially for the cost they were able to do it. I had a few discussions with members at DMG&CC about the work that Liddy and team did there. It was all very good, but it certainly came with a price.
CRCC's renovation is a model that all clubs should aspire to if they have the right people to do it. My club is doing some small nip and tuck this year based on recommendations from Hurdzan. It's a fraction of the overall list of reco's, but I'm appreciative of the membership voting to approve the work (with a small, temporary dues increase). Some question the cost, but then I bring up what other people are spending vs. what they're getting in return, and they start to appreciate more what we have and what we're doing.
As for the course, I think I may have underrated CRCC initially. Maybe it's because I played two rounds there and only one at the other courses, but I'm remembering more holes from there any others I played. 9 is in the top three par 5's I've ever played. 1-5 is a great start. 14 is as unique of a hole as you'll ever see. 18 is just a brute. I GIR'd it in my second round, but was above the hole. My birdie putt proceeded to run past the hole and off the green.
My only regret is that I didn't have another day to check out Harvester and DMG&CC South. Guess I'll have to make it back to flyover country again.
