Tournament Club of Iowa, Iowa
Smiling on the 17th green at Tournament Club of Iowa just outside Des Moines.
Between 2019 and early 2021, my wife and I were residing in Dallas, Texas. Most of our families reside in Minnesota and South Dakota. During the weird early days of COVID when airports were inaccessible, we faced the necessity of embarking on lengthy road trips—14 hours to Minneapolis and 11 hours to Sioux Falls—to visit our loved ones.
One of those occasions was in September of 2020, four days before our wedding. The two of us agreed that we’d make the 14-hour trek to Minnesota and stop somewhere to stretch and get 18 holes in. If you read my Kansas post from last month, you’ll know that I love long drives, and even more so I love long drives interrupted by a few hours on the golf course. The break divides up a trip nicely.
In a strange way, Iowa is dear to me. My dad grew up in the state, and some of my closest friends are native Hawkeyes. My high school golf team took an annual trip down to the Harvester Club in Rhodes. I can remember hitting shots on the par three third hole with my teammates until it was pitch black out. I have been to several college football games at Kinnick Stadium, and I believe it to easily be one of the best atmospheres in the sport. The Hawkeye State and I have a lot of history.
My soon-to-be wife and I found ourselves on the back nine of the Dallas-to-Minneapolis trek, in Des Moines. Like a Disney cartoon, a lightbulb in a thought bubble popped up over my head as I remembered a pertinent piece of information: I have a friend from Des Moines! When we stopped for gas, I texted him and asked, “I have time for one round in the Des Moines metro area. Where do I play?”
He answered within seconds; it was a simple three letter response: “TCI.”
TCI—Tournament Club of Iowa as it is actually named—is an Arnold Palmer design heralded by most publications as the second-best public golf course in the state. Spirit Hollow in Burlington, two-and-a-half hours to the southeast of TCI, is typically considered the cream of the crop for accessible tracks in the Hawkeye State. I’ll report back when I’m lucky enough to compare them.
I don’t know about you, but when I think of Iowa I think of flat land. That stereotype could not be further from the truth in the hilly bluffs of the east and, apparently, some of metro Des Moines. TCI uses some of the best land available around the area for their golf course, and the resulting effort is commendable. I have played many top 100 public designs in the country, and I would be lying if I said I preferred all of them to the Tournament Club of Iowa.
The best thing about the Tournament Club of Iowa is its routing. Holes weave in and out of a thick forest seamlessly, and there are massive elevation changes. I guarantee the golfer will forget they’re in Des Moines. I took a cart—which I rarely do—simply because of the effort required to maneuver around the property. Conditions were great here as you’d expect, and the greens had some funky contours to them. I would guess they rolled at a speed of 10 on the stimpmeter.
There are a few exceptional stretches on the TCI, with one of the most notable being the finale. The last two holes are accentuated by a picturesque pond they share and are a nice way to finish away from the trees. From the clubhouse and grill, it is fun to watch the 18th hole approaches fly in. The last hole is a brutal par four of 450 yards. Holes eight through 10 begin with an insane downhill par three and culminate in a striking dogleg right, skillfully guarded by trees on the left and a penal water hazard on the right.
Holes three, five, and eight are all interesting as far as par threes go. I would say my favorite par five was the 13th hole. On each shot you are tested by both the trees and the bunker. The third of our group, a Des Moines locale named Jimmy, explained this was his favorite hole on the golf course. He also admitted TCI was “easily” the best course in the area, although Legacy and Waveland are worth the price of admission.
Tournament Club of Iowa is a bit quirky if not bizarre. I would understand if a golfer came here and disliked the 2003 design. There’s a miniature par four on the back nine that, if you step onto the tee without consulting the scorecard, might lead you to exclaim, “Wow, this feels like a long par three!” Additionally, there’s another hole that is incredibly downhill and peculiar, prompting you to wonder aloud, “Where exactly should I aim here?” Also, there are 12 holes here with water hazards in play. So much of the blue stuff is in play that you might think you’re golfing a Robert Trent Jones, Jr., not an Arnold Palmer, course. In summation of the criticism, TCI is probably a love it or hate it kind of golf course.
All in all, Tournament Club of Iowa is worth the risk and a fun Arnold Palmer track. I’d estimate it’s undoubtedly among the top 10 courses in the Hawkeye State. However, my exposure to Iowa golf is relatively confined, encompassing of TCI, the Harvester Club, Grand Falls Resort, and Brooks Golf up to this juncture. I’m originally from the Twin Cities of Minnesota, and I’d put Tournament Club of Iowa up against any public track in the area dollar-for-dollar. The fact that I spent $50 to play here makes me feel lucky. I can’t wait to eventually explore all the other overlooked courses of the Hawkeye State.