Bent Tree Golf Club

Bent Tree Golf Club sits in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. Designed by Jeff Brauer and opened in the mid-1990s, the course represents the work of an architect known for practical, playable designs across the American Midwest and Southwest. Brauer, who studied under Pete Dye and Joe Lee, typically emphasizes strategic variety and sustainable maintenance practices in his layouts. The course occupies rolling terrain characteristic of the Loess Hills region, where wind-deposited soils create distinctive undulating landforms. This topography allows for natural elevation changes and varied hole corridors, with several holes playing along ridgelines or through valleys. The routing takes advantage of these contours to create visual interest and strategic options, particularly in approach play where green complexes are often set into slopes or elevated above fairway level. Bent Tree serves as a daily-fee facility accessible to the broader Council Bluffs and Omaha metropolitan area. The course provides a straightforward test of golf without excessive length or severe hazards, reflecting Brauer's design philosophy of accommodating a range of skill levels while maintaining strategic interest for better players. Mature tree plantings and native grasses frame many holes, and water features come into play on several holes, typical of prairie-style courses in the region.