Elmwood Country Club in Marshalltown, Iowa, features a course designed by Tom Bendelow, the prolific Scottish-born architect who shaped hundreds of American golf courses in the early twentieth century. Bendelow, who worked for A.G. Spalding and later independently, brought golf to communities across the Midwest during the game's expansion era, typically creating straightforward, playable layouts suited to local terrain and modest budgets. His designs from this period generally emphasize strategic bunkering and green complexes that reward accurate approach play rather than dramatic land movement. The course occupies rolling Iowa farmland characteristic of central Iowa's agricultural region. Marshalltown sits along the Iowa River valley, and courses in this area typically feature gentle elevation changes, mature tree plantings that frame holes and define corridors, and relatively open terrain that allows wind to factor into play. Bendelow's routing philosophy favored variety in hole length and direction while working within natural contours, creating courses that remain walkable and engaging for members across skill levels. Elmwood serves as the primary private club for Marshalltown, a manufacturing and agricultural center in Marshall County. Like many Bendelow designs in smaller Midwestern cities, the course reflects its era's emphasis on accessible, community-centered golf rather than championship length or tournament ambitions. The layout provides a traditional country club experience rooted in the game's early American development, preserving the architectural sensibilities of golf's formative decades in the region.