Elmwood Course
Marshalltown, IA, USA
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.
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Private column compares member-only and guest-restricted courses.
Best in World
Unranked
Best in USA
Unranked
Best in IA
All courses
8.2
29 players
Awesome Track Great Bones Great Routing with nice elevation change Great Green Complex that putted really Nice Nice Clubhouse and Staff was Awesome Really Good Par 3’s and Only two 5’s that were nice to play All 4 Pars were playable 14 was a little long for my length Just a Fun day on the Track
Played during the renovation. Need to get back and get an updated score.
Played member-guest there last year. Course isn’t long but it’s not easy. Great land movement and risk reward holes, gettable if you are on but one of the hardest courses I’ve played relative to course rating
Those who know, know. Elmwood is sick. You could play it 50 times and play it differently every time. Wish I could play it more.
This was the 2nd time I played Elmwood. The first time I was a little underwhelmed and thought the course was too quirky and a little strange. The 2nd time through I was able to pay attention to all the nuances and the finer things of the golf course. And the 2nd time through I was extremely impressed. The golf course is very fun! You have to hit all different types of shots to play here. Uphill shots. Downhill shots. Side hill lies. Tight corridors. Different angles. You will use every club in the bag! This is what I would call strategic golf. You need to play here a few times to really get the full treatment of Elmwood. The greens are extremely fast and undulated. You really need to stay below the hole and on the proper sides of the pin placements. The greens make this course as difficult as it is. The rough can be long. The bunkers are in perfect placements and are in great conditions. An extremely under-the-radar golf course. Both times I have played here I have shot extremely well. So I am now a little biased on this course. I can’t wait to come back here again!
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FAQ
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Elmwood has a Course Vaults score of 8.2 out of 10 based on 22 explicit golfer ratings.
Elmwood was designed by Tom Bendelow.
Elmwood is listed as private on Course Vaults; guest access is typically restricted.
Par at Elmwood is 70.
Elmwood plays 5,758 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Elmwood is 123.
