Palmer Hills Golf Course

Palmer Hills Golf Course opened in 1972 as a municipal facility serving Bettendorf and the greater Quad Cities area along the Mississippi River. William J. Spear, a Midwest-based architect active during the mid-century golf boom, designed the layout on rolling terrain characteristic of eastern Iowa's river valley topography. The course takes its name from the hilly landscape rather than any association with Arnold Palmer, and the property's natural elevation changes provide both strategic interest and scenic variety uncommon in municipal golf in this region. The routing makes use of the site's contours, with several holes playing uphill or downhill and fairways that move through corridors of mature hardwoods. Spear's design reflects the practical municipal golf philosophy of the era: accessible to average players while offering enough length and challenge from the back tees to engage better golfers. The layout includes water hazards on several holes and greens that incorporate the natural slope of the land. Palmer Hills serves as a year-round public facility when weather permits and hosts local tournaments and league play. The course remains a fixture in Bettendorf's parks and recreation system, providing affordable golf in a community where the Mississippi River defines much of the landscape and recreational identity. Its tree-lined character and elevation changes distinguish it from flatter courses common throughout much of Iowa.