The hardest golf courses in Iowa
The hardest 18-hole golf courses in Iowa, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 31 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Amana Colonies Golf Club
Amana, IA, USASlope rating 146, 73.6 course rating, Black tees, 6,824 yds
PublicWilliam J. Spear
- 3.5Conditions
- NRLayout
- NRValue
- NRScenery
- 1.0Facilities
- Must play
- Fast greens
Tournament of Iowa
Tournament Club of Iowa
Polk City, IA, USASlope rating 145, 73.9 course rating, King tees, 7,041 yds
PublicArnold Palmer
- 3.8Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 4.0Value
- 3.8Scenery
- 3.8Facilities
- Strategic
- Challenging
- Driving range
Blue Top Ridge
Riverside Casino & Golf Resort
Riverside, IA, USASlope rating 143, 77.2 course rating, $1000 tees, 7,481 yds
PublicRees Jones
Glen Oaks Country Club
West Des Moines, IA, USASlope rating 142, 74.9 course rating, Black tees, 6,961 yds
PrivateTom Fazio
- Driving range
- Pristine
- Fast greens
The Harvester Golf Club
Rhodes, IA, USASlope rating 140, 76.0 course rating, Black tees, 7,340 yds
PrivateKeith Foster
- 5.0Conditions
- 4.9Layout
- 4.4Scenery
- 4.7Facilities
The conditions are unbelievable. The fairways and tee boxes are in pristine shape. The greens not only are so fast but they roll true. The pin positions can be a little dicey and you need to make sure to miss on the proper side of the green.
Written by
@Zheinold105
- Pristine
- Fast greens
- Caddies
Cedar Rapids Country Club
Cedar Rapids, IA, USA
Slope rating 139, 75.2 course rating, Black tees, 7,221 yds
(North) Des Moines Golf & Country Club
West Des Moines, IA, USA
Slope rating 139, 74.9 course rating, Black tees, 7,267 yds
Wakonda Club
Des Moines, IA, USA
Slope rating 139, 74.2 course rating, Black tees, 6,910 yds
Legacy Golf Club
Norwalk, IA, USA
Slope rating 136, 74.6 course rating, Black tees, 7,199 yds
(South) Des Moines Golf & Country Club
West Des Moines, IA, USA
Slope rating 134, 75.2 course rating, Black tees, 7,347 yds
Finkbine Golf Course
Iowa City, IA, USA
Slope rating 134, 74.1 course rating, Black tees, 7,017 yds
Davenport Country Club
Pleasant Valley, IA, USA
Slope rating 133, 73.3 course rating, Blue tees, 6,761 yds
The Ridge Golf Club
Sioux Center, IA, USA
Slope rating 132, 75.1 course rating, Black tees, 7,209 yds
(The Falls) Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort
Larchwood, IA, USA
Slope rating 132, 74.8 course rating, Black tees, 7,110 yds
Lake Panorama National Golf Course
Panora, IA, USA
Slope rating 132, 73.4 course rating, Black tees, 7,024 yds
Honey Creek Golf Club
Boone, IA, USA
Slope rating 131, 73.1 course rating, Black tees, 6,736 yds
Veenker Memorial Golf Course
Ames, IA, USA
Slope rating 131, 71.5 course rating, Blue tees, 6,680 yds
Bent Tree Golf Club
Council Bluffs, IA, USA
Slope rating 130, 74.4 course rating, Black tees, 7,022 yds
Whispering Creek Golf Club
Sioux City, IA, USA
Slope rating 130, 74.4 course rating, Black tees, 7,175 yds
Briarwood Golf Course
Ankeny, IA, USA
Slope rating 130, 73.9 course rating, Blue tees, 7,019 yds
Coldwater Golf Links
Ames, IA, USA
Slope rating 130, 72.4 course rating, Black tees, 6,787 yds
Shoreline Golf Course
Carter Lake, IA, USA
Slope rating 128, 72.2 course rating, Blue tees, 6,639 yds
Otter Creek Golf Course
Ankeny, IA, USA
Slope rating 125, 72.9 course rating, Black tees, 6,895 yds
Waveland Municipal Golf Club
Des Moines, IA, USA
Slope rating 124, 71.2 course rating, Blue tees, 6,544 yds
Talons of Tuscany Golf Club
Ankeny, IA, USA
Slope rating 124, 69.3 course rating, Black tees, 5,903 yds
How we rank
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. State pages include courses across Iowa. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
Amana Colonies Golf Club is #1 on Course Vaults in Iowa at Slope 146 (73.6 course rating · Black tees · 6,824 yds). 31 courses qualify for this list.
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. State pages include courses across Iowa. Rankings refresh about hourly.
Slope rating is the USGA measure of how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155 (113 is average). Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer from the same tees.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 3:47 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
