Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area Courses

[JC AceHole]

I am taking a little weekend trip to Iowa to play Wildcat Bluff. Looks like there are some decent courses in the general area. I will be staying in Cedar rapids over night. I will have time to play 2-3 courses in addition to Wildcat.

The question I have is for the locals or people that have frequented the area. Which other ones are considered the best in that area? if you had to pick 3 courses, which would they be? I have my eye on a couple but Id rather get a real life opinion from someone.

Thanks

 

[Thome9]

Wildcat is great. If you want two more, I'd play Shaver in Cedar Rapids for sure, then either Sugar Bottom or Turkey Creek in Iowa City/North Liberty. Turkey is reverting back to nine holes at the end of September

 

[mittbull]

Wildcat is great. If you want two more, I'd play Shaver in Cedar Rapids for sure, then either Sugar Bottom or Turkey Creek in Iowa City/North Liberty. Turkey is reverting back to nine holes at the end of September

Is the change for Turkey temporary?

 

[mittbull]

Jones and Legion are both worth playing as well.

 

[Thome9]

Is the change for Turkey temporary?

Nope, permanent...I know most of/if not all of the back 9 is getting pulled due to erosion per the army corps. I don't know if they are keeping the front as is or reworking some of the holes, but there will still be nine holes. The new prodigy baskets are getting moved to Sugar though.

 

[JC AceHole]

Wildcat is great. If you want two more, I'd play Shaver in Cedar Rapids for sure, then either Sugar Bottom or Turkey Creek in Iowa City/North Liberty. Turkey is reverting back to nine holes at the end of September

those 2 were on my list. they looked like they would be good. thanks!

ive actually played turkey once before on the way back from Omaha. maybe I will play it once more before it changes.

 

[JC AceHole]

Jones and Legion are both worth playing as well.

Awesome. Thanks. Are either worth playing over turkey? I am for sure going to be playing wildcat, shaver and sugar so I will prolly only have time for one more.

 

[JC AceHole]

Another question too. Im going to be with 3 friends as it is a mini disc road trip thing. Are there any good sports bars in the cedar rapids area that anyone can recommend? also what are the good food spots out there. thanks in advance

 

[MarkDSM]

Which weekend?
Party camp out with a crew from Des Moines at wildcat September 16 weekend.

 

[Thome9]

Awesome. Thanks. Are either worth playing over turkey? I am for sure going to be playing wildcat, shaver and sugar so I will prolly only have time for one more.

Those are both good courses as well, Jones is kind of wide open on a big hill, but it's still fun. Legion can be tough to navigate if you've never been there, but a good mix of open and wooded shots. Personally I prefer Turkey, but you can't go wrong either way.

I'm more familiar with Iowa City/North Liberty restaurants/bars. Reds in North Liberty, Big Grove Brewery in Solon, and 30 Hop in Coralville are really good beer/food spots...30 hop is probably my favorite of the three with Big Grove a close second. Lion Bridge in CR makes good beer, but the food and atmosphere aren't great.

 

[JC AceHole]

Which weekend?
Party camp out with a crew from Des Moines at wildcat September 16 weekend.

this weekend (labor day weekend). Thanks for the heads up though

 

[JC AceHole]

Those are both good courses as well, Jones is kind of wide open on a big hill, but it's still fun. Legion can be tough to navigate if you've never been there, but a good mix of open and wooded shots. Personally I prefer Turkey, but you can't go wrong either way.

I'm more familiar with Iowa City/North Liberty restaurants/bars. Reds in North Liberty, Big Grove Brewery in Solon, and 30 Hop in Coralville are really good beer/food spots...30 hop is probably my favorite of the three with Big Grove a close second. Lion Bridge in CR makes good beer, but the food and atmosphere aren't great.

awesome. these were the exact types of places I was looking for. thanks for all the help everyone.

 

[ISUME]

If you are coming from Joliet I might recommend stopping in the QC for Camden 2, Middle Park, or West Lake. As for the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City courses I would play Wildcat, Shaver, Sugar Bottom, Peninsula, and Legion. I placed those in the order I would play them.

 

[notroman]

Definitely play Turkey before they turn it back into a 9 hole. I love the old school feel of that course. Erosion is definitely a factor there so I can see why they are pulling the back 9. Total bummer.

 

[puttlikeablowfly]

That is a shame about Turkey. I'm really glad I played that one instead of Sugar Bottom on my way through the area earlier this year. I'll have time for SB on another trip. The back nine at Turkey was one of my favorite nines anywhere, especially 10 & 11. I played Peninsula Park on my way back that same trip. I thought it was a good course, especially the wooded parts, although walking up to the first hole on a cold windy day and seeing a long open hole with tall grass on each side did not give me high hopes at first glance. Still, I would recommend playing it, but not before Turkey.

 

[JC AceHole]

If you are coming from Joliet I might recommend stopping in the QC for Camden 2, Middle Park, or West Lake. As for the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City courses I would play Wildcat, Shaver, Sugar Bottom, Peninsula, and Legion. I placed those in the order I would play them.

I have played C2, west lake and all the QC courses many a time. We are gonna hit a few of those on the way up/back. We were mainly looking for some new ones none of us have played before. Especially looking forward to Wildcat. Seems to be the jewel out that way.

Thanks!

 

[ISUME]

I have played C2, west lake and all the QC courses many a time. We are gonna hit a few of those on the way up/back. We were mainly looking for some new ones none of us have played before. Especially looking forward to Wildcat. Seems to be the jewel out that way.

Thanks!

I was just making sure. Wildcat is awesome and any of the courses listed for Cedar Rapids and Iowa City will be worth it.

 

[Martin Dewgarita]

No mention of Peninsula - I think the trio of turkey, SB, and Peninsula are a solid fun day of playing. I think Legion might have been my favorite of the Cedar rapids area, but as has been mentioned, navigation can be tricky.

 

[IHearChains]

Lake Iowa is a newer course 40min west of Iowa City which has hardly been reviewed on here at all, but it's definitely worth a trip. If you're looking to balance the woods golf with something different, this is a good choice as a partner course for Wildcat and Shaver. If you like West Lake, you'll like Lake Iowa...water's not as much of a factor as it is at West Lake, but it has elevation, great variety, and some very tough/fun holes.

 

[mittbull]

No mention of Peninsula - I think the trio of turkey, SB, and Peninsula are a solid fun day of playing. I think Legion might have been my favorite of the Cedar rapids area, but as has been mentioned, navigation can be tricky.

I can't say what the maintenance has been like this year, but in the past it has been minimal leading to extreme overgrowth of the under story (i.e. little to no fairway and lots of disc searching). Great course once everything dies, but more tedious then anything this time of year.

Also Legion had some red arrow signs put in within the last six months that greatly improved navigation once you get past the first couple of holes.