Early April Golf Trip in the Midwest Any Ideas

[gunning4u]

My buddies and I are looking to make a golf trip in a month or so. Anybody have some good ideas where to go in maybe southern IA, northern MO, or KS. I live in south central MN and we would like to only have to drive 4-5 hrs. Just looking for a nice course not too expensive 50-75$ a round and a town with some good night life we want to do some parting as well.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by gunning4u

My buddies and I are looking to make a golf trip in a month or so. Anybody have some good ideas where to go in maybe southern IA, northern MO, or KS. I live in south central MN and we would like to only have to drive 4-5 hrs. Just looking for a nice course not too expensive 50-75$ a round and a town with some good night life we want to do some parting as well.

Didn't play golf when I lived in KS, but Lawrence and Manhattan are only about 1 hour apart. 2 college towns for the University of Kansas and Kansas State. Lawrence has Alvamar which I have heard from a many number of people it ranks as one of the top public courses, actually I believe Gary McCord ranked it as his favorite public course in the US, not sure if that is a good or bad thing. Manhattan has a couple really nice courses including Colbert Hills, which is ranked as not only one of the nicer public courses but one of the 50 toughest.
Here are the links:
Welcome to Colbert Hills
Alvamar - Golf Course

There are many places to stay in both, KC is also only another 1 hour from Lawrence and has many nice courses. Obviously being college towns there you will find alot of night life at both.

I will likely be playing both of these this year when we go out to visit my wifes family.

[Pa Jayhawk]

If you look in that area, Flint Hills is another top one, about 2 hours away from Manhattan in Witchita, but I believe is private.
Flint Hills National Golf Club

Prarie Dunes may be a little far, in Hutchinson. Where they have had tour events. 2 hours from Manhattan. Not sure if it is private, I think it is. Faldo also built a course close to there last year which is supposed to be good. Hutchinson has a college there, but I haven't been there and am not sure what the town is like.
Prairie Dunes Country Club
Golf ~ Cottonwood Hills ~ A Master Planned Community

Most of the other top ones in Ks from GD are in or just outside of KC towards Lawrence.
GolfDigest.com - Best in State Rankings: 2005-2006

[warbirdlover]

Another "northener" fed up with cold weather and snow. sssmokin and I are heading to Kentucky in two weeks!

[Bignose]

Near Des Moines there is Tournament Club of Iowa www . tcofiowa . com
and The Harvester www . harvestergolf . com (The 18th on this one looks like a real beotch!)

I don't have the game or the money to play either of those courses, so no personal review, but they sure look nice from the pictures.

If you stop by Ames, I'd recommend Coldwater (a links course about as far away from the ocean as you can get, but it is pretty nice), and Iowa State's Veenker Memorial course. They hold the Iowa Masters tournament there every year. And Ames probably has the most nightlife of any town in central Iowa that is not Des Moines, with ISU there and all.

Otherwise, have you ever used a webpage like golflink? ( www . golflink . com/golf-courses/city.asp?dest=Des+Moines+IA ) I have found it pretty accurate and gives you a good idea of what courses are in what areas. So, check out the towns you want to go to, and look 'em up in Golflink and see what is available.

If you want some info on St. Louis courses I can give you some good recommendations there too, but that seems a little farther off from your target area.

p.s. sorry about the spaces in the links, just shottalk thinks I am a spammer until I've posted 15 posts. maybe a mod can come by and put those back the way they should be.

[gunning4u]

The trip is pretty much set, 4 of us are going down to KC on 4-20 to 4-22 hitting the Twins vs Royals game Friday night and we have great seats. Playing a round Sat afternoon then hitting a good BBQ spot (Any suggestions near the plaza district) to be determined. Sunday hitting the links one more time then heading home. We are having a problem finding a 100-120$ a night hotel in the plaza district that has a heated pool and hot tub, which is a must to help the hangover befor hitting the links. Playing Adams Point for sure looking for one more to play

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by gunning4u

The trip is pretty much set, 4 of us are going down to KC on 4-20 to 4-22 hitting the Twins vs Royals game Friday night and we have great seats. Playing a round Sat afternoon then hitting a good BBQ spot (Any suggestions near the plaza district) to be determined. Sunday hitting the links one more time then heading home. We are having a problem finding a 100-120$ a night hotel in the plaza district that has a heated pool and hot tub, which is a must to help the hangover befor hitting the links. Playing Adams Point for sure looking for one more to play

As far as BBQ. Arthur Bryants is one of the most renowned BBQ places in the United States. The one on Brooklyn street is the original, and I have found nothing in my travels that compares. Although I wouldn't recommend going after dark. The old stadium used to be next door back in the 70's, and up until the 1990's it was still the only food they would allow you to take into Royal's Stadium. Not sure if that still applies. They now have two other locations that opened since I lived there.
Link: Arthur Bryants
Gates and Sons is very good as well and some prefer it to Arthur Bryants. They have locations all over the KC area.
Link: Gates BBQ

As far as BBQ in KC, I am not sure I could justify going to any other than Bryants or Gates, even if you have to drive a little further. Driving around KC is not bad. IMO I would do Arthur Bryant's, it is a historical place in KC, where even Presidents have dined, in a red and white checkered table cloth urban atmosphere. One of my favorite places for food through the US, but Gates is definitely a close second. To me, eating at any other would be like going to New Orleans and eating Red Beans and Rice at Popeyes. You are visiting one of the BBQ havens in the US, and are looking for good BBQ, take full advantage.

There are a number of hotels, just because you mentioned Hot Tubs I will throw in The Elms about 1/2 hour north of KC in Excelsior Springs. The prices were pretty good that time of the year back then. It is built around natural springs and has ton's of hot tubs. It is more of a resort, that Harry Truman stayed at during his campaign. Jack Dempsey trained there. Capone stayed there as well. We stayed there in the late 80's and they had more colonial type rooms. Not sure I would want to have to make the trip after a day of drinking, but was worth a mention. You will find alot of Business hotels like Embassy Suites and Marriotts up by the airport and can maybe get a good rate.
Link: The Elms Resort&Spa

Good Luck and have fun. If you have time to kill there is also a Dog and Horse track up toward the new raceway called The Woodlands off Wyandote Rd I believe, and a Cabelas and Great Wolf resort right next to the new Nascar raceway. Although I believe Great Wolf is expensive to stay. I believe The Woodlands have day and evening races.
Link: The Woodlands

They also have Casino's in the middle of KC off the Missouri River, but unlike Vegas or Atlantic City, you have to pay for drinks and they are not real cheap.

edit 1 - They also have alot of fine Steak Houses in KC

[Pa Jayhawk]

Almost forgot. Westport is one of the top places for clubs and Night Life in KC. We used to go there on weekends from Lawrence. Like 20 clubs all withing walking distance. Spent several New Years Eves and St. Patty's days there. It is just off the Plaza. I also spent had my Bachelor Party there.


Link: Westport Kansas City :: WestportKC.com :: Westport KC

[gunning4u]

PA thanks man you helped a lot my buddy booked us at the sheraton near the plaza I think we are going to have a blast.

[Augster]

If you want a steak, hit up The Golden Ox. Best steaks I've ever had and I hit it every time I'm through that way.

I'm in MPLS and I'll daytrip Veenker in Ames once they open, saying they open earlier than us, which will most likely happen due to the 3 feet of snow we got the last week. It's about 2.5 hours from DT MPLS to Veenker. Scoot down, play twice, scoot back in time for dinner.

[limpalong]

As the Jayhawker said, we have some excellent golf to be had in Kansas. Manhattan has Colbert Hills (Welcome to Colbert Hills) with a slope rating of 152 from the Black & Blue tees. While in Manhattan, Stagg Hill has zoysia fairways and excellent greens. 20 miles west, Rolling Meadows in Junction City is a great course. And, the Aggieville night life will afford you as much 'liquid refreshment' as you can tolerate.

Lawrence has Alvamar. The public side of Alvamar is a good course. Doubt you could get on the private side. If you could belong to a club in MN that would recip, you will never forget the experience. Eagle Bend, also in Lawrence, is a fair muni layout. And, again, the college crowd has Mass Street full of fun and frolic every evening.

We are quite a ways, however, from central MN. Have lots of relatives just west of the Twin Cities. Used to go up there one year and they would come down the next. The past few years, we've met in Omaha/Council Bluffs... about half the trip for both groups. We stay in Council Bluffs. Bent Tree is really a great course and Fox Run is another good track. The casinos have great food and lots of entertainment at night. When the families gather, the guys can play golf and the girls can shop. All can then venture to the casinos at night. The drive would not be nearly as long as coming down into Kansas or Missouri.

Certainly, there are lots of excellent courses in the Kansas City area. As with any metro area, you'd want to be a little careful where you 'enjoyed' your night life. But, casinos... great dining... plenty of liquid refreshment... can be had by all.

Good luck... and have fun!!!!!

[rob0225]

Originally Posted by Pa Jayhawk

Didn't play golf when I lived in KS, but Lawrence and Manhattan are only about 1 hour apart. 2 college towns for the University of Kansas and Kansas State. Lawrence has Alvamar which I have heard from a many number of people it ranks as one of the top public courses, actually I believe Gary McCord ranked it as his favorite public course in the US, not sure if that is a good or bad thing. Manhattan has a couple really nice courses including Colbert Hills, which is ranked as not only one of the nicer public courses but one of the 50 toughest.
Here are the links:
Welcome to Colbert Hills
Alvamar - Golf Course

There are many places to stay in both, KC is also only another 1 hour from Lawrence and has many nice courses. Obviously being college towns there you will find alot of night life at both.

I will likely be playing both of these this year when we go out to visit my wifes family.

Was stationed at Ft. Riley for a bit, I never played Colbert Hills (is that the university course?) but night life in Manhattan rocks. It's a college town with plenty of nice things to look at!!!!

Robert

[DaveE]

Originally Posted by gunning4u

The trip is pretty much set, 4 of us are going down to KC on 4-20 to 4-22 hitting the Twins vs Royals game Friday night and we have great seats. Playing a round Sat afternoon then hitting a good BBQ spot (Any suggestions near the plaza district) to be determined. Sunday hitting the links one more time then heading home. We are having a problem finding a 100-120$ a night hotel in the plaza district that has a heated pool and hot tub, which is a must to help the hangover befor hitting the links. Playing Adams Point for sure looking for one more to play

This is a thread posted by Bravo that talks about hotwire. He got a great hotel deal.

Hotwire.com

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by rob0225

Was stationed at Ft. Riley for a bit, I never played Colbert Hills (is that the university course?)

I believe it was built as part of the University, back in 2000, by a KState Alumni (Colbert). Although it is a public course. Not sure how the revenue side works, but I believe the land, or a least part of it may have been donated to the University for the course.

Limpalong would probably know more about this. I only know a little bit about it because my wife has relatives there, and I started looking for places to play when we visited.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by limpalong

While in Manhattan, Stagg Hill has zoysia fairways and excellent greens.

This was the other I was trying to remember, when I mentioned other nice course, and the other I will likely play this summer. I believe it is the one my wifes uncle commonly plays as it is a little more affordable to play regularly, as opposed to Colbert Hills.

We also still have friends that work with Alvamar, so we will likely play both sides when we come out next.