Cedar Rapids rise in the national ratings is the result of an intelligent restoration and prolific tree clearing. Architect Ron Pritchard worked with an in house crew to recapture lost putting surfaces, incorporate new tees and bunkers, and execute a tree management program. They took out over 1000 trees (a tornado took out another 800) and widened the fairways to nearly double than what they were. The results are stunning and the long views introduced are simply spectacular!
(This panoramic view from the first tee show the 1st, 3rd, and 4th holes.)
Cedar Rapids history goes back all the way to 1904 when Tom Bendelow designed a nine hole course for the members. His routing essentially played around the large hill the clubhouse sits on before climbing up to finish in front of the patio. Donald Ross expanded it to eighteen holes in 1915, keeping the first and ninth holes (today’s 1 & 18) and Bendelow’s incredible “burial mound” green which is used at the fourteenth.
(This is the view from the first green! It’s a terrific opening hole played from a high tee to low fairway to high green. You can tell from this picture that the putting surface is steeply pitched. In our group, the long hitters were spinning the ball off with their short irons. One player hit his approach twenty feet past the pin and misjudged the speed of his first putt. It went by the hole and off the green. Instant double bogey! #1 365/344 yards par 4)
(The up and over 430/394 yard par four second has two choices. One can layup to the flat atop the hill and hit a longer club or turn it over and chase it down as far as it will go. The green is nearly surrounded by sand but there’s enough of an opening to bounce it in.)
(The 414/384 yard par four third is the only dogleg on the front. It plays out before turning right to a green below the clubhouse. It’s a relatively simple hole with a back to front slope being the primary defense. For long hitters who have taken it over the fairway traps, a solitary trap guards the direct line to the putting surface.)
The front nine at Cedar Rapids is surely one of the best you’ll play. It tacks between two hills, changing elevation and engaging the golfer with an array of lines and strategies. Often times the golfer is above the fairway and has the option to use the shoulder of the hill to propel his ball to the ideal location. Greens are beautifully placed in high spots, and numerous flags are visible as you wait to putt out. It’s full of life! The joy of observing your fellow golfer attack the very pin you struggled against or looking ahead and predetermining a plan. This is the perfect example what parkland golf should look like!
(The 158/148 yard par three fifth angles to the left with pin locations all along the bunker’s edge. A high point on the right can be used to feed the ball back to the pin. The landform just seen on the right is the next box where you can view the group behind play this par three, but even better nearly two thirds of the flags can be seen from its high location.)
(The 431/398 yard par four seventh climbs up the hill with water left and sand right protecting the fairway. The approach will be semi blind to a green that creases in the middle. It will be very difficult accessing specific hole locations so best strategy is play to the center and try to two putt from there. Par is a good score.)
(The 200/177 yard eighth is a long drop shot par three. The top shot bunker short adds depth to the hole but it looks easy enough with all the grass surrounding it…
…sharing time and space with nature is one of the great pleasures of golf.)
(The 585/543 yard par five ninth plays from the valley floor all the way to the top of the hill short of the clubhouse. It mercilessly climbs at least 100 feet uphill!!…
…it’s beauty is revealed after it crests the summit with a feeder slope into a punch bowl green…
…everything funnels from back left to front right. There’s a multitude of pin positions that can be accessed with bump n runs, skip n bites, or high spinners. Even if you can’t reach it in two, being at the top increases your chances at making a four. It’s a beast of a par five.)
The back nine begins and ends atop the hill with the rest of the holes playing in the valley floor. Indian Creek is the primary hazard as it defends a third of the holes. Bendelow’s burial mound green is the defining architectural feature. Ross’ routing attacks the green from a different angle, making it play high left to lower right with the back sloping away. Another terrific view is gleamed from its high position. Overall, the back nine is solid but it unfortunately doesn’t match the variety and grandeur of the front. If it did then we’d be talking about a Top 50 course in America.
(The 397/374 yard par four tenth plays straight down the hill and is driveable for the long hitter. A couple bunkers guard the high right side but once you clear the second one, nothing stops the ball from galloping all the way to the bottom. It’s a cool hole and a definite birdie opportunity!)
(The 281/222 yard par three twelth is one of the most talked about on the course. Not one bunker protects it as a five foot rise elevates it above the fairway. From the tips, it is a par four for the average golfer. From the Ross tees it’s a manageable 185 yards. The old architects never had an issue with making a par three that requires a pitch n putt to save par.)
(The 459/412 yard par four thirteenth doglegs left around one of the ponds that dots the property. A central bunker fronts the green thirty yards away. There’s plenty of room to clear it but should you not, you’ll be struggling to salvage a bogey.)
(The burial mound green is quite the sight! It’s actually viewable all way from the clubhouse. The 376/338 yard par four is just a short iron approach but this green gets wind burnt and firm so you must strike your shot crisply. A runoff in the back sees a lot of action. Take heed not to be too aggressive. A shot to the middle is probably the best play. When the pin rotates to the edges, this can be a very difficult hole.)
(The 366/347 yard par four eighteenth plays up the same hill the tenth came down. Even though the yardage is short, it’s a bruiser of a hole that plays much longer. The green is very difficult pitching from high left to low right. Any shot that finds its way above the hole will likely result in a three putt. It should be noted that both Bendelow and Ross had this as their finishing hole.)
Cedar Rapids is my favorite round of the year so far. After playing it, I saw what it looked like before the renovation and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I never knew how much a tree removal project could alter the playing characteristics and beauty of a golf course. It was an enlightening education and one that opened my mind to what could be, and even should be, a parkland course. The USGA liked it so much they awarded Cedar Rapids with the 2019 US Women’s Senior Amateur. (Lara Tennant won 3&2 over Sue Wooster)
For those who love Donald Ross and want to see what a smart renovation looks like, a trip to Iowa is a must. I give it a very strong 8 (excellent)(worth a weekend visit).
(How can you not love a tiki bar at the turn?!!)
[I joined The Walking Golfers Society and I was able to participate in their outing. I played in a threesome with a friend of mine and a gentleman who was a member at Diamond Springs, a course I had just blogged about a few weeks ago. It was 94 degrees that day, but I played solidly and had one of the craziest back nines of my life carding three birdies, five bogeys, and one par.]
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