Best golf courses: Des Moines

Des Moines: the table below provides brief details about the top golf courses in and around this city. Each golf club has been visited and/or researched by Where2Golf. Click on the course name below to discover more. The course ratings below range from 5 highest, to 2 lowest. They attempt to provide an indication of the golfing experience you might expect at the course (based on its design, condition and surroundings). Hover your cursor above the Rating Key below for the rating definitions.
Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Des Moines
Dye, Pete

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Des Moines

Designer

Original 36-holes at this location laid out in 1958 by Bill Byers (Des Moines G&CC's course superintendent). Pete Dye designed the current North Course (1968) and South Course (1969). Pete Dye and his associate Tim Liddy renovated all 36-holes (2013-16).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Des Moines
Fazio, Tom

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Des Moines

Designer

Tom Fazio

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Des Moines
Foster, Keith

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Des Moines

Designer

Keith R. Foster

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Des Moines
Norby, Kevin

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Des Moines

Designer

Kevin Norby of Herfort Norby & Assocs.
4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Des Moines
Palmer, Arnold

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Des Moines

Designer

An Arnold Palmer Signature Course.

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Tournaments

124th US Open: the No.2 Course at Pinehurst once again plays host to this most illustrious championship (June 13-16). Wyndham Clark defends his title, having won at Los Angeles CC in 2023.

79th Women’s US Open: the second women’s major championship of the season gets underway at Lancaster CC in Pennsylvania. It’s the second time the championship has been held here.
(May 30-June 2).

Who's Who

Nelly Korda: won the Mizuho Americas Open (May 16-19) at Liberty National GC, continuing her extraordinary form in LPGA events. This was her sixth win in seven starts in 2024.

Xander Schauffele: recorded his first major championship win, and second record-equalling low score of 62 in a major. Only he, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry have achieved this feat in a men’s major championship.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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Whistling Straits (Wisconsin, US)

Hamburger GC - Falkenstein, Germany

Littlestone Golf Club (Kent, UK)