Golf in Des Moines

We are an 18-hole public golf course located in the heart of Iowa. We showcase bentgrass tees, fairways, and greens and over 40 undulating bunkers. Our course pays tribute to the links traditions of golf by relying on the prairie winds and fescue grasses as the primary defenses.

Pleasantville Golf & Country Club's nine-hole course blankets the Marion County countryside with a circuit of tree-lined fairways. Originally opened in 1965, the course boasts the trademarks of a mature layout, with well-defined greens, tall timbers, and fairways that are starting to show flecks of gray. The semiprivate club also encompasses an outdoor swimming pool and Bogey's, a grill with a full-service bar and a menu of sandwiches, burgers, and other casual eats.:

Cedar Pointe Golf Course’s 18-hole layout unfurls across 6,647 yards of pristine fairways cleaved into a landscape of mature trees and rough-side waterways. The course eases golfers into the round with eight relatively straightforward holes before testing swings at the ninth hole, where tee shots must clear a pond on their multishot journey to a windswept flagstick 543 yards in the distance. The intervening water at the end of the front nine foretells an upsurge in aquatic obstacles in the course’s second act, where a slender pond runs between the 12th and 13th holes and two ponds loom menacingly at the junction of the 10th, 11th, and 18th holes, tempting many hydrophobic golf balls to forge doctor’s notes allowing them to stay in the dry bag. An adjacent driving range prepares players and gun-shy three-woods before the round, and a revamped clubhouse and bar await just beyond the 18th green, where pin-hunting posses can recap their round over a frothy beverage.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Length of 6,647 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 71.1 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 120 from the farthest tees

• Four tee options

• Download scorecard

Cleaved through the bucolic terrain of Ledges State Park, Honey Creek Golf Club’s 18-hole course bounds over contoured terrain amid prairieland flora and mature tree lines. The challenging par 71 starts fast, with water in play on four holes on the front nine, including a forced carry on the second tee that will punish shaky swings and drivers that forgot to stretch before the round. Multiple dog-leg holes cater to players who can work their drives both ways, helping them find the bentgrass fairways and avoid the arbors and brambly prairie grass of the rough. A difficult layout for those teeing up from the back tees, the course features five tee options to make the round surmountable for players of any ability.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course

• Length of 6,805 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 70.5 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 131 from the farthest tees

• Five tee options

• Link to scorecard

Since 1964, Terrace Hills Golf Course has invited golfers of all abilities to send balls soaring between the trees lining each of its 18 fairways. Though relatively short at 6,421 yards from the back tees, plenty of hazards lurk throughout the terrain, ready to spoil any oncomer's overconfidence. Water confronts play on eight of the holes, including holes 3, 4, 12, and 13, where a stream snakes its way through the course and enervates golfers by forcing them to play "Marco Polo" with lost balls. Terrace Hills promises golfers a free round on their next visit if their rounds take longer than 4.5 hours when they have tee times on weekdays before 2 p.m. and weekends or holidays.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course

• Total length of 6,421 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 68.8 from the back tees

• Course slope of 116 from the back tees

• Three sets of tees per hole

The course at Rolling Hills leads golfers out into an emerald oasis with well-maintained fairways that rise and fall over frequent elevation changes. Water is a prominent feature that comes into play on six of nine holes, including on the seventh tee, where golfers can reach the green 160 yards away by carrying their golf ball over the water and using their golf bag as a buoy to wade through it.

Along with its regulation-size par 36 course, Rolling Hills invites players to hone their short games on the nine-hole par 3 course, which features lights so play won’t be halted by dusk or hungry owls that mistake golf carts for chubby mice.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par 36 course
• Total length of 2,885 yards from the back tees
• Three sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard

Rolling Hills Golf Course's rates fluctuate throughout the week.