Golf in Marshalltown

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.

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

The men’s league at Belle Plaine Country Club is no joke: its member roster boasts 112 players. As course manager Mike Coffman points out, “It’s an impressive number for a small town"—and a testament to the course’s charms. Its bluegrass fairways have become a lively gathering place for the community. The pines, elms, and oaks dotting the fairways have flourished for more than 80 years, during which time they've been nourished by a steady diet of misaimed balls and frustrated golfers’ tears. Two-time PGA champion Lonnie Nielsen, who grew up playing on the course, can still occasionally be seen teeing off here.

The course challenges players with tricky water hazards, and balls have to strap on their crampons and take out their rock picks to ascend the eighth hole’s elevated green. After a day spent on the fairways or at the driving range and practice putting green, players can unwind with a slice of pizza or a hamburger at the snack bar.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par 36 course
• Length of 3,008 yards
• Course rating of 67.6
• Slope rating of 111

Mature trees dot the emerald expanse that makes up Willow Creek Golf Course’s 36-hole layout complex, which invites clubbers of all stripes with player-friendly fairways and greens. The long fairways at the 18-hole Red Course tunnel through imposing tree lines on their way to large, contoured greens, which demand solid hits from a driver, putter, and cheese wedge. The nine-hole White Course presents a relatively open layout, and the Blue Course plots a winding path past treacherous water hazards. Willow Creek’s driving range enables golfers to warm up for rounds, and an indoor golf simulator facilitates safe practice during inclement weather and picketing protests from unemployed caddies.