Creekmoor - Missouri - USA

It is difficult to look at the layout for Creekmoor Golf Course and not think that designer Tom Clark (of Ault, Clark & Associates) didn’t have A.W. Tillinghast in mind when laying out this challenging route. For one, the course can be stretched significantly, up to 7,400 yards. Secondly, the bunkers at Creekmoor give the distinct image of fingers, grasping at balls hit awry.

The most telling example is the club’s signature hole, a par five named the “Beast of Creekmoor,” which stretches 663 yards and features five significant bunkers (plus a pond at the dogleg off the tee). Ironically there’s not “more creek” at all during this round, but players will occasionally need to carry over the Creekmoor reservoir, such as at No. 7. This, the shortest par three, features a larger green accordingly.

The club makes sure to offer a less-daunting option for the more casual (and younger players), including a set of tees that cut the full yardage by more than half, down to 3,300 yards.