Go Cyclones!

Finkbine pales in comparison to its rival school's course, Veenker Memorial, which is at Iowa State University in Ames.

The quirky two green par 3 is among the few memorable bits of this track.

The (now gone?) replaced vintage club house also stands out as a memory. Modern needs meant that eventually the old, small, brick clubhouse full of history and charm would one day be replaced. You can't plow a field nowadays (efficiently) with a Farmhall H tractor either. I fondly remember having a 19th hole drink at the Hawk's Nest back in the days before the renovations.

Even though it's somewhat hilly, it's a walkable course. In fact, the only two times I played it, we walked.

Finkbine sits on a 200-acre site, while Veenker occupies 150. So, on a size scale, Iowa wins.

Yardage wise Finkbine appears to be longer at 7002 yards from the black tees, while Veenker weighs in at 6680 from it's blue tees. BUT a closer look and some local knowledge would tell you that ISU's deepest boxes aren't on the card. They are sort of a member's secret set, which are rarely marked or played from. Sneaking back to the hidden blacks would surely give ISU the overtime boost in the yardage category.

Water comes into play only once at Finkbine. The rarity of water is regrettable given that the Iowa River runs through town and is a major feature on campus. Chalk up a win for ISU which has water in 9 places. Multiple water crossing are challenging and scenic and add a ton to the enjoyment of Veenker which just isn't in play or in view at Finkbine.

Old oaks and maples spice up the average property and look great on a late fall Saturday when squeezing in a round before kickoff of the Iowa State vs Iowa football game - aka the Iowa Super Bowl. If you like the Hawkeyes, there's plenty of yellow leaves on the trees. And if you like the Cyclones it's good to see some Cardinal red on the leaves of the turning trees also!

This completely biased review gives the nod to Iowa State's Veenker Memorial Golf Course (my undergrad alma mater) over the University of Iowa's Rinkydinkbine.

The Score - Par Lip Out (Fair) 2.5

Justification - the ISU vs Iowa rivalry runs deep in the Cyclone state so I had to knock off a couple points which I'm sure you all will understand. But because I'm an Iowan, (all Iowans are known to be nice) and I wanted to be fair, I gave them a "Fair" assessment.