Ironhorse

Ironhorse Golf Club sits just a stone’s throw across the Kansas-Missouri border (if you have a strong arm) but, at just under 6,900 yards, you won’t necessarily need too strong of arms to compete here. That said, the land provided Michael Hurdzan with the ability to create a course that may still leave you laying up if you’re short off of the tee.

The primary defender throughout this public-access course is the Blue River, which is actually a sizable creek. It divides the long, thin property in half, and a majority of the holes will play either alongside it or across it (and its tributaries).

Although players will get their first contact with the Blue during No. 6, it will begin forcing players to think twice about going for the green at No. 7. That and the following hole will require a forced carry as the body flows in front of the green. No. 9 — the first par five on the layout — will prevent those who drive into the rough from crossing in two.

A similar blend of risk-and-reward considerations continue during the back half of the route, and in some cases a player may choose iron off of the tee lest they end up on the wrong side of the hole (the side with the river).