Kansas City

Formed in 1896, Kansas City Country Club is one of the oldest country clubs located to the west of the Mississippi River. The club’s original course was laid out at nearby Loose Park – site of the Battle of Westport during the American Civil War – but the club moved to its current position at Mission Hills in 1926, with A. W. Tillinghast called in to set out a new 18-hole layout.

Interestingly, polo was also played at both these golfing locations but interest in the sport waned after World War II and land set aside for its use by subsequently relinquished. Down the years, the club has hosted many important regional events, including the first Trans-Mississippi Amateur, and it’s also home to none other than multi-Major winner Tom Watson.

In Daniel Wexler’s book The American Private Golf Club Guide he describes the hilly, tree-lined Kansas City course as “easily the top classic facility in Kansas City” and one that “would rank in the upper echelons of courses in the great majority of American cities.” The author also mentions that the “design retains most of its original routing and a great deal of Golden Age feel“.