Premier Aerials/Courtesy of the club
Premier Aerials/Courtesy of the club
Premier Aerials/Courtesy of the club
Premier Aerials/Courtesy of the club
Premier Aerials/Courtesy of the club
Premier Aerials/Courtesy of the club
Overview
Though barely two decades old, The Harvester Club has led an adventurous life. It came into the world at the end of the 1990s as course of its time: that is, an upscale daily-fee design 30 minutes northeast of Des Moines with snaking fairways and round, modern-looking bunkering. A bunker renovation in 2010 began to alter their character, roughing up the edges and giving the course a more rustic look. In 2017, the owners reversed course and took the club private, hiring original architect Keith Foster to remove trees to better highlight the site’s hills and prairie terrain, and to revamp the holes with new tees and wider, less snaking fairways. Foster also reimagined the course as a paean to early 20th century architecture, constructing more squared-off greens, shifting new flat-bottomed grass-faced bunkers to more interesting and impactful locations, and adding thematic riffs on a Road Hole green, a Tillinghast-inspired Hell’s Half Acre, a Short Hole and an Oakmont-like Church Pews bunker.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
Second 100 Greatest: Debut appearance on our national rankings.
2023-'24 ranking: 197th.
Previous ranking: Not ranked.
Highest ranking: No. 197, 2023-'24.
100 Greatest Public: Ranked for 16 years from 2003-'18. Highest ranking: No. 21, 2005-'06.
Best in State: Ranked first, 2003-'10 and since 2013. Ranked second, 2011-'12.
Current ranking: First.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“My expectations were exceeded at The Harvester. There were a few unique holes in the routing. Most were great (18 not so much). If you have the chance I highly recommend."
Read More2024
Review
“If you believe Iowa is a flat state. The Harvester will change your mind with rolling hills throughout creating unique and uneven approaches."
Read More2024
Review
“One of those courses that I couldn't wait to see the next hole. Fun and unique, The Harvester is great. Very cool small quaint club with a big golf course. It reminded me some of Scottish courses with heather and some raised blind approach shots. Many greens are squared off which reminds me of Raynor and MacDonald. Rugged bunkering with great green complexes. A great surprise!"
Read More2024
Review
“Great golf experience"
Read More2023
Review
“The Harvester Club is a golf course whose shot options and layout variety don't quite match up to its challenge and conditioning. Though the quality of golf is generally quite high at Harvester, there are some weak holes, particularly on the front nine (#2 and #6 spring to mind). The greens at Harvester are very sloped and very fast and, along with the wind that whips across the property, provide much of the difficulty for the course."
Read More2023
Review
“It's been over a week and I'm still processing what I think of The Harvester Club. - It's in pristine condition because it gets little play...no divots. But the lack of people on the course made for an odd feeling on the course...and off as the staff had long days waiting for people to tend to. - It's very pretty with all the hillsides and old growth trees as backdrops. - I was a little underwhelmed by the greens as the speeds they run don't allow for much character. - You end up hitting a bunch of similar shots as you play. For example, multiple times you have to hit driver up a hill and flirt with a left bunker to hold the left-to-right sloping fairway. Multiple wedge shots to elevated greens. - The last couple holes turn into target golf as you finish around the lake which is really a departure from the rest of the holes."
Read More2023
Review
“A nice piece of property with elevation and water. Many good holes. 2 driveable par 4's and all par 3's go in different directions along with a water feature on each."
Read More2023
Review
“A beautiful course that might prove a tad too difficult for some, but marvelous in every way."
Read More2023
Review
“Recent renovation took a shining star and made it even brighter. Flattening out bunker bottoms, creating more angular green complexes, and adding a couple of additional tee boxes greatly improved strategic shots values, distinctiveness and character."
Read More2022
Review
“Challenging test that provides firm and fast conditioning at a site that tends to have stronger average winds than one typically finds. Some demanding approach shots that if one does not clear a false front, the up and down for par will be very difficult. The 18th was a unique hole where one could hit anywhere from a driver to a 5 iron off the tee and then have a similar yardage into the green for the 2nd shot....if one hits a driver or longer club off the tee however, the amount of water that will need to be covered for the 2nd shot is less."
Read More2022
