Wakonda Club

Des Moines, IA Private

Overview

Located on a beautiful property cut with ravines and depressions in south Des Moines, Wakonda is a textbook example of what happens when golf courses age: they tend to get more narrow, overgrown, restricted by trees and grasslines, and lose the character that made them exemplary in their day. Wakonda was built by William Langford, a master of the Classical Era, but little of his architectural expression remains. A major renovation by Tyler Rae beginning in 2023, however, will reestablish his principles and style, namely large plateau greens, steepfaced bunkers cut into their bases and more spacious fairways that set up strategic driving lines off the tee. Wakonda is well-respected now, but the restorative work could push the course into the top two or three in Iowa.

About

Holes 18
Length 6859
Slope 135
Facility Type Private
Designer William B. Langford, ASGCA/Tyler Rae (2023)

Awards

100 Greatest
Best Courses in Every State

100 Greatest: The course was part of Golf Digest's original 200 Toughest Courses list from 1966-'68.

Best in State: Ranked first, 1985-'95, 1999-2001. Ranked third, 2011-'14. Ranked fifth, 2015-'18, 2021-'22. Ranked inside the top 5, 1977-2010. Ranked sixth, 2019-'20, 2023-'24.

Current ranking: Sixth.

Panelists

Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

3.9

100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

Shot Options
6.7593
Character
6.8802
Challenge
6.7935
Layout Variety
6.7084
Fun
6.693
Aesthetics
6.6851
Conditioning
6.89

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