I spent most of the last week in Missouri attending a family wedding. So I had the chance to play one of the courses I played when home on college breaks.
In the early 80s, Lake Saint Louis Golf Course had the best nine holes in then-exurban St. Charles County, outside of St. Louis. And as a college student, I paid only $1.50 to play nine, or $2.50 for 18 to walk.
Lake Saint Louis was the only championship public course in a large county. Even then, $2.50 was an incredible bargain.
A second nine was completed in 1985, the year I finished college, by the original architect, Gary Kern. By coincidence, I played another Kern layout, Wolf Hollow, near Washington, the small German town where I rented a house.
The facility was renamed Lake Forest Country Club with a new clubhouse with a formal dining room and grill, tennis courts and swimming pool. The new holes were intertwined with the original nine in a completely new routing. No. 8 became No. 1, No. 1 became No. 6 and so on.
My younger brother is a member. I played there with him and my son, Rush. It’s a great place — what I’d call a golfer’s club. Nice, challenging golf course, stretching to almost 7,200 yards. Lots of elevation changes and trees. Big, undulating, dome-like greens. The club hosted a Korn Ferry Tour event back when it was called the Nike Tour.
Lake Forest has a very comfortable atmosphere. Initiation fees and dues are reasonable — much lower than several older suburban clubs with inferior golf layouts. You don’t join to climb the elite social ladder.
I especially enjoyed playing the original holes and boring my brother by citing memories of their place in the original nine-hole layout. And it was fun to be the big winner while playing the worst in the group.
I’ll admit, Missouri isn’t a known as a golf destination, though Branson has a handful of great resort layouts and St. Louis has a few nationally known private layouts.
But it was fun to play in a familiar spot. I hope I’ve aged and grown as gracefully.
