Waveland Municipal Golf Course

About the club

Waveland Golf Course celebrated 100 years in 2001! It is the oldest municipal golf course west of the Mississippi. This 18 hole course was built in 1901 and has a traditional layout. Waveland, probably the nicest municipal course in the state of Iowa, is located at 4908 University Avenue in Des Moines. The feature that sets Waveland apart from the other two Des Moines public courses is the incredible amount of slope. The entire course is built on wooded hillsides. The trees are mature, a given for a course of this age. As expected, a golfer needs to be accurate at Waveland. The course isn’t overwhelmingly long but continuous play in the trees might make it feel that way. For men, the course measures just over 6500 yards. Even with the difficulty of the course there are still over 40,000 rounds of golf played at Waveland annually. Many people consider hole number three, sometimes referred to as “The Tunnel”, to be the toughest at Waveland. There are trees and water to the right of the tee and a deep valley between you and the green. A golfer must deal with water a second time before reaching the green, guarded by trees on both sides. The greens are in excellent condition, but tend to be on the fast side and are often difficult to read. Sand traps are limited, due to the amount of hills and trees. The fairways are fully irrigated, but the grass sometimes suffers due to the lay of the land. Along with the trees, the rough is relatively high. It often fills the space in between the fairways which may frustrate those with a hook or slice in their shot. Approximately 70 percent of Waveland golfers utilize one of the course’s 72 golf carts which is understandable considering the hilly terrain. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t master this course right away. Even experienced golfers who attempt this difficult layout for the first time feel frustrated.