Hardest Public Golf Courses in Iowa
The hardest public golf course in Iowa is Amana Colonies Golf Club in Amana, with a slope of 150 and a course rating of 74.0 from the Black tees (6,824 yards). It is a public course, open to all golfers. Next are Blue Top Ridge (slope 143) and Green Valley Golf Club (slope 141).
5 hardest public courses in Iowa, by slope
Every course here has had its public access checked against a named source.
| Rank | Course | City | Access | Slope | Course rating | Tee | Yards | Access checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amana Colonies Golf Club | Amana | Public | 150 | 74.0 | Black | 6,824 | Nov 2026 source |
| 2 | Blue Top Ridge | Riverside | Public | 143 | 76.9 | Orange | 7,432 | Nov 2026 source |
| 3 | Green Valley Golf Club | Sioux City | Municipal | 141 | 73.4 | Black | 7,084 | Nov 2026 source |
| 4 | Whispering Creek Golf Club | Sioux City | Public | 138 | 75.1 | Black | 7,173 | Nov 2026 source |
| 5 | Tournament Club of Iowa | Polk City | Public | 137 | 73.6 | King | 7,030 | Nov 2026 source |
How this list is built
Each course is ranked by the highest slope rating from its men's tees. Women's ratings are used only where a course publishes no men's rating. Only regulation 18-hole courses are included; nine-hole courses are left out.
Only courses whose public access Stymie has checked against the club's own site or another named source are listed, and private clubs are left out. That is why this list differs from the hardest golf courses in Iowa, which ranks every rated course.
Courses are checked in order from the highest slope down, and the list stops at the first course whose public access has not been checked yet, so nothing here skips over an unchecked course. Courses that were checked and could not be confirmed as open to the public are left out. 187 golf courses in Iowa have a slope rating on file, and Stymie has checked access for 16 of them so far.
Iowa public course FAQ
What is the hardest public golf course in Iowa?
Of the Iowa courses Stymie has checked for public access, Amana Colonies Golf Club in Amana has the highest slope rating: 150 from the Black tees, with a course rating of 74.0. Blue Top Ridge is next at 143. Courses are checked from the highest slope down, so no unchecked course ranks above the ones listed.
What is the hardest municipal course in Iowa?
Green Valley Golf Club in Sioux City, with a slope rating of 141 from the Black tees. It ranks No. 3 on this list of checked public courses.
Can anyone play Amana Colonies Golf Club?
Yes. Amana Colonies Golf Club is a public course, open to all golfers. Stymie checked its access in Nov 2026 against amanagolf.com. Tee-time policies change, so confirm with the course before you go.
How is difficulty measured?
By slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. It runs from 55 to 155, and 113 is standard difficulty. Each course is ranked by the highest slope from its men's tees, and only regulation 18-hole courses are included. Course rating, the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot, is shown alongside.
More Iowa golf
- Hardest golf courses in Iowa, private clubs included
- Easiest public golf courses in Iowa
- Every rated course in Iowa
- All Iowa golf courses