Hardest Public Golf Courses in Missouri

The hardest public golf course in Missouri is Tapawingo National Golf Club in Sunset Hills, with a slope of 148 and a course rating of 73.0 from the Black tees (6,737 yards). It is a public course, open to all golfers. Next are Tiffany Greens Golf Club (slope 144) and Creekmoor Golf Club (slope 143).

5 hardest public courses in Missouri, by slope

Every course here has had its public access checked against a named source.

RankCourseCityAccessSlopeCourse ratingTeeYardsAccess checked
1Tapawingo National Golf ClubSunset HillsPublic14873.0Black6,737Nov 2026 source
2Tiffany Greens Golf ClubParkvillePublic14474.2Tiff7,034Nov 2026 source
3Creekmoor Golf ClubRaymoreSemi-private14375.5Black7,406Nov 2026 source
4Osage National Golf ClubOsage BeachResort13974.5Gold-M7,167Nov 2026 source
5Shoal Creek Golf CourseKansas CityMunicipal13873.7Gold6,935Nov 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 Missouri, 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. 181 golf courses in Missouri have a slope rating on file, and Stymie has checked access for 16 of them so far.

Resort courses may require a stay or hold tee times for guests. Semi-private courses limit public tee times. Call ahead before you plan a round.

Missouri public course FAQ

What is the hardest public golf course in Missouri?

Of the Missouri courses Stymie has checked for public access, Tapawingo National Golf Club in Sunset Hills has the highest slope rating: 148 from the Black tees, with a course rating of 73.0. Tiffany Greens Golf Club is next at 144. Courses are checked from the highest slope down, so no unchecked course ranks above the ones listed.

What is the hardest municipal course in Missouri?

Shoal Creek Golf Course in Kansas City, with a slope rating of 138 from the Gold tees. It ranks No. 5 on this list of checked public courses.

Can anyone play Tapawingo National Golf Club?

Yes. Tapawingo National Golf Club is a public course, open to all golfers. Stymie checked its access in Nov 2026 against tapawingogolf.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.

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