Just like my drive to Sioux Falls, I split the return drive to Virginia over two days. After a nice family breakfast I left Sioux Falls around 10am headed south on the I-29. On my trip home though, I decided to cross through Iowa instead of Missouri. It was a bit shorter this way and it also meant that I would be going past some great-looking courses.
I stopped just outside Des Moines and called a couple courses on my list. I called Otter Creek and they told me to come on out, making it sound as if they weren’t very busy. Well, I drove into the parking lot there and it was packed. I said no thanks and got back on the road. However, things worked out as I ended up finding a gem.
I knew that Iowa City had some courses and that I’d be there just in time to finish eighteen holes, so I called over to Finkbine, which is the home of the Iowa Hawkeyes. They said come on out, so I tried it again! This go around worked out a lot better as I ended up teeing off around 5pm and trailed another single around the course. I walked and finished up just as the sun was setting, in about 3 hours 15 minutes. It was one of those perfect evenings!
I’m a course nerd and recently saw Finkbine on social media from someone that I follow. This person liked the course and after playing it myself, I agree. Finkbine was a great test and very fair. My score was in line with how I played and everything was right in front of me, no tricks here. I picked the gold tees which are 71.6/131/6601.
Finkbine has plenty going for it as it is a good driving course, the par-4 and par-5 yardages vary, and it has a signature stretch of holes on the back nine. The par-3’s should generate some thought too. And, for an Iowa course, the elevation change will surprise you. I suppose I’m that guy who thinks the whole Midwest is flat!
In order to score at Finkbine you have to drive the ball well. Ideally you’ll want to shape it both ways, but if one shot isn’t working that day you’ll still be just fine. The problems arise if you start missing the fairways. The fairways aren’t extremely narrow, however if you miss them it will likely be a pitch out from the trees on the parkland style layout. I missed three fairways during my round and didn’t have any shots at the greens!
There isn’t a bad hole at Finkbine, just good holes and better ones. The stretch from the 12th through the 15th are the best holes at Finkbine in my opinion. The 12th is a sharp dogleg left requiring you to pick a line and a club from the tee, possibly allowing you to carry a group of bunkers and tree. Then, the landing area on the approach is blind. The 13th, the signature hole, is a downhill par-3 that plays to one of two island greens. It was about a club less for me to the left green, which is 160 yards on the scorecard.
The 14th and 15th play up and down a large hill and have a good look to them. You probably can reach the 15th in two since it is only a 462 yard par-5. But, the fairway slopes off slightly on either side with bunkers to the left and pitch out trees lurking to the right.
The one drawback that I can see about Finkbine is its location. That is probably tied to its success too, since it is a collegiate course. The course is close to the University of Iowa and in an urban setting, not far from downtown Iowa City. It is bordered by roads on two sides, creating some outside distractions on occasion. There were students rolling by on scooters and someone even yelled fore as I walking up the 3rd fairway (it is like they golfed with me before LOL).
The conditions were near perfect. The tees and fairways, except for divots, were like carpet. The bunkers were washed out from rain the day before, but I was impressed with how the rest of course drained. The greens were smooth and fast, although I didn’t read enough break on many putts. The rough was long and thick. I’m sure the course keeps the rough longer to challenge the school’s golf teams.
Do yourself a favor and check out Finkbine if you find yourself in the area!
Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):
