Tournament Club Of Iowa

The Tournament Club of Iowa occupies a well-earned place in the state's golf identity. Designed by Arnold Palmer and opened in 1994, the course was built with competitive play in mind — its name is not just branding. It served for years as the home of the Principal Charity Classic's qualifying rounds and has hosted significant Iowa amateur and professional events, establishing it as one of the more serious tournament venues in the region.

Palmer's design makes full use of the rolling terrain north of Des Moines, with generous fairways that reward bold tee shots but tighten considerably as you approach well-protected greens. Water comes into play on a number of holes, and the course has enough variety in its routing that it never feels repetitive. The par-71 layout is not a concession — it plays as a genuine test.

Polk City sits along Saylorville Lake, about 20 miles north of Des Moines, in a part of central Iowa where the land opens up under wide prairie skies. The Des Moines metro supports a healthy golf culture, and TCI remains one of the more respected public-access stops in the state.