Golf Guide: Cedar Rapids - IA

Famous for being the home to Masters Champion Zack Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa serves up dozens of golf courses on which golfers can improve their games. Yet golf isn't the only game in town, since visitors can stop by Veterans Memorial Stadium to take in a baseball game played by the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Two casinos exist within 45-minute drives of Cedar Rapids, and museums of various kinds decorate the region. Travelers seeking more-active fun should explore the four miles of trails that traverse the Indian Creek Nature Center or the six miles of trails that crisscross the Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center in nearby Toddville.

Yet golf will likely bring GolfTrips.com visitors to Rapid City, and they will not be disappointed with the offerings. Two dozen courses grant Cedar Rapids visitors plenty of options on a variety of courses. And if travelers are willing to drive up to 45 minutes from the city, the number of courses increases to more than 40.

Playing Ellis Park Golf Course is almost like playing two courses in the same day, since the front and back nines differ dramatically. The front side features mostly elevated greens, then the back nine rollicks through the forest, delivering scenic undulations and testing every club in the bag.

Golfers seeking a good warm-up round or one that will stoke their egos should dash off a quick 18 at Twin Pines Golf Course, which features a perfectly manageable slope of 107. Golfers whose scores come anywhere near that number should take up croquet.