"Toughest hole: Distance makes the 458-yard No. 3 (white tees) a bit of a bear. From a slightly elevated tee, you look down into a valley with trees and OB on the left and more but less menacing trees on the right. Also, Hickory Creek cuts the fairway in half at 200 yards out. On a windy day, and it certainly was windy my day here, it's not an easy tee shot. The first time around, I pulled a drive left and ended up on No. 4 tee, just missing a foursome. Second time around, I drove about 235 yards on the right side of the fairway, a good spot to be. I faded an iron right and finished bogey, but the drive went where I wanted it to go.

Easiest hole: If you don't hit it through the dogleg, No. 7, a 274-yard par 4, is a totally drivable eagle hole. I'm sure more folks would drive the green, but the hole bends right and the green is guarded by a few big trees. It's doable, but not with a 250-yard drive. The smart shot is to play a long iron or fairway wood onto the fairway and just past the big oak. The first time through, I nailed a drive straight through the bend. I finally found my ball on the middle of a gravel road that leads to the maintenance sheds. Second time, I faded a drive into the middle of the fairway and ruined an easy birdie hole with a short chip and finished with a par.

Overall impression Tri-City Golf Club is a beautiful little course (2,821 yards) tucked in the rolling hills of the upper Mississippi River valley in Iowa. The course is immaculate. The greens are speedway fast, which I like and generally use as a gauge for how well a course is kept. The clubhouse has a deck overlooking the course. It looks like a great place for a summertime burger and soda after a round of negotiating the hills and greens of Tri-City. It's a solid two-hour drive from Cedar Rapids. If you're in the area for a Mississippi River weekend, give Tri-City a shot."

- By Marc Morehouse,

The Gazette