WinterStone Golf Course

Independence, Missouri

WinterStone Golf Course is known as the course above the limestone mine, but it's also a championship caliber golf course. Craig Schreiner, the noted designer, created a course that takes advantage of the hilly, wooded terrain, with many uphill and downhill holes that demand strategic shot-making. Yet there are also generous driving areas that allow for wide open play. Keep the ball in the fairway to avoid the steepest hills. The hills provide wonderful views of the surrounding countryside, with each nine traversing to a high point before returning down to the clubhouse. Twin lakes and creeks bring water into play on seven holes, the lakes demanding long drives to carry them on two holes. The course ranges in length from 6,752 yards from the gold tees to 4,976 yards from the blues. It's not especially long, yet the hills make many holes play longer than they're marked, so prepare to play an extra club to carry them. The zoysia grass tees and fairways and bent grass greens make this a top notch conditioned course. You can play WinterStone without knowing it's above a limestone mine, until about 3:00 every afternoon, when you hear and feel the rumblings underground. Enjoy the experience, it's unlike any other golf course in America. But then get back to your game, it will surely be tested on this superior course.