Spirit Hollow Golf Course

Spirit Hollow occupies a former cattle ranch in the hills outside Burlington, Iowa, land that founder Randy Winegard grew up near and acquired in 1991 to build his dream course. He interviewed several architects before hiring Rick Jacobson, a former Jack Nicklaus design associate, and the course opened in 2000. Jacobson took advantage of the property's unusually bold terrain for the Midwest, carving holes through wooded ridges and dramatic elevation changes that give the layout a secluded, big-country feel. The result has been consistently ranked among the very best courses in Iowa by national outlets, prized as a hidden-gem daily-fee that plays far tougher and more scenic than its remote location suggests. Wide corridors, sizable greens, and constant elevation swings make it both memorable and demanding across its more than 7,000 yards.