A Midwest awakening: Kansas City golf scene shines with restored muni, pristine private clubs
KANSAS CITY — When you think about premier golf destinations in the U.S., the usual suspects likely come to mind. Long Island, the Phoenix Valley, the Carolinas, anywhere along the coasts of California and Florida. If someone mentions a place such as Kansas City, most people probably assume it’s a bunch of flat Midwestern nothingness ― an afterthought in America's golf scene. But the KC metro is experiencing a golf renaissance. The game is booming just as it is in most U.S. regions, and club owners and municipalities alike are investing big dollars in their properties, crafting elite golf experiences for members and residents while also attracting golfers from around the country. Golfweek editor Tim Schmitt and I had a chance to tour and play several of these courses, and we were shocked. The quality of each property was astounding and quickly made us forget where we were, in the best way. Swope Memorial Golf Course Swope Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri, opened in 1915 then was completely redesigned by A.W. Tillinghast in 1935. In the nine decades since, it had undergone many changes, most of which were not for the better. Its greens were infected, cart paths deteriorating and
