About the Course
Osage National Golf Course contains 27 holes of golf, these courses being the River, Mountain, and Links. Osage National describes their property as “a beautiful dining area, spectacular course views and convenience at every turn, the clubhouse at Osage National is second to none.”
Layout
During the time I was there, the River Course was under renovation. The Links and the Mountain were the other nines available to play. We started on the Links, which was extremely nice. The links had a nice variety of holes; the par 3s were nothing too special. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the par 5s on the Links nine. Shorter par 5s, which made them reachable for a wide range of golfers.
The Mountian nine was my favorite of the two. Hole 2 is an awesome par 3, hitting downhill with water right, making for a challenging hole. The par 5s followed the same idea as the Links nine, being reachable while offering a challenge around the greens. My only gripe about the layout is hole 8 on the Mountains course. It was just a weird hole; a straight dogleg left downhill tee shot made for a super uncomfortable tee ball. Also, not being able to see the ball land made for a bit of a search to find golf balls in the right rough/hazard area.
Greens
The greens were immaculate, definitely the best I have played in a bit. They were pretty quick and very smooth, which I enjoyed a lot.
Fairways
Firm and short-mowed zoysia fairways made for long drives if the fairway was hit. The well-manicured fairways and greens made this course a treat to play. Shout out to the maintenance for being able to maintain 3 nines at a very high quality.
Bunkers
The bunkers were like the rest of the course; they felt like they had the perfect amount of sand in them while being “fluffy,” which made bunker shots easier.
Clubhouse
Osage National’s clubhouse was pretty sweet. They had a large pro shop area with numerous Osage National branded items that weren’t as expensive as I thought they would be. Also, their bar area had pretty much any drink you could think of and a bunch of food items to satisfy their customers. The best part of the clubhouse was walking out the back. The clubhouse sat on a bluff that overlooked the River and Links course and was a beautiful view, especially for an early tee time.
Value
Compared to Old Kinderhook, Osage National was a bit pricey. I paid $120 for the Links and the Mountains course, which I thought was a little much. This did include range balls before the round, but I still stand on the price point being high.
Pace
Pace for us was better than I expected for a resort course. We played our round in 4.5 hours and only really waited on a couple of holes on our back nine. The marshals were constantly driving around keeping the pace; they were friendly and just enforced a reminder of pace. I expected a 6-hour round, so 4.5 hours got the thumbs up from me.
Final Thoughts
Even though Osage National is a bit pricey compared to other options in the Ozarks. The golf course provides a challenge while being very well maintained. I enjoyed the Osage National, and if I were in the Ozarks again for a golf trip, I would pay the $120 for a round.
Other Reviews
Mo Golf Tour: 4 out of 5
Golf Digest: 3.5 out of 5
Google: 4.6 out of 5