KS, United States
Shawnee Country Club is an 18-hole course in Topeka, Kansas designed by Donald J. Ross and opened in 1915, featuring 6,598 yards of golf for a par of 71. It is the only Donald Ross designed golf course in the state. The course has a rating of 72.4 with a slope rating of 125.
The course is characterized by small rounded greens surrounded by rolling and mounding, which adds complexity to even the shortest chip shots. There are no parallel fairways on the course, a rare element that provides golfers with a more interesting variety of views. The opening holes are comparatively simple and non-punishing as warm-up holes, while the back-to-back par fours from number nine through number twelve are among the longest and most challenging in the Midwest. The eighteenth hole was designed to be a match play tie-breaker with a severely sloped putting surface that gives the edge to the golfer making the most skillful approach shot.
Recent restoration efforts have included the discovery of original course drawings from 1921, providing an opportunity to restore the course to its original design with plans to re-sod the greens. The course features rolling hills and lush foliage with mature trees, situated in Topeka's natural landscape.
