Charm and tranquility adds to club's history

Overlooking the Mississippi for 81 years, Cape Girardeau Country Club is the elder statesman of Cape Girardeau County golf courses.

The par 70 layout, which lies between the clubhouse and the river, lends a unique taste, providing more than just a great opportunity to play golf. The lush, gentle hills lining the west banks of the Mighty Mississippi are also a relaxing getaway. With the river rolling in the distance, viewable from the clubhouse as well as from numerous holes, and the sound of nature, the setting is definitely tranquil. And with no surrounding streets and virtually no houses in sight, the solitude is thick. The serenity is occasionally broken by a train passing, but even that seems to enhance the charm.

The course, which originally opened as a nine-hole layout in 1921 and expanded to 18 holes in 1962, fits well with its straight-forward approach. Water doesn't come into play often and the number of sand bunkers is limited to about two a hole, but the course is not a pushover. Trees fill more than an aesthetic purpose, often factoring into shots that miss the fairways and, with several doglegs, affecting some shots in the fairway. The greens are bent grass and when combined with a few tiers and other undulation can make for some slippery, interesting putts.

The course has six par threes, but comes back with some healthy par fours, including a dogleg 430-yard hole on the backside.

While the close proximity of the Mississippi is one of the course's most cherished features, it's also a double-edged sword.

Avoiding the flodd waters

Flood waters have overtaken a couple holes in the past, but the club attempted to alleviate the situation with extensive renovation completed in 1997.

The club doubled its green sizes on eight holes, moved one green from the reach of high Mississippi River flood waters and eliminated another chronic-problem hole entirely. The club also purchased land and created a new hole in its quest to co-exist with the Mississippi.

Most of the renovation was performed on the front nine, where seven greens were replaced and the new hole, No. 2, a 160-yard par 3, was created.

After work was completed the course had been extended 300 yards, doubled its sand bunker total and, to date, accomplished its mission of escaping the Mississippi's overflows.

The course is a pleasurable golf experience, capped by the tranquil par 5 18th hole, which makes its way back to the clubhouse between the hills. It features a meandering brook that can be both peaceful and hectic as it crosses the hole three times.

The club is more than a nice setting for golf, featuring tennis courts, swimming pool and dining.

jbreer@semissourian.com

(573) 335-6611, extension 124