Detailed description of Spencer T. Olin Community Golf Course
Spencer T. Olin Community Golf Course is a Public 18 hole golf course located in Alton, Illinois, approximately 30 minutes from downtown St. Louis in the 750 acre Gordon F. Moore Community Park.
Spencer T. opened for play in 1989. The course was designed by Arnold Palmer.
Arnold Palmer designed this course layout at the request of his life long friend of over forty years, Spencer T. Olin, founder of Olin Industries. Mr. Palmer's goal was to design a course challenging enough for the skilled golfer, but yet enjoyable for the average golfer. Proving it high "Palmer" standards, Spencer T. Olin hosted the 1996 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Link Championship and the ESPN televised 1999 U.S. Men's Amateur Public Links Championship.
This deceptively "open" course places a premium on accurate iron play in order to get the ball close to the pin on the boldly contoured Penncross bentgrass greens, featuring both zoysia and blue/rye tees and zoysia fairways. Roughs are a combination of Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and Jamestown fescue. There is plenty of water to encounter on the course, and in the afternoon, especially....wind.
Spencer T. Olin Community Golf Course is the centerpiece of perhaps the finest municipal family recreation and sports center in the Midwest, The Gordon F. Moore Community Park. The park features a lake for fishing, a pro-quality tennis facility, a magnificent rose garden and some of the best soccer and softball/baseball facilities anywhere.
Spencer T. Olin's fantastic practice facility features an immense two tiered grass tee practice range, practice putting green, practice chipping green, and practice sandtrap.
Par for the course is 72. From the back tees the course plays to 6,941 yards. From the forward tees the course measures 5,049 yards. The longest hole on the course is # 1, a par-5 that plays to 565 yards. The shortest hole on the course is # 7, a par-3 that plays to 149 yards from the back tees.
Watch out for # 8, a 406 yard par-4 challenge and the #1 handicap hole on the course. The easiest hole at Spencer T. Olin is # 10, a 377 yard par-4.
$31 (cart included), played on Saturday, October 2011 at noon
Geat layout and the price has always been one of the better ones in the area and a better value than all but 2 courses in the area.
Guest (cart included), played on Friday, August 2008 at noon
Great place to play for the money. Good conditions, fun course
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(cart included), played on Friday, October 2011 at 6am
I've long been of the opinion that if Arnold Palmer showed up he would blow a gasket and fire everyone on sight. This is a course, once great, that has been allowed to degenerate to ave. or below ave. standards while the cost is signigicantly higher than other nearby courses that are in much better condition and provide a more consumer friendly experience. In regard to the course, best to work on your down hill lies. About 80% of the holes required approach shots from down hill lies. If cut and rolled it can be a difficult putting course. Of course, that assumes adequate grass on the greens. Don't count on that. If you want the Palmer experience okay, but do expect to be treated like a criminal by the club house staff. Expect 6 or even 7 hour rounds (yes, 7 hours one time!). Marshalls/Rangers are easy to find, they are riding through the nearby rough looking for lost balls.