Missouri Bluffs GC
St. Charles, MO (near St. Louis)
1995, Tom Fazio
Black 7047, 74.4, 140, 71
Gold 6610, 72.4, 136, 71
Blue 6205, 70.5, 132, 71
White 5807, 72.7, 120, 71
Fees: ~$110 Wknd High Season
Golfcourse.com Review: This course was carved out of the natural terrain, so wildlife can be seen frequently. There are lakes that come into play on holes #8 and #9. This is a fair course due to the generous width of the fairways. The signature hole is #15, a 529-yard, par 5, requiring a 200 yard shot from an elevated tee, then an approach to a double-tiered green. "Golf Digest" rated this course as the #1 "Best Public Course" in the state for 1996, and also selected it 43rd among the "Top 75 Upscale Courses" for the same year. The same publication rated it as the 6th "Best in State" course for 1997-98. The green fees indicated include the cart fee and 50 range balls.
Avg. Golfcourse.com Player Review: 4.6/5.0 on multiple reviews. "Outstanding conditions, scenery, and topography. . . Going private soon. . . Great collection of par 3's. . . Good pace when I played on a Wednesday afternoon. . . I play alot of biz golf CA TX FL, and Torrey Pines can't hold a candle to the Bluffs. . . Best course in St. Louis, one of best in MO. . . Ever play Zosia fairways? Talk about plush . . . One of the best daily fees in the country, sweet cart girls. . . Tees and greens a bit chewed up, challenging in the wind."
Where To Booze & Grub, St. Louis: My buddy Scott says the best steak he's ever had was at Dierdorf & Hart's (yes, it's co-owned by former St. Louis Rams and Monday Night Football alum Dan Dierdorf), a 14 oz. filet he claims was about 8 inches high and extremely Pittsburgh rare in the center. Knowing Scott's palate for prime beef I doubt this judgement was based solely on the visual and size of the steak, but hey, we are men, right?
MSN.com named Carl's Drive In (Brentwood MO) as one of the Top 10 burger joints in the country. Crisp-edged burgers are always fresh off the flat grill from 20-year-owner Frank Cunetto, and order the double for the best meat-to-bun ratio. A short menu features fries, onion rings, and almost-sippable milkshakes.
Albert Pujols and Shaq hang at suburban Sahara Mediterranean Cuisine and Hookah Lounge.
ESPN.com says:
Nightlife areas: Washington Avenue (between Tucker Boulevard/12th Street and 21st Street in downtown) offers cutting-edge clubs. Laclede's Landing (just north of the Gateway Arch grounds) is an entertainment district that houses clubs in restored 19th-century warehouses with and area of nine square blocks. Five minutes south of the Gateway Arch is the Soulard neighborhood, where blues clubs are tucked away in buildings of red brick. If you are looking for funky and trendy clubs, head to The Loop, a vibrant, six-block entertainment and shopping district northwest of Forest Park (along Delmar Boulevard).
• Sports bars: Bar 101 Soulard (1724 S. Broadway, St. Louis; 314-621-5400) -- outdoor recreation, patio. Maggie O'Brien's Restaurant (2000 Market St., St. Louis; 314-421-1388) -- features 27 TVs with three 10-foot big screens. The Over/Under Bar & Grill (911 Washington Ave., St. Louis; 314-621-8881) -- 37 HD TVs, patio. Paddy O's (618 S. Seventh St., St. Louis, 314-588-7313) -- this old-fashioned tavern has a patio, 25 satellite TVs and two, 120-inch projection screens. Pujols 5 Westport Grill (342 Westport Plaza, St. Louis; 314-439-0505) -- American cuisine, dozens of TVs and Albert Pujols memorabilia.
• Restaurants: Flamingo Bowl (1117 Washington Ave., St. Louis; 314-436-6666) -- the only bowling alley and nightclub in downtown St. Louis. Enjoy the Cuban sandwiches, wraps and veggie paninis. Schlafly Bottleworks Restaurant (7260 Southwest Avenue, St. Louis; 314-241-2337) -- features handcrafted Schlafly beers and a menu celebrating the Midwest. Blueberry Hill (6504 Delmar in The Loop, St. Louis; 314-727-4444) -- one of The Loop's most popular restaurants and music venues, where rock legend Chuck Berry performs regularly. This local landmark is filled with pop culture memorabilia and good food. Triumph Grill (3419 Olive St., St. Louis; 314-446-1801) -- located adjacent to the Moto Museum, Triumph Grill is done up in vintage motorcycle motif.
• Cheap eats: Sundecker's (900 N. First St., St. Louis; 314-241-5915) -- daily specials include Burger Madness Thursdays and 99-cent chicken wings during happy hour. And, of course, take in the view from the sun deck.
• Attractions: Gateway Arch; Anheuser-Busch Brewery; City Museum; Forest Park, home to St. Louis' major museums -- the Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Science Center and Saint Louis Zoo.