Are Des Moines public golf courses open? Where you can golf around the metro this weekend:

Posted by author February 27, 2025 Golf

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Nearly all of Des Moines public golf courses will be open for golfers this weekend as temperatures continue to rise after almost two weeks of below-freezing temperatures and snow in central Iowa.

A.H. Blank was open Thursday and had more than 100 people scheduled to golf, said Jeff Chiodo, president of the C Corporation, which has contracts with the City of Des Moines to manage A.H. Blank and the city’s two other public golf courses.

Bright Grandview will open tomorrow, and Waveland will open Monday, March 3, at the latest, Chiodo said. Waveland is the last to open because the staff there are working on removing sledding equipment and installing the golf cups and flags on the green.

Jester Park Golf Course, which is located in Granger, and managed by the C Corporation, also opened on Thursday. Jester Park is owned and operated by Polk County Conservation.

Chiodo said tee times at the golf courses begin at 9:30 a.m., with the goal of starting earlier in the morning once it gets warmer.

When do Des Moines golf courses usually open?

Chiodo said that in previous years, most of the courses would close a week before Thanksgiving for the winter and remain closed until mid-April.

However, he said the months of operation at these courses have evolved in recent years due to climate change and changing weather patterns. For instance, he said A.H. Blank and Jester Park have had “pop-up” days over the past two months when they were opened due to light snowfall and warmer-than-expected temperatures.

In recent years, Bright Grandview and Waveland, Chiodo said, would be closed by late November and not open till March 15. This changed last year, as all four courses were opened by Feb. 12, 2024, the first time Bright Grandview and Waveland opened in February.

“Growing up in the 1970s, if you worked at a golf course, you were guaranteed off most of November until mid-April, and that’s changed,” he said. “Global warming is good for the golf industry in the Midwest, but it’s terrible for the world.”

Where are Des Moines public golf courses?

Here’s where you can find the three public Des Moines courses, plus Jester Park Golf Course in Granger:

Bright Grandview Golf Course

Waveland Golf Course

A.H. Blank Golf Course

Address: 808 County Line Road
Phone: 515-248-6300
Website: golfblank.com

Jester Park Golf Course

What is the forecast for Des Moines this weekend?

Anticipate a windy Friday with highs near 60 degrees, followed by a cold and breezy night with wind gusts as high as 38 mph.

Saturday will be sunny but much cooler, with a high of 37 degrees and a low of 22.

Sunday brings a slight return to the warmth, reaching 47 degrees during the day and a low around 33, with a slight chance of rain or snow late at night.

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.