A.H. Blank Golf Course Review (Des Moines, Iowa)

Blank is one of the three Des Moines municipal courses sitting on the south side of Des Moines.  Built in the 1970s, and expanded to 18 holes in the 1980s, Blank is far and away the baby of the bunch. But the youthful (relatively) course packs a punch in a variety of ways to put it over Waveland and Bright Grandview in Golf DSM's  book.

Course info
http://golfblank.com/
808 County Line Rd
Par 72, 6745 yards, 72.3 rating, 127 slope

Course overview
Blank provides an open feel even when the hole has trees and/or water.  The interior of the golf course has plenty of trees, but they are spread out don't cause too much trouble which contributes to the open feel. 

Most holes have one or more bunkers, usually around the green, they aren't difficult but there is a good chance you will find one during your round. For a fairly cheap muni course, the bunker quantity and quality was far above what I expected.  

For the most part elevation changes are modest and don't have much of an impact.  In my experience course conditions are pretty good and the putting greens are medium sized with a decent roll. 

The golf carts are equipped with GPS that provide a lot of functionality including a variety of distances and hole fly overs.  The clubhouse is nothing fancy but gets the job done with a small retail section, a decent variety of beverages & foods and lots of space to enjoy those items after your round. 

My favorite part of the course is the tee shot at #9.  #9 is a par 5 that stretches out well over 500 yards.  However, you have the option to cut over a pond and significantly shorten the hole if your are willing to.  The 9th hole has one of the smaller greens on the course and a bunker that protects most of the front of the green, preventing you to roll a long 2nd shot to the hole.  All in all making for a nice risk/reward hole to close out the front 9.

As I mentioned before, Blank is my favorite of the Des Moines municipal courses.  A straightforward golf courses that provides challenges but is very fair.   As a person who likes to play a variety of courses I like a course I can play for the first time, or go awhile without playing, and I don't struggle trying to navigate the course.  AH Blank is great in this area, and for the few times you need some help the cart GPS is there.  A great option for people from out of town or someone looking to try something different than their regular course.

​Some courses in central Iowa I like to play once a year, and that is it. Blank is the kind of course you can play often and not get tired of it.  I highly recommend it if you have never been out there before.

Practice Area
One huge positive at Blank compared to Waveland is that is has a driving range.  The driving range is decent sized and in close proximity to the putting green and clubhouse.  The one downside though is that the range slopes drastically down hill, so if you are looking to really dial in the distance on your 8-iron, it isn't the best setup.  The putting green is large and very closely resembles the speed and feel of the greens on the course.  There are lights around the practice areas, I haven't been there when they are on but that is a nice feature to have.

Post round eats   
Just up the road at the intersection with Army Post Rd is a personal blast from the past, Hardee's.  It seemed like just yesterday I was collecting their California Raisins in my kids meal.  These days Hardee's is best known for funny commercials and a menu full of items that will crush your diet.  While I don't recommend eating there daily, it is a nice beefy treat every now and then.
​