Very solid golf course and so far from what I've experienced, a very professional and friendly staff running the place! Course is challenging from the back tees, and the greens subtle enough to have you second guessing the lines, but it sure is fun. I wish they'd actively marshal the course though. Too many players aren't repairing divots and ball marks, and that's the stuff that will ruin a course. If you haven't played here, do so soon! read more

I played here with my dad. it was an awesome time and an amazing course! I hit a 50 degree wedge to 3 ft on hole 1 and will remeber it forever. read more

I could have had a better round with the exception that it rained hard the night before and the morning I played as well. Most of the course was cart path only. It was a nice open design with several very challenging holes. Of course its also near the motor speedway and there was a race going on that day as well which made it difficult for traffic as well as the loud roars while playing. While the course shows the Gateway Arch, its located on the Illinois side of the river. I didn't play my best game, but still had fun and didn't lose too many balls. read more

Played a round here this past weekend for the first time and have no complaints! The course was in great condition and provides many challenges for any golfer. The staff was very friendly and took care of my group. Will definitely be back! read more

I can't say enough good things about this course. The fairways, the greens the tee boxes all were in great condition. The only complaint was the lack of restrooms. Great day, great value. Highly recommend! read more

This would be an ok course, but the smell from the surrounding businesses are too much to bear. It is one of the worse smelling courses in the US. I understand the owners do not have control over the smell in the air, but they should reduce the price accordingly. They charge too much for a course that smells so bad. It ruins the entire experience. I will never return to this course again. Also, ...completely eaten up my mosquitoes. read more

Giving them a 1 star review, the course is a nice links style layout and in pretty good condition. The reason for a 1 star is their customer relations. I purchased a 4 round certificate for twilight golf at a really good price. Problem was it had an expiration date. With the course being closed a substantial amount of time due to Covid-19 and when it did open up it was very busy I was unable to use 2 of the rounds. When contacted they informed me that they would make no accommodation's and I would lose the 2 rounds and the money that I spent on them. It would seem to me that with all of the difficulties that came with Covid they would be able to provide some sort of solution even if it was just a credit for the money I gave them. I am not saying I will never play here again because it is a nice track but will not be one of my first choices. read more

Either properly block off your tee times or simply close the course to the public like Annbriar did, who was also hosting a Korn Ferry tour qualifier (When you looked up Annbriar today on Golf Now, it said "No available tee times). The picture with the Tee times doesn't show the rest of the open tee times that were as early as 11 am (the last group of the qualifier tee'd off at 11 am according to the officials that I asked out on the course). I took this screenshot earlier in the day to show my uncle the available tee times around noon, (he didn't end up joining me) mind you I had no knowledge of the qualifier. I didn't know about the tournament until 10 seconds after the guy at the desk swiped my credit card. I tee'd off as a single at 12:20 pm, almost an hour and a half after the last group and I ran into another single that I ended up joining that was stuck behind the last group by the 6th hole. THE 6th HOLE!!! We had to wait on 6, 7, 8, and 9... The other guy just left at the turn, he was from Maryland on a business trip and went out to play a round, and rented clubs to play and wasn't made aware of the tournament until an official stopped him after coming off the 5th green. I waited an additional 20 minutes on the bridge leading to the 10th tee box before I finally said screw it and went to the club house. I told them I'd be a happy customer if I got a full refund or rain check for 18 holes considering I drove 45 minutes to play there... The big guy running the show there basically told me all he could do is give me a voucher for 9 holes for the next time I have to drive all the way out there. He should be embarrassed, that's no way to treat your guest after making the mistake of letting people tee off right after a tournament finished teeing off. The ONLY reason that I'm not leaving a 1 star review, is because the course was in amazing shape lol. read more

Gateway National Golf Links - Golf Near Me - Madison, Illinois

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Just East of downtown St. Louis, Gateway National offers views that rival no one in the St. Louis area. Playing here is a dream, seeing the downtown skyline in the sunset only reminds you that any bad day on the golf course is still better than a good day in the office. Overall this course is my favorite. Gateway is the only golf course to showcase bent grass fairways in the area, and they are beautiful. The course is long and hard so bring your A game. The wind and elements can make Gateway even more difficult so be prepared, and for the price you can't beat it. read more

I played Gateway National for the first time this morning, having gotten a pretty decent rate through their website (better than what was being offered on Golf Now). The course itself is phenomenal. As stated by many others, the fairways are worth the trip alone - they're perfectly manicured and smooth as can be. The holes are challenging without being overly difficult, and if you can manage to keep it in the fairways (which are pretty wide, for the most part, you should be able to score well. All in all, I love the course, but the only thing preventing a five-star rating from me is the "operational" side of things. I started out with my cart all but dying on my way up the first hole, and although I was able to easily drive it back and swap it out for a new one, it was a minor inconvenience I'd rather not have dealt with. I was also disappointed to not see a snack/beverage cart making the rounds. I believe they do have one, but I never saw it, even though my round lasted through mid-afternoon. The course doesn't swing back by the clubhouse at the turn, as most courses do, which is fine, but I'd think this would be even more reason to ensure the snack/beverage cart is deployed. I'd definitely like to go back and will be happy to bump this up to a five-star rating if these issues aren't present in my next round. read more

Two words: bent grass. This is definitely one of the more challenging courses in the area. Very fun to play and the grass makes it unique. Always in great condition and just a short drive to the ILL side (my favorites on this side being Gateway, Stonewolf, Far Oaks, and Annbriar). read more

Good course for the money. Don't pay full price though, usually you can find a deal somewhere around town. It is a great view of downtown St. Louis. The course is long, but fairly open fairways. For big hitters this course will be a little easier, but I was hitting alot of fairway drivers and long iron approach shots. One of the better public courses in the area. I think Annbriar may have it beat as far as course layout for me because it is a little shorter, but Gateway is a much shorter drive for me and for anyone living in St. Louis city and many surrounding locations. read more

I'm a senior golfer, hoping for pars, expecting bogeys. This is my most played and favorite course in the St. Louis area. The bent grass fairways are great to play on. The greens are in very good shape and very fair for the most part. The par 5's are a challenge, especially with any wind which is fairly normal. The course is flat and generally no tree issues. Play moves relatively quick (play before 8:00 am on weekdays and finish in less than 4 hours). No blind shots and no trick or gimmicky holes. read more

Great views of the skyline! Fairways smooth like carpet! Greens are firm but, receptive! Staff is friendly, helpful, & informative! read more

We were in town for a photo exhibit and played golf here. It was a true links style course with a view of the Arch on almost every hole. Had a great time. Will definitely play again when in the area. read more

Layout: Gateway National bills itself as a links course, but it really is more links-style, and not even really that. Although Gateway has its share of tall grass and does not use large trees as obstacles, it is pure target golf and not links-style. Links courses are designed to play hard and fast, and with a very soft bentgrass playing surface, Gateway plays anything but hard and fast. So, like most American attempts at links golf, Gateway is target golf that sort of looks like links golf. Regardless, I have come to enjoy the layout at Gateway. It's long and very difficult, but has a nice variety of holes. In my opinion, the best holes are #7 (long par 3 over large hazard that runs along train tracks), #10 (great risk reward par 4 that is driveable but risky), and #18 (reachable par 5 with pond protecting most of the green). While I would not rate any of these holes as exceptional, there are no holes that are poorly designed or unfair. Solid all around golf course. Conditioning: Gateway is usually in very good shape. One issue I have is that because the fairways are soft, very deep divots can be found. For example, on hole 18, I layed up in front of the water that protects the green, and found my ball literally below the surface of the ground in a divot. It was unplayable and I had to take a drop. There were several other divots that were that deep in this general location. Difficulty: Gateway is a difficult golf course, evidenced by its selection to host US Open qualifiers. It's major protection is its length, with several exceptionally long holes. Despite its significant challenge, it does not have many forced carries off the tee, so beginners could probably get around despite being overmatched on several of the very long holes. Value: Their regular rates are on the high side, as the same money can get you a round at Annbriar, but then again Annbriar is much farther from downtown St. Louis. There are often very good deals on greens fees for gateway that can be had on golfnow.com. Their twilight rates are also pretty good. Walkability: Not many walk it, but Gateway is walkable. There are a few holes that have some distance between them, but overall its doable. Scenery: Gateway has a nice view of the arch and St. Louis skyline, which is a plus. The immediate surroundings are something of a wasteland, but you don't really see them. When Gateway International Raceway was open, weekend rounds were often bereft with the sounds of race cars buzzing around a track - very loud and not exactly what I am looking for in a round of golf. Now that GIR is not open full time, that type of distraction is rare. Overall ok. Practice Facility: Okay range, two putting greens. Overall decent. Gateway National is one of the better public golf courses in St. Louis, and combines a challenging layout with above average conditioning. It's location close to downtown St. Louis is also a major plus, making it easy to get to for a round after work. I think it would be a much better course without the soft bentgrass fairways, as it could play hard and fast - truer to its links-style setup. In a head to head comparison between Gateway and the other links layout in the area, Aberdeen, I give a slight edge to the latter, but its very close. Gateway scores a solid 7 on my 10 pt scale. read more

Living in south city makes this a great course for me.It's easy to get to from home,or work.nice layout(links style)..and the bent grass fairways are beautiful...its like being on a golf trip but your only ten minutes away from downtown.great clubhouse .the staff are a pleasure to work with.and a very nice range to hit a bucket of balls before your round .its like belonging to a country club for a day.. read more

This is a premier golf course with 5 sets of tees. 5187-7092 yards will challenge anyone who accepts the challenge. And Bent grass! The course is laid out nicely and made for players who have a wide array of shots. Trouble? As wide as it is, you'll manage to find plenty of trouble. Ohh and bring plenty of balls because there's plenty of massive tall grassy areas where you'll lose your ball. Ready or not...here I come! It was so fun to play here today. Cloudy and cool but what a wonderful time I had. read more

Gateway National is hands down my favorite public golf course in the metro area. With true bent grass surrounding the entire course it gives the local guy something he may not be used to. Aligning the lush green fairways are beautiful St. Louis skyline views that make you want to immediately grab your phone and take a picture. The staff and pros are second to none and they always make sure to take care of you. If you are in the area I highly recommend playing this course because you will not be disappointed. read more

This was my first time playing a course on the Ill side of the river, and was very impressed with this one! I love the bent grass fairways. They were very easy/soft to hit off of and offered good bounce control so you didn't hit the fairway just to go rolling off of it. The cart girl was very nice and made her rounds often. This is much appreciated since this is not a turning 9's course. They do have a small hut at the turn where you can grab a quick snack/beer. This course is very long, especially if you play anywhere close to the tips. We played on the back, which is essentially the back of the middle, and it played long. I loved the sound of the roaring V8's over at Gateway also during our round. It really added to the experience. My only complaint is their carts. My first one was pretty much dead after the first hole. I had to limp it back to swap it out for another one. Then I get the new cart out only to find that the steering is bent, and it was an absolute bear to steer the rest of the round. I blame that for my game going to hell after about hole 14. I joked that I was tired from wrestling my cart all day. read more

Great layout and plays long on a lot of the holes but fair on the greens. Par 5 are tough to score....545yd to 655yd so you better be PGA long to get there in 2. I average 280+ yd off the tee and getting on 2 was almost impossible under slight wind conditions. Also this is considered link style but I would call it a hybrid....fairway and green are too soft vs traditional links and trees are present on most of the course which provide wind cover and hold moisture on the fairways. Now why the 3 stars? The condition were very poor...fairways were torn up, green are beat up and bunkers...or toxic mud holes. The Walters Mgmt need to step it up here as it has massive potential. One suggestion is promote proper golf etiquette to fix divots and repair/re-seed fairways as groups ahead of us (3 group) didn't seem care of the course... The Staff was great...look forward to coming back seeing some changes soon. read more

Overrated in my opinion. We Played there on 3/20/2017. When we made a tee time the day before we were quoted $28. When we arrived we were charged $32.50 and told that the $28 rate was not correct. After some discussion the man offered a $5 raincheck for each of us. Seemed to be a bait and switch to me. While taking our money he went on about what great shape the course was in. When we played the round all the areas with Pompas grass had been burnt off with large black areas covered with literally thousands of golf balls. So much for enjoyable view. This will be my last trip to this course. read more

Beautiful course but being female and vegetarian I would not choose to play golf here again. My husband and I were paired to play with two other golfers so there were four of us. At the end of the 9th hole we did not find ourselves back by the clubhouse. I found myself having to skip my bathroom break because of the bad odor hanging in the air as I approached what appeared to be a small bathroom building:( Without even reaching the door I chose to turn around and walk away. In this same area between the 9th and 10th holes there is a very small food booth where you can buy hot dogs and chips as well as a few various beverages. The special for the day was a grilled chicken sandwich. Since golfers are not allowed to bring outside food to the golf course, as posted outside the clubhouse and there were no food options for me as a vegetarian, other than junk food I golfed on. On the back 9 holes I didn't drink anymore water so as to not increase my discomfort. By the time we were playing the 13th hole and my golfing skills worsened due to hunger and need of a bathroom facility I stopped playing for the day. While the three men were playing the 18th hole I walked back to the clubhouse to relieve myself. Once the clubs were loaded back in the vehicle we drove to a lovely restaurant that served vegetarian dishes. read more