THE CLUB AT CASTLE BLUFF

The rolling Missouri terrain serves up dramatic elevation changes that transform what could have been another forgettable municipal into a surprisingly strategic test. Tom Fazio's routing maximizes the natural bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River valley, creating approach shots that demand precise distance control when you're hitting down to greens 40 feet below the tee. The back nine's clifftop holes offer stunning vistas, but it's the risk-reward par-5 14th—where longer hitters can cut the dogleg over a ravine—that separates the bold from the meek.