GreatLife Golf & Fitness Deer Lake, Springfield, MO

Deer Lake Golf Course has the potential to be a great course but problems with maintenance and slow play have many golfers looking for other options.

The par-72 course measures right at 7,000 yards from the back tees and the layout does provide an interesting mix of challenging and playable holes. The front and back nines each feature two par-5 and two par-3 holes so there is good balance throughout your day of play. Most of the holes are wide open with a few obstacles sprinkled along the way.

One of the toughest holes is the ultra-long 13th hole that measures in at over 600 yards from the back tee. The hole has a slight dog-leg left but there are few chances to cut corners for a shorter shot to the green. A neighborhood is located on one side of the fairway and a road on the other, so accuracy is a must.

Unfortunately, the design of the course is not the biggest challenge. Deer Lake is poorly maintained when compared to other courses in the area. The rough is very thick and if you don't keep a close eye on your drive, a ball hit three yards off the fairway can end up lost.

Fairways are hard and not properly maintained and the bunkers often have standing water. The entire course could benefit from a makeover.
It's a shame because the good bones are there, but the poor conditions often have golfers leaving Deer Lake pretty disappointed.

The course is often overcrowded, and your best bet is to plan at least five hours to play one round. Good luck getting a phone call through to book a tee time. The line is often busy for long periods.

One of the bright points of Deer Lake is that a driving range and nice putting green are located right on site. The course is also very affordable and you can play a round with cart for under $50. Look for special deals throughout the year as well.

If the course maintenance at Deer Lake improves, it has the chance to be a top golf course. For now, golfers should proceed with caution.

Whoever is in charge of maintaining this goat patch should be fired and never let near a golf course again. Last year gave them a break because all year we heard that the well was out. That excuse is not valid this year and it shows that the person in charge of the course is inept. The course at Willard is pristine but Deer Lake has turned into a pure GOAT PATCH.

Played here at least 10 times. Every single time I went, at least three of the greens were had dead grass patches. Every single time I went, the management gave me attitude, "Oh I don't know if we can get you out today...John, do you think we can fit them in?"
John: "Maybe, yeah I think only today though"
Manager: "Alright just book a tee time next time"
(I book a tee-time)
(Arrive at the tee 5 minutes early, in my cart ready to go)
(10 CARTS IN FRONT OF MINE)
Clearly this club has a misconception of who they are and who they are not. They think they are a ridiculously nice course that everyone has to play on. Wrong.
And the above statement regarding twilight rates, they DO NOT HAVE TWILIGHT. I will never be playing this course again in my life, and I sure hope that I can convince you not to.

edit: Agreed, ROUGH IS VERY THICK. Expect to lose your ball even if you know right where it landed. Steer clear of DEER LAKE!

A goat ranch only play one course with more different grass then this course

A fairly interesting course. Fairways are sometimes wide and other times quite narrow. Water comes into play on several holes Nice scenery. A little more difficult than an average course. Course has a bar with a good selection of drinks. Some of the greens could use better maintenance though. This course over all is well worth the money spent for a round.

The twilight rate is a great deal. My only complaint about the course is that one the holes (i think it was 12) had a chunky green.

Good golf course to go whack the ball around. Moderately rolling and wide fairways provide a decent challenge. There isn't a great deal of elevation change, but enough for those that want a little challenge. Only real cons to this course are the driving range (which is a good hike from the parking lot), and the putting green (which has virtually no undulation).