Old Kinderhook

Getting To Know: Old Kinderhook

An Insightful Interview With Bob Renken, Executive Director

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Jen Bachman who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
Old Kinderhook is located in central Missouri on the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. The Tom Weiskopf Signature course is a 6,855-yard par 71 featuring zoysia tees and fairways with large bentgrass greens. It is consistently ranked among the top courses in the state and... is breathtakingly beautiful.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
As you drive through the front gate at Old Kinderhook, you feel like you're entering another land...Ireland is a comparison frequently mentioned. Nestled in the Missouri Ozark hills, the course is renowned for its unsurpassed drama: valleys, waterfalls, hills, trees and water hazards, plus its beautiful lake setting. The elevation changes and breathtaking views will thrill you at every hole. But the setting isn't the only attribute worth noting; Old Kinderhook's course conditions are meticulously maintained and consistently in outstanding conditions. Not to mention, Tom Weiskopf designs are typically very player friendly.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
With the speed of our greens, it is always good to keep it below the hole. And...keep it out of the rough!

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
In the September 2012 issue of Golf Magazine, Old Kinderhook was ranked #2 in Missouri for their best selection of "Course's Near You". We are most proud of maintaining impeccable course conditions over the last 2 years despite intense heat and drought conditions.

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
#18 - It's a great finishing Par 5 hole; a good risk/reward and an opportunity to make eagle or double depending on how aggressive you play.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
#12 It's a dramatic elevation change hitting off a huge hill into a beautiful creek bottom. Make sure you keep your drive to the right-center of the fairway and don't be tempted to cut the corner.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
We're fortunate to have two 19th Holes - The Hook Café that serves breakfast and lunch. I'd recommend the The Birdie - a marinated chicken sandwich w/ sauteed onions and mushrooms with provolone cheese and of course, a Bloody Mary. Old Kinderhook is also home another dinner-time restaurant, The Trophy Room both are situated along the 15th fairway. The Trophy Room serves everything from pizza and sandwiches to seafood and steak; but the MUST HAVE selection is the Filet.

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
Drew Letham their Score? 62 Details at www.drewlethem.com.

Back Tee Stats
Par: 71
Yardage: 6855
Slope: 137
Rating: 72.8

More Information
Old Kinderhook
20 Eagle Ridge Road
Camdenton, MO, 65020
573-317-3500
www.oldkinderhook.com

Revised: 11/28/2012 - Article Viewed 35,194 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.