Palmer Hills Golf Course is an award-winning public 18-hole course in Bettendorf, Iowa, part of the Quad Cities. Designed by William J. Spear and established in 1974, it features rolling hills, 100-year-old oak trees, ponds, and a meandering creek that comes into play on 11 holes. A variety of teeing options make the challenging hills and water playable for golfers of all levels, offering a fun track that is not overpowering. It is widely considered one of the best public courses in the QC area. The course is consistently in very good, immaculate shape with perfect fairways, firm and fast greens, and deeper second cuts that add challenge. The grounds crew continues to maintain and improve the conditions. Recent upgrades include smart carts with GPS. The staff is super friendly, and the Palmer Grill provides a good 19th hole spot for food and drinks. It offers excellent value, with a quality that is hard to find at its price point. Some downsides include an absolutely awful pace of play with little ranger assistance, leading to a congested course not ideal for a quick round. Other noted drawbacks are a lack of restrooms on the course, a mats-only driving range with awkward markers, and a long walk between holes 12 and 13. Despite these issues, for golfers willing to invest the time, it delivers a rewarding and challenging experience, considered a hidden gem in the Quad Cities.
Very nice and well kept course. I play a lot of golf in a lot of different places; Palmer Hills was top notch! Great price, pro-shop and I would definitely play this course again! 9/10. Only reason no 10, was pace of play was a little slow but nothing too crazy. Great job Palmer Hills!
August 2025
Good course, love playing here. Just the pace of play always seems to be awful. I’ve never had a round finish on time
July 2025
The golf course is in very good shape and the grounds crew has continued to take care of this course the past several years while finding ways to continue to improve the condition. The downside of this golf course is the pace of play is absolutely awful and the ranger does not seem to want to help regarding pace of play
