Work Underway in ‘Reimagination Project’ for Iowa’s Finkbine Golf Course

PHOTO: HAWKEYESPORTS.COM The University of Iowa's Finkbine Golf Course will sport a new look when it reopens in summer 2027.

Since its opening in 1955, Finkbine Golf Course has hosted many prestigious tournaments, ranging from Big Ten Championships to the Amana VIP Pro-Am that attracted famous figures such as President Gerald Ford and baseball star Joe DiMaggio. The 18-hole, par-72 course off Melrose Avenue in Iowa City is also home to the University of Iowa men’s and women’s golf teams.

Now, thanks to a generous gift from Fritz and Mary Lee (61BA) Duda, Finkbine is set for a major transformation. Finkbine’s irrigation system needed an upgrade, so refreshing the course now made the most financial sense. UI men’s golf coach and former letter winner Tyler Stith (02BBA) says, “If we were ever going to renovate, now was the time.”

“The new layout will maximize the land to create a completely new golf experience—one that will challenge golfers of all levels and create stunning visuals.” —Tyler Stith, IOWA MEN'S GOLF COACH

The privately funded project will be led by Scott Hoffman, a renowned golf course architect who has contributed to high-profile courses like Gozzer Ranch in Harrison, and Idaho and Monterey Peninsula Country Club Dunes in Pebble Beach, California. Rather than coining this as a renovation or restoration, Stith says, “We have framed this as a reimagination project from the very beginning. The new layout will maximize the land to create a completely new golf experience—one that will challenge golfers of all levels and create stunning visuals.”

New bunker placements and longer tee boxes will not only add variety to the holes but also increase Finkbine’s overall appeal, according to UI women’s golf coach Megan Menzel. She says, “We wanted the course to be playable for all levels of players: for families, for juniors, for collegiate players, all the way up to very elite golfers.”

Course construction began after the conclusion of the 2025 golf season. The reimagined Finkbine aims to open in summer 2027.

In the meantime, the men’s and women’s golf teams are relying on local partners for practice space. Menzel says Blue Top Ridge in Riverside, Brown Deer in Coralville, the Cedar Rapids Country Club, and Pleasant Valley in Iowa City are a few of the places that have welcomed the Hawkeye golf teams. “It’s been a team effort,” says Menzel. “We are greatly appreciative of the Duda family and everyone who has supported this project.”