Tiffany Greens strives to make a good first impression and deliver a positive experience throughout. This is a notion with which many Kansas City area golfers agree, leading them to often choose the course as the best track to play in the Northland.

The Robert Trent Jones, II designed course features zoysia fairways and bent grass greens. It measures 6,977 yards from the Championship tees, which is just one of five sets of tees players may choose to enjoy the spacious, par 72 course.

“From a golf course-wise standpoint, we’re profiled by wide fairways and big greens,” said Head Golf Professional Ryan Burchett, PGA. “It gives you lots of opportunities to make some putts and hit some good shots and have some low scores. With the wide fairways, you can hit a fade and you’ll be safe all day.”

Players will get a quick sense about Tiffany Greens right from the first hole. At 510 yards, the par 5 forces a quick decision off the tee. Golfers need to work from the green backwards, planning how aggressive they want to be.

“The hole has a forced carry over water,” Burchett explained. “With your second shot, you can go for the green, all over water, or lay-up with an easier shot. A lot of it’s depending upon the wind and how aggressive you are. Play smart or you can make a high number, but if you pull off the aggressive play, you can really start off your round nicely. It gives you an initial impression about your round.”

“I love the first hole,” said long-time Tiffany Greens member Mike Martin. “It’s the ultimate risk/reward hole. It’s a short par 5 over water and I either birdie or bogey it.”

Tiffany Greens is also atypical because the front nine doesn’t end at the clubhouse. The turn comes at the farthest point from the clubhouse, which means the wind direction can make things play entirely different on the second nine.

“That’s one of the things, Tiffany is an out and in golf course, so number nine does not come back to the clubhouse,” Burchett said. “Depending upon which way the wind goes, you could be playing the front nine downwind and all the way back in you’re playing into the wind.”

Wind can create a particular issue on the back nine with #10, a very challenging par 3 that plays to 188 yards from the back tees with plenty of water to contend with.

“It’s primarily over water and playing into the south wind,” Burchett said. “It takes a long iron or hybrid or wood, especially when you’ve been playing downwind and then you turn into it. There’s a bunker on the right side of the green that collects a fair amount of shots.”

Number 10 is like all the par 3s at Tiffany Greens, all of them involve a lot of water.

“One thing to remember is all par threes are shots over water,” Burchett said. “It’s very scenic, very beautiful.” The large number of water holes help make Tiffany Greens a place where precision is important.

“There are several greens where there is water on at least two sides, if not three sides,” said Joe Trueblood, who joined the club last summer. “Around the green you don’t have much room for error.”

“I think, because of the design, Tiffany is pretty friendly,” Martin said. “It’s still difficult around the greens. A lot of other courses get kind of narrow off the tees. Tiffany is a little more forgiving there, but you still have to make really good shots to make birdies. It does still play for the bombers when you back up. But when you actually move up you have to hit really good short mid-irons.”

Trueblood believes the course requires a thoughtful approach.

“It is a really interesting course to play,” he said. “It certainly is challenging in its own way. It’s unique in the fact you don’t just up and pull out a driver on every hole. You’ve got to think through how you want to play each respective hole. Right from the start, #1 is that way because it’s one where it’s a par 5, but you don’t pull out a driver on the first hole because if you do you’re probably going to hit it in the water. You’ve got to hit it short of the water and then you’ve got a decision to make where you try to go for the green or you hit it over to the other part of the fairway and get on in regulation.”

He also lauds the Tiffany Greens groundskeeper.

“They keep it in good shape,” Trueblood said. “Even this past summer with all the rain and everything, the greens were always in top condition. The groundskeeper always does a really good job keeping the course in good shape.”

“From a condition standpoint, greens are always outstanding,” Martin agreed. “It’s a lot of fun and the greens are always great.”

For Martin and many other regulars, Tiffany Greens is a favorite which never disappoints.

“It’s a top-designed course,” he said. “I have played there for 15 years and never get tired of the course. I don’t even like to travel around and play anywhere else.”

Indeed, Tiffany Greens is so enjoyable that many former employees return to the course. Burchett himself began his golf career as a cart kid when he was in high school shortly after the course opened in 1999 and has recently returned after getting his Professional Golf Management degree at Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC.

Event Coordinator and Food & Beverage Manager Krissy Power, has also returned to Tiffany Greens. A former beverage cart attendant, she came back to the course in January after completing her marketing degree. Power is now helping to re-shape the accommodations at Tiffany Greens.

The club is hoping to increase their wedding and receptions business. The ballroom, which can hold up to 200 guests, has been completely re-vamped.

“We have always had weddings, but we want to build that business up and the new renovations are aimed at really improving the experience,” Power said. “The view from the clubhouse is breathtaking with its floor to ceiling windows. It’s beautiful and guests can walk out on the terrace in May or June and enjoy the nice weather.”

Besides the ballroom, the clubhouse also has a dining room which can accommodate 50 guests. The pub is also an option for gatherings of any degree of formality and it holds up to 80 people, providing an ideal environment for corporate outings and tournaments.

Guests interested in holding an event at the clubhouse are encouraged to contact Power at 816-880-9600, ext. 224, or write kpower@tiffanygreensgolf.com

Martin, who owns investment advisory firm Martin Financial Group, attends some of the social events at the club and also entertains clients on the course, as does Trueblood.

“I have entertained clients out there,” he said. “They’ve enjoyed it very much and it’s all worked out quite well.”

Trueblood also enjoys working with the staff at Tiffany Greens.

“If you do need to get some things done, like a club re-grip, they can take of that for you and they’re just very personable,” he said. “They get involved. There are times that Ryan or (General Manager) Kyle (Hurst) will actually be out playing with the members. I’ve been at other clubs where that just doesn’t happen very often. Everybody is really welcoming. They’re friendly.”

The club is open to the public but also offers memberships which allow advance tee times and a variety of discounts as well as access to some tournament play and leagues.

“Our memberships vary from $800 to unlimited individual for $2500,” Burchett said. “They get unlimited use of carts and range, 15 percent off the pro shop and up to 40 pre-paid rounds.”

About 230 members enjoy the course and many of them also participate in the leagues and tournaments.

For more information about memberships, tournaments and leagues, contact Burchett at 816-880-9600, ext. 206, or via email at rburchett@tiffanygreensgolf.com or Hurst at 816-880-9600, ext. 223, or via email at khurst@tiffanygreensgolf.com