Mules National Golf Club, named Keth Memorial Golf Course up until 2015, is a Public 18 hole golf course located about one hour from downtown Kansas City in Warrensburg, Missouri. The facility is owned and operated by the University of Central Missouri, and is the home of the UCM Mules Golf Team.
The course first opened for play in 1962. The course was originally 9-holes with sand greens, but in 1972 an additional 9 holes were added, and the course and converted to grass greens. The course was designed by Dr. Earl Keth. The course was reopened in November 2015 after a multi-million dollar renovation creating the golfing destination in west-central Missouri. Featuring an island green on the 18th hole and a 612-yard par-5.
The course has plenty of hills, and trees, and yet is, for the most part, wide open. All the greens are small and about medium speed. The course is located in the Pertie Springs recreational park, near the university. The signature hole is #18, a 142-yard, par 3, requiring a tee shot over water to a small green.
Par for the course is 72. From the back tees, the course plays to 6,362 yards. From the forward tees, the course measures 4,425 yards. The longest hole on the course is # 8, a par-5 that plays to 612 yards. The shortest hole on the course is #18, a par-3 that plays 142 yards from the back tees.
Watch out for # 8, the 612-yard par-5 challenge, and the #1 handicap hole on the course. The easiest hole at Mules National Golf Course is # 12, a 367 yard par-4.
Although now named Mules National Golf Club, the previous name of the course, Keth Memorial GC, was named in honor of Dr. Earl Keth, who was Central Missouri State University's first All-American in basketball. In addition to his outstanding playing career at Central Missouri, Keth was the Mules Head Basketball Coach for 15 seasons from 1946 through 1961. He was the Mules Golf Coach from 1961 until the time of his death in 1972. He was the original architect of the golf course, that was named in his honor. On June 30, 1990 Dr. Keth was inducted posthumously into the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame.