Mission Hills Country Club

Mission Hills Country Club was founded on June 30, 1914, and the origin story is a real estate story. J.C. Nichols was developing Mission Hills and found his Kansas lots harder to sell than his Missouri ones, so he built a country club to give buyers a reason. Tom Bendelow laid out the course on a tight site along Brush Creek, and the original clubhouse was put on the Missouri side of the line because the liquor laws were friendlier there. Today the par-70 course fits on roughly 117 acres, and the creek is in play on several holes. It is a compact, walkable, classic layout rather than a modern championship test.

This is one of three private clubs in Mission Hills, alongside Kansas City Country Club and Indian Hills, and the three have different personalities. Mission Hills describes itself as family-oriented, and that reads true: the pool and social calendar carry as much weight as the golf. Members are largely from Mission Hills, Fairway, Prairie Village, and the older sections of Leawood, with a long tradition of multigenerational families. Relocating executives who land in the northeast corner of Johnson County for the short commute to the Plaza and downtown often end up here.

For a buyer, the important thing is that living in Mission Hills gives you no claim on the club. There is no residency requirement, and the club is member-sponsored, so you will need existing members to put you forward. Homes along the course are some of the priciest in the metro, and the club is a separate application on top. If a listing agent tells you the house comes with club privileges, get that in writing from the club, not the seller.