The Ice at Old Kinderhook is a unique winter attraction located at the Lake of the Ozarks. It stands out as the only ice skating rink in the area, offering a delightful experience for both seasoned skaters and beginners alike.
Whether you're a seasoned skater or a brand new beginner, The Ice is the perfect place to stretch your skating legs. We even offer "walkers" to help first-timers get used to balancing on the ice.
A Winter Wonderland in Central Missouri
The Ice Rink at Old Kinderhook is the ONLY outdoor ice rink in Central Missouri! Ice skating is a lot of fun for the whole family and thanks to their new ice guides, just about anyone can enjoy skating at The Ice!
Activities and Offerings
At the Ice at Old Kinderhook, you are welcome to bring your own skates, or you can rent ours for only $3. Ice skating is a lot of fun for the whole family and thanks to their new ice guides, just about anyone can enjoy skating at The Ice!
Here's a quick look at what you can expect:
Read also: Winter Fun at Hamilton Ice Arena
- Skate Rentals: Available for a nominal fee.
- Skate Guides: New ice guides make skating accessible for everyone.
It's easy to see why The Ice at Old Kinderhook has become one of the Lake's favorite winter attractions.
The Broader Old Kinderhook Resort
Old Kinderhook wasn't our first choice. At first we were going to call the development “Wild Wings”, but in our research, we found numerous copyrights and patents on that name. In 1994, while we were looking for the perfect name for the project, we came upon the fact that the Southern half of Missouri had been named Kinderhook County back in the 1830’s, (eventually divided into various counties), hoping for political favors from the then President of the United States, Martin Van Buren.
Martin Van Buren was from Kinderhook, N.Y. and if you were a follower of his during those “wild and woolly” campaign days, you were known to be “O.K.”. That phrase is the most commonly used phrase in the English language. Therefore, “Old Kinderhook” was the choice name of the project.
The Tom Weiskopf designed layout has ranked among the top three public courses in Missouri and the top 20 in the state overall since its opening in 1999. Now adjoining the new lodge - which had its grand opening in April during the last Masters Weekend - are two courts for outdoor volleyball, a saltwater outdoor pool with a waterfall and a cabana and bar.
Kenny Morrow, a member of the United States' gold medal-winning hockey team in the 1980 Olympics, built the rink - the only one in the Ozarks. The closest other ones are in Jefferson City, Springfield and Columbia. Not only did the Old Kinderhook rink attract casual ice skaters to an area that only rarely sees snow, it also became a venue for competitive pond hockey leagues two nights a week.
Read also: Ice Skating in Great Neck
Brief History of Old Kinderhook
Back in the nineteenth century, it was a cattle ranch owned by a transplanted Kansas City Jewish businessman turned rancher who married his housekeeper, an Irish Catholic immigrant. Rather than drive her (by horse and buggy) across creeks and rivers to Mass every Sunday he built her a chapel on the ranch and the priest came to them.
Thus every Sunday after services in Linn Creek (the county seat) the priest would ride to the ranch and say an additional Mass for all of the parishioners who lived west of the Niangua River. After each mass, a luncheon was offered by the host for all of the attendees and the atmosphere changed from church to picnic, games, and fishing in the river.
Little did these people know nor could they possibly imagine that two centuries later the ranch would transform to a golf course and their beloved church belfry would adorn the 14th fairway. What they could be certain of was the fact that nature had carved out a beautiful valley and no matter what its use its underlying magnificence would remain.
Evolution of the Golf Course
In the late 1990s Tom Weiskopf saw the valley and its potential and with a minimum of earth moving created eighteen of the most invitingly beautiful holes of golf you will find anywhere. Searching for a name for this signature golf course they reached back in history for Kinderhook the original name of Camden County.
Thus in 1999 Old Kinderhook was born and once again people flocked to this valley for friendship, sport, and food. From the chapel that started it all to the best golf course near Camdenton MO, we hope you've enjoyed how Old Kinderhook got its start.
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The outdoor attractions required space and some adjustment in the other buildings on the property, but more notably they necessitated changing a course that really didn't need any changing. It was popular just the way it was - but there's a good chance the revised No. 15 hole will make it even better.
The hole ranges from 344 yards from the back tees down to 291 from the front. When played at full yardage the course is 6,797 yards with a rating of 72.8 and slope of 137.
The change from the current temporary par-3 will take a few weeks, as the fairway is being moved 20 yards to the left, in large part to take some of the golf villas out of play. It was a necessary tweak that promises to enhance an already quality layout, one of the best of all Weiskopf creations.
Old Kinderhook has only one 18-holer, albeit the best one in the Ozarks, but visitors to the area have other golf options. The Ozark Golf Council has 13 courses on its Golf Trail, all within a 30-minute drive of each other. One of them, Lake Valley, is across the street from Old Kinderhook.
That bold approach, the ownership expects, will lead to more home sales, lodging rentals and general activity year-around. Our Lake of the Ozarks resort has evolved over the years into a fun place for friends and families to gather and stay. With our on-site amenities, homes available for purchase, and newly constructed hotel, there are many ways our property has changed over time.
Now that you know a little more about the history of our breathtaking property, you can look at it with new eyes as you visit. Whether you are looking to book a fall vacation to the Lake of the Ozarks, want to play a round of golf , or enjoy a delicious dinner, we have a wide range of activities available for you.
Old Kinderhook a Trip
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