Prairie Links Golf & Event Center

I have eaten here several times returning for the food. The new chef has a lot of creativity leading to excellent culinary experiences. Management has taken service to a new level and the energy has really turned the corner. Great people as well.

Note: this review is for the banquet and event services portion of Centennial Oaks — not the golf course or pro shop.
We held our wedding reception in the reception hall of Centennial Oaks this October. Though the primary event planner left to take a job about 5 months before our event, the general manager (John) was in contact with us shortly after to assure our reception would go off without a hitch.
The size is nice and the room configuration can be switched around to accommodate anywhere from 50 – 300 guests. There is a nice view from 2 different sets of glass doors looking out to the course. We were allowed access to the space the day before to decorate, and John was on hand to answer last minute questions including table set up, tear down, and serving guidelines. About 105 people attended our reception and it never seemed overly crowded. The buffet lines for dinner were fast moving, and Centennial Oaks provided staff to dismiss tables.
For our tasting, Centennial Oaks staff worked with us to arrange a time that fit with our schedule. They were conscious of our budget, provided great suggestions, and were happy to alter our appetizer order as the size of the reception grew.
We found the price to be fair, it fit our budget perfectly, and the guarantee cost for liquor and food was reasonable. Staff the night of the reception were very friendly and quick to respond. Several of our guests commented on how surprised they were at the cost of drinks we did not host — much less than they expected, which was nice to hear.
Cons:
–We did not receive a proper seating chart and table information until four days before the reception. This caused a bit of a hassle as we had to re-​do seating charts based on a number we had been provided earlier in the summer.
–At times, the management was difficult to reach and answers to relatively easy questions seemed to take longer.
–We received a refund check and when attempting to deposit it, realized the club had not signed the check; thus the bank would not accept it. D’oh! We have yet to receive a response from management about sending a new check.
Pros (finish on a positive note):
–Fair and reasonable pricing.
–Appetizers were excellent.
–Easy to work with via email contact.
–Staff assisted with tear-​down at end of the night, leaving less for family members to take care of.
–Great guidelines for decorations — we were allowed to hang some hand-​made decorations from the ceiling and set-​up of the reception was a breeze.
–Great space that didn’t break the bank, way less than other reception sites we priced in the Waverly and Cedar Falls area!