The Prarie Club

[Cory]

There was a new article in yesterday's Omaha World Herald about The Prarie Club.  Click on the link below  or paste this in your browser to access it.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1000&u_sid=10444787

[Chip Gaskins]

I was out there last week.  The place looks amazing.  All three courses are coming along nicely.  I will let Mark Amundson, Ron Farris, or Tom Lehman chime as they see fit.  But long story short, things are moving along and the courses look awesome.  The view of that canyon is nothing short of stunning.

[Tom Huckaby]

Chip:

Checking the map, Valentine is 90 minutes or so north of Mullen, correct?

What would be the best route for visitors/members to get there?  For Sand Hills one tends to fly into Denver, drive to N. Platte, drive an hour or so from there... With flying directly to N. Platte also viable (just more expensive).  I'm curious how visitors - and members - will logistically handle getting to Valentine.  Seems a lot to do it the Denver-N. Platte route, adding that extra 90 minutes... but I can't think of a better way... is there a closer doable airport?

I'm asking this in terms of viability of the place.  Man Sand Hills seemed remote, but this place would seem to make Sand Hills like Los Angeles.   But heck Sutton Bay is doing great, right?  And if you build it and it's great, they will come....

I'm sure this has been address before.  I'm just too lazy to go and find it.

TH

[Carl Nichols]

But heck Sutton Bay is doing great, right? 

Is Sutton Bay in fact doing great?  I don't know either way -- just curious. 

[Tom Huckaby]

Carl - well actually I don't know one way or the other either - I just assumed it was.

More map checking shows Pierre, SD as not all that far from Valentine, and likely the best way to go.  So I think I answered my own questions to Chip.  I remain curious about how to do this economically from afar... although I doubt those who go there will be all that concerned with flying Southwest.   

[Jason Hines]

Tom,

Omaha (which is served by Southwest) is closer than Denver and if I remember correctly you can only get to N. Platte on United and Pierre is fairly limited as well.

Denver’s benefit is that you could try and hit Ballyneal on the way out where as with Omaha you drive NW out of the city and miss Gothenburg and Mullen.

Jason

[Tom Huckaby]

Tom,

Omaha (which is served by Southwest) is closer than Denver and if I remember correctly you can only get to N. Platte on United and Pierre is fairly limited as well.

Denver’s benefit is that you could try and hit Ballyneal on the way out where as with Omaha you drive NW out of the city and miss Gothenburg and Mullen.

Jason

Good stuff - thanks, Jason.  In the end I have to believe that people will find their way there. It's all just curiousity for me.

TH

[Chip Gaskins]

Tom-

There are several ways to get there:

1) Sioux Falls (a decent amount of direct flights)
2) Omaha (longer drive, but more direct flights)
3) North Platte
4) Denver (pretty long drive buy you just happen to drive by two pretty good courses on the way 
5) Pierre
6) Valentine (will hold all but the largest private jets)

There are many options, it just depends on where you are coming from, if you mind connecting, and how much you mind driving a few hours.

It took a little over an hour to drive from Sand Hills to Prairie Club.  Unbelievably beautiful drive!

Hopefully Ron Farris will chime in on this...he was doing the final grading on #15 green (I think) on the Lehman's course and posts here pretty often.

Graham's course will have some jaw dropping views on some of the holes that run through the trees and up to the gorge.  #6 may become the best par 3 in Nebraska (there are some good ones in Nebraska, no?

I think there have been some lesson learned over the years by Paul, Mark and team at other prairie land courses and they certainly have the funding, vision and right team in place to create something very special.

Enough said for now, until Ron, Tom, or Mark chime in.

I do believe Sutton Bay is doing quite well.

[John_Conley]

I'm told you can see at least a few holes of The Prairie Club from the road.  For something so remote, where land doesn't seem to be at a premium, cars passing by takes away from the 'just golf' feeling.  At least for me.

Can anyone that has played here comment?

[Tom_Doak]

John:

I doubt anyone can really comment on the specific case, since The Prairie Club is still a year away from opening.

However, I would argue that exposure to the road is overrated as a liability.  Sure, if the road is really busy, it can be distracting -- but if it's not that busy, for someone to downgrade a course just because a car goes by within view is the reaction of a spoiled child.  And for an architect to pass over a great hole because he thinks some people might rate the course lower for its exposure would be a tragedy.

[John_Conley]

Sure, if the road is really busy, it can be distracting -- but if it's not that busy, for someone to downgrade a course just because a car goes by within view is the reaction of a spoiled child. 

Guilty!

[John Kavanaugh]

John,

A busy road is visible from Ballyneal.  Have you been there and did you notice it?  note:  Huck once said that so much as a cell tower visible from Sand Hills would change his rating of that course, so you are not alone.

[Tom Huckaby]

John,

A busy road is visible from Ballyneal.  Have you been there and did you notice it?  note:  Huck once said that so much as a cell tower visible from Sand Hills would change his rating of that course, so you are not alone.

I doubt I said that so specifically, but I'm sure you'll tell me if I have.

What I did say for sure is that part of the coolness of Sand Hills is the splendid isolation.  And I will stick with that.   Mucci thinks I'm crazy for this, but I call that a compliment.

TH

[John_Conley]

John,

Have you been there and did you notice it? 

I have not played Ballyneal.  Sand Hills is so remote that it is hard to put the feeling into words.  Forget being a remote golf course, it is the most remote place I've been in the world by far.

[John Kavanaugh]

Raters search for mistakes which elevates nothingness next to Godliness.

[Tom Huckaby]

Raters search for mistakes which elevates nothingness next to Godliness.

That's a hell of a good line.

So by logic, are raters unclean?

 

[John Kavanaugh]

Nothing a good ole tashlikh wouldn't cure.

[Tom Huckaby]

Nothing a good ole tashlikh wouldn't cure.

Excellent!  I had to look that up, but upon so doing, I found that to be very correct and very topical.  Well done.

[Jason Hines]

Does anyone know if they have updated their website?  I know there is one for Destination Golf that has some tidbits of info, but nothing formal when I last checked.

J.

[JMEvensky]

Nothing a good ole tashlikh wouldn't cure.

A+ on the timeliness.Funny,Kavanaugh doesn't sound Jewish.

[RJ_Daley]

I've noticed over the years that if you watch airfares in the fall into Lincoln, they always seem to drop and have specials.  I think it has something to do with Husker football.  But, I'd say Pierre is definitely the closest commercial airport. 

[Tony_Chapman]

Does Rapid City have a decent airport?

[Bruce Leland]

Does Rapid City have a decent airport?

At the Air Force Base!  I think you would be better served by flying into Sioux Falls and driving as far as options into Rapid

[Geoff_Shackelford]

I highly doubt the road will be an issue as it's little ole Highway 97. Not exactly Fifth Avenue.

On my last two trips I flew LAX to Denver to Rapid City. It was wonderful. United and Frontier service Rapid City from several major airports. The drive from Rapid City airport is about 3 hours if you take your time, and there's some incredible sightseeing when you go this route. The Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore and the surreal Badlands are all easily accessible and must stops. You also get to avoid Denver's disastrous TSA situation.

But if you can get on Sand Hills or Ballyneal, then obviously it's worth it to fly through Denver. And the drive from Sand Hills to Prairie Club is, as Chip noted, quite amazing.

[Mark_Amundson]

Greetings from the Prairie Club:

I thought I would chime in and give any interested parties the real numbers on flying/driving to The Prairie Club.

Sioux Falls - 4 hours
Omaha - 4.5 hours
Denver 5-5.5 hours
North Platte - 2 hours
Pierre - 2.5 hours
Rapid City - 3 hours

Many of these airports have numerous flights per day with North Platte and Pierre being the most limited.  They are all good airports so take your pick.  As noted in earlier postings, the views and scenery on many of the drives are spectacular.  If you have never seen Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse or the Badlands then Rapid City should be your choice.

We are developing a new web site right now and hope to have that up and running in the next 30 days or so.  We are going to finish all the construction and seeding of both championship courses, the "Horse Course", and the practice facilities in the next 2 weeks and we are mowing grass on many holes.  We plan on doing the footings and foundation work for the clubhouse and some of the lodging yet this fall and we will begin marketing memberships by Nov. 1st.  As I have stated in earlier postings, The Prairie Club will have memberships available and will also allow public play.  Paul Shock, the founder of The Prairie Club, has said that if you want to play The Prairie Club once, maybe twice in your lifetime you can, if you want to play it frequently then you need to join. 

We will continue to provide new info as it becomes available and I will certainly attempt to answer questions that people have about The Prairie Club.  We do plan on opening in May of 2010 and there may be some "sneak preview" opportunities in fall of 2009 but you didnt hear that from me!

Regards:

Mark