[Mark Saltzman]

Thanks for the information, David.  Did they happen to tell you why these two tee boxes were built free-form on the first go-around?

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 14: Par 4, 370 Yards

Another free-form tee box on the 14th (though per Mr. Kelly this one's on its way out as well).  The ideal line from the tee will vary based on the wind and one's carry distance.  The flag lay clearly in view, tempting the golfer to cut-off perhaps more than he should (aka the line of charm).  Deceptively, it is nearly 250 yards just to reach the first bunker on the left and as such, most golfers would be well served to aim well to the right of there.








A closer look at the fairway bunkering and the DZ:









As long as the fairway is found the approach is really one of the simplest on the golf course.  Unlike many of the greens at PD, the 14th lay closer to grade and a fairly wide gap is left between the bunkers to allow balls to be run onto the green.








The front 1/2 of the green slopes back toward the fairway.  A ridge separates the front and back portions of the green and a small bowl is formed in the back-right portion of the green (the pin pictured).  Really not one of my favourite greens at PD; it has a more formulaic feel to it than many of the other greens with their (seemingly) random rolls.

From short of the green.




And from right of the green.




And a look back at the 14th:

[Mark Saltzman]

Note: Gold tee now plays 200 Yards


Though the 15th has the biggest green on the golf course, playing uphill through a chute one feels as though he is playing to a tiny (and very difficult to hit) target.  The ledge short of the green combined with the bunkering short and long of the green give the impression that there is no room to miss, but there is...some

Tee View:








Green from right:








Green from left:








Green from behind:

[Chris Clouser]

Love the green, hate the trees.  They just need to cut down 5 trees, 2 on the right side of the tee and 3 on the left and it would make that hole so much better in my mind.  Now it is almost a gimmick. 

[Doug Wright]

Love the green, hate the trees.  They just need to cut down 5 trees, 2 on the right side of the tee and 3 on the left and it would make that hole so much better in my mind.  Now it is almost a gimmick.  

I agree Chris. The trees make this my least favorite hole at Prairie Dunes.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Love the green, hate the trees.  They just need to cut down 5 trees, 2 on the right side of the tee and 3 on the left and it would make that hole so much better in my mind.  Now it is almost a gimmick.  

I agree Chris. The trees make this my least favorite hole at Prairie Dunes.

I think a quick trim would take care of the issue - no reason to take them out.  With a trim any ball that would hit the tree would probably only be saved from a worse situation.

[DMoriarty]

I am pretty sure I see a few of my ball marks on those right trees.   That said, I usually can't stand trees but I don't mind these trees.  For one, I appreciate the shade they offer on a hot afternoon.   For two, they are psychologically intimidating but they really ought not be in play except for the most horrible of shots.   Like many of mine. 

[Sean Leary]

Love the green, hate the trees.  They just need to cut down 5 trees, 2 on the right side of the tee and 3 on the left and it would make that hole so much better in my mind.  Now it is almost a gimmick.  

I agree Chris. The trees make this my least favorite hole at Prairie Dunes.

I think a quick trim would take care of the issue - no reason to take them out.  With a trim any ball that would hit the tree would probably only be saved from a worse situation.

I could take a few out but they should do this at a minimum. Surprised they haven't...

[Frank M]

I have never been to Prairie Dunes, but it looks absolutely spectacular. Some amazing movement in the greens.

[Morgan Clawson]

It probably makes it difficult to trim or even take out some trees when the hole's name is "chute."

I favor taking the 3 trees on the right only.  This would cause a lot of players to play for the right side of green.
And that's where the bunkers lie.

[DMoriarty]

Frank, as good as the greens are in photos (and Mark has taken some terrific photos) they are better in person, and seem to get better with every play.   I feel very lucky to have had the chance to play them a few times, albeit unsuccessfully.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 16: Par 4, 415 Yards -- Blue Stem

The gold and blue tees play nearly the same yardage, but with the gold set some 20 yards farther right, the angle of the tee shot is very different -- while the blues play a straightaway hole, the gold tees play to a fairway that lay at a diagonal to the teeing ground.

It is 280 yards to the bunker on the right and almost 300 yards to the bunker to the bunker on the left, and if the wind is into (as it usually is) the bunkers are unreachable.

Back Tee View:




Blue Tee View:





With the flag in clear view from the tee, the golfer may be tempted to play to the right side of the fairway; however, the preferred line into the green on this dogleg right par-4 is from the outside of the dogleg (a trait common to messers Maxwell and Maxwell).  From the inside of the dogleg the approach is semi-blind and must be played over a green side bunker.










From the outside of the dogleg the golfer has the option of running the ball onto the long and narrow 16th green.




Contouring on the 16th green is somewhat more subdued than the contouring on most other greens at Prairie Dunes.  A ridge running along the left side of the green allows a thinking golfer to reach a back-right pin without challenging the bunker/runoff on the right.






Shots missing right will find this moderately deep run-off:






From behind:

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 17: Par 5, 500 Yards

Playing into the wind (as the 17th usually does) the golfer plays to the widest portion of the fairway.  Downwind, however, the tee shot is played to an ever-narrowing fairway.






The original 17th tee (then the 8th hole) was located somewhere near the new 11th tees.  The tee shot was played from a diagonal to the fairway, and, in my opinion, was a more interesting tee shot than the current iteration.  The original tee shot would have looked something like this:




Another rolling fairway at the 17th...





There is no water, no out-of-bounds and only a single bunker, but this is one of the most well-protected greens I have ever seen.  As a result, few golfers choose to challenge this green in two, preferring to lay-up and leave a simple (or not) wedge to the green.






The ideal lay-up in the right side of the fairway leaves a daunting approach over a very deep gully to the right of the green.  Though the ideal approach would appear to be from the left side of the fairway, the tilt of the green from back-left to front-right makes approaching from the right preferred.






This approach from the left is more visually appealing but in practice is a more difficult shot.




This fortunate golfer (ok, it was me) has ignored his hosts' suggestion to lay-up and has found a tiny sliver of rough short of the green.  A relatively simple chip from here.




The area right of the green:




The 17th green is one of the smallest on the golf course, and because of the rounded perimeter contouring, the green feels even smaller.  Shots landing near the front or right edges of the green are not long-destined to remain on the putting surface.











Missing long or right is no picnic either.  A wonderful green and green site; certainly of a greater quality than any of the Press greens.

[Matt_Cohn]

That green is a @#$%^.

[Mark Saltzman]

@#$%^.

Industry term?

I agree.  Amazing how much contour there is (both perimeter and internal) on such a tiny putting surface. 

If Rees or Jack designed this green would we say it's genius or $hit?

[DMoriarty]

@#$%^.

Industry term?

I agree.  Amazing how much contour there is (both perimeter and internal) on such a tiny putting surface. 

If Rees or Jack designed this green would we say it's genius or $hit?

Are you kidding me?  The green is fantastic and would be fantastic no matter who built it.  But it is fantastic in conjunction with the golf hole.  Would Rees or Jack ever build such a hole?   Have they?   

[Mark Saltzman]

David,

I too think it is fantastic and agree that should be the case no matter who built it.

I have no idea if Rees or Jack have ever or will ever build such a hole or green. 

[Craig Van Egmond]

Love this hole.. big hitters better hit a damn good second shot if you are going to hold that green and being on it in 3 is no picnic either. The green site is wonderful.  Don't be above the hole on that one.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 18: Par 4, 390 Yards -- A relatively benign finisher downwind, but a brute into a headwind.  Downwind most golfers will hit less than driver from the tee to play to the wide portion of the fairway and to avoid running through the fairway.  Into the wind, this hole played as driver-5iron+ for four pretty decent golfers -- a beast of a golf hole.

From the back tees the view of a good portion of the fairway is blind, and the trouble to the right of the fairway lay intimidatingly in view; I am sure many golfers pull their tee shots into the left rough, leaving the more difficult angle of approach.




From the white tee the entire fairway is in view:






Not surprisingly the fairway at the 18th is rolling and rumpled...






Approaches from the right side of the fairway can be run onto the 18th green, while approaches from the left must be aerial and played over a hollow short of the green.






The 18th green site is another wonderful Perry Maxwell creation (or should I say find?) tucked amongst the dunes.




A look at the hollow short-left of the green:






Green site from the 10th tee:




Green from short-right:




From back-left:




And from behind:

[Craig Van Egmond]

Mark,

     Thank you so much for the tour, I never get tired of Prairie Dunes.

      Great pictures!

[David Kelly]

As a recent guest told me (and he was dead on), "This course doesn't remind me of any other golf course. There is nothing else like it."

You read comparisons of Prairie Dunes to links courses or how it seems like it has been plucked right out of Scotland but that really doesn't capture the look and feel of the course.

It is sui generis.

[Morgan Clawson]

This is a top notch review. Thanks Mark.

I think your assessments of Dad v Son are right on. But, the whole body of work is quite impressive.

What a fascinating course, hopefully I can play it someday.

[Sean Leary]

As a recent guest told me (and he was dead on), "This course doesn't remind me of any other golf course. There is nothing else like it."

You read comparisons of Prairie Dunes to links courses or how it seems like it has been plucked right out of Scotland but that really doesn't capture the look and feel of the course.

It is sui generis.

David,

Does it remind you at all of any of the Sand Belt courses down under? I agree with it not feeling like a links....

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