New course in the Nebraska Sandhills

[John Foley]

Saw this yesterday.


https://www.oldschoolgolfclub.com/

Why have we not heard about this before? Looks interesting.

[jeffwarne]

First thing I thought was-a Sandhills trip looks intriguing-then this gem....
"International turmoil is unlikely to abate, a deterrent to those who trek to the vaunted British courses, an experience ever more expensive, cumbersome, and dangerous"


hmmm....


just flew to nonstop RT to Belfast for $440
BnB under $100 nightly (for 2) for 3 nights/4  days of golf
spent $239 all in for my car
and the highest green fee I saw was 75 euro, with most 1/2 that or less.
I seriously doubt I could do a 6 round Sandhills Tour for that.
Perhaps both trips are equally "cumbersome" though I wouldn't use that word for either.


who knew I was endangering the lives of my family as well...


piss poor and/or poorly written negative marketing strategy.
Why not simply highlight their own uniqueness and advantages?

[ward peyronnin]

Jeff I have had the same experiences AND I have played many more top 100 loops over there for those reasonable rates. And factoring in flight/drive time it is not any shorter time spent getting there.

i swear Mike Whittaker and I passed that school house travelling from Dismal to the Prairie Club. One can see why six man football exists in Nebraska and somewhere along the route and probably there the team won the state championship several years back

[Cliff Hamm]

 I was recently in Ireland.  Played with an Irish man who insisted on buying me a Guinness. I tried to buy for him but he would have it no other way. I thought my life was iendangered if did not  accept his generosity. Is there no limit to nationalism?

[Tommy Williamsen]

First thing I thought was-a Sandhills trip looks intriguing-then this gem....
"International turmoil is unlikely to abate, a deterrent to those who trek to the vaunted British courses, an experience ever more expensive, cumbersome, and dangerous"

Not sure why we have build on people's fear. It sure is a sign of the times though. Makes me sad. THe cheapest way to go to GB&I is to join one of their clubs.

[Steve Kline]

Jeff and Ward,


And through in the access to the courses. Clearly, I would have a much harder time getting on the Sand Hills courses than I would almost any course in Ireland.

[Tom_Doak]

That's the property we all looked at in Valentine originally, right at the entrance to The Prairie Club.

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

How is Dismal River doing? Now that there is no 5th Major we don't hear reports and I assume most of the posters here quit their memberships. Why?

Curious as to how the new ownership changed the club and if its going well

[David Davis]

As an Oregonian from a rural area who's lived 25 years overseas I don't love that marketing strategy either. It was simply not necessary but I understand the use of fear to drive marketing especially in the midwest and middle of nowhere.


I think you would be more likely to get yourself shot by pissing off some redneck at a gas station on the trip out from Denver or any other airport than you would be to have anyone do anything to you besides recongnize you are a visitor and kindly offer you a beer in the UK or Ireland.


Once my long distance travel days come to an end I sure hope I'm living close enough to the UK or Ireland to make regular trips to what can only be considered the most golf friendly places on the planet. Oh, and I've yet to read about a terrorist incident, shooting or anything of the sort involving a tourist at a golf course in the UK or Ireland. 100% safe as long as you don't let them buy you too many beers and think you can drive afterwards. 

[Tom_Doak]

As an Oregonian from a rural area who's lived 25 years overseas I don't love that marketing strategy either. It was simply not necessary but I understand the use of fear to drive marketing especially in the midwest and middle of nowhere.


I think you would be more likely to get yourself shot by pissing off some redneck at a gas station on the trip out from Denver or any other airport than you would be to have anyone do anything to you besides recongnize you are a visitor and kindly offer you a beer in the UK or Ireland.


Once my long distance travel days come to an end I sure hope I'm living close enough to the UK or Ireland to make regular trips to what can only be considered the most golf friendly places on the planet. Oh, and I've yet to read about a terrorist incident, shooting or anything of the sort involving a tourist at a golf course in the UK or Ireland. 100% safe as long as you don't let them buy you too many beers and think you can drive afterwards. 

Responding to a misguided, fear-based marketing campaign with another one was probably not the best refutation.  Rednecks?  Why not just point to the possibility of getting stampeded by buffalo?  /s


P.S.  I'm just signing up for a project in north-west Ireland but I can't say that the border situation complexities around Brexit give me no pause.  My first trip to the north of Ireland was in 1983 and it just boggles the mind that they would risk going back to relations like they had then ...

[John Kavanaugh]

On my last trip to London a cyclist felt that I cut him off while crossing the street. He stopped, put his bicycle on his shoulder and came at me calling me a cunt. That lad needs to get woke. I have never been so offended or entertained in my entire life.


He got back on his bike and rode away when he saw that I couldn't stop laughing.


I did do some research and believe that quite a few people are killed each year by random cyclists hitting them while in cross walks. This despite the government having the good sense to paint on the sidewalk which way to look before crossing. Funny, I would say an equal amount of cows are killed in Nebraska for the same reason. It all equals out.

[Rich Goodale]

I had a fraternity brother who was driving from Illinois to Silicon Valley when he hit a jeep crossing 1-80 in Wyoming.  He pulled to the side and then saw a pickup barreling down upon him.  Two cowboys got out and said:


Cowboy #1:  "You kill that sheep?"
Bro: "Yup"
Cowboy #2: "I'll give you $20 for the sheep."
Bro:  "OK!"


Flyover country in the US of A can be very interesting.........

[Ron Smith]

How is Dismal River doing? Now that there is no 5th Major we don't hear reports and I assume most of the posters here quit their memberships. Why?

Curious as to how the new ownership changed the club and if its going well

Ryan,

I played in the 5th Major last year and had an incredible experience.  So much so that I picked up the phone and inquired about a membership first thing upon my return home Monday morning.  Through some good timing Dismal did a large membership push in the fall and I jumped at the chance. 

I have only visited once this year and have two more trips planned.  The membership has grown significantly through the push last fall.  There are just under 50 lots that were made available for sale to build 2-3 bedroom cabins on for members.  All but a dozen have been purchased and groundbreaking planned in the fall.   These are mostly along the driving range and below the clubhouse.  There is a new greens keeper that arrived and is quickly making progress on repairing both the harsh winter damage and getting conditions back to the standards you would expect.     

I have been very impressed with the upgrades and the direction of the club.  The focus on making the club a year round destination with hunting has allowed a continuous operation and cash flow through the year.   I'm eager for my August visit to see more of the changes.  There are more thread pages than one could count on here about Dismal and its history.  I'm happy to see it has a fresh start and seems to be off to a promising run. 

[Michael Whitaker]

I swear Mike Whittaker and I passed that school house travelling from Dismal to the Prairie Club. One can see why six man football exists in Nebraska and somewhere along the route and probably there the team won the state championship several years back

Yep!

[Jason Hines]

Is this separate from the Prairie Club and wasn’t this originally billed as the 3rd course before the Horse course?

Forgive, I am losing track.

Would fully agree on the marketing side of things, it’s prairie golf played on the ground - go to the Sand Hills once and they will haunt you to return with no marketing needed.

[Jerry Kluger]

It is my understanding that one of the biggest problems for these courses is finding the staff needed to maintain and operate the course.  I remember Ballyneal had a big problem finding caddies and there weren't many people in the area to fully staff Dismal River. These courses are remote so they would get very little daily play and depend upon members and guests staying on the property but they have many slow days yet they still need the staff for when they are busy.

[Blake Conant]

One of the things Mr. Youngscap doesn't get enough credit for is knowing early on how important being a good neighbor would be. 

[Matt_Cohn]

Not to nitpick a course that hasn't even been built yet, but 5 doglegs-right in the last 7 holes, 3 of which play in the same direction back-to-back-to-back. That looks odd.

[John_Cullum]

but I understand the use of fear to drive marketing especially in the midwest and middle of nowhere.


I think you would be more likely to get yourself shot by pissing off some redneck at a gas station on the trip out from Denver or any other airport than you would be to have anyone do anything to you besides recongnize you are a visitor and kindly offer you a beer in the UK or Ireland.

Yeah. Give me New Jersey or LA any day of the week.

[Joel_Stewart]

Not to nitpick a course that hasn't even been built yet, but 5 doglegs-right in the last 7 holes, 3 of which play in the same direction back-to-back-to-back. That looks odd.

Where did you see the routing?


Is this the course that Gil Hanse designed years ago?

[RJ_Daley]

This may be a routing that Gil and maybe Geoff did as an extra to their original routing for Doc. Trimble.  It is not the main original however. 

I completely agree that the one paragraph in the brochure is very Fox newsy-like choice of words and ideas.  But, that seems to sell these days.   
I also am a wee bit skeptical of the statement that they don't see themselves as a hardcore competitor to other existing clubs out there, but sort of collegial regional partners in 'golf'. 

I was happy to hear that Doc. Trimble was still in the picture after all the 'stuff' that went on with Prairie Club and his bout with health issues.  I do hope that this effort brings his long time desire to have a legacy-stewardship plan for the land in place.  There is  no argument that it is a special place as the National Geo article and incredible photography brought to light now 2 and a half decades ago.  One wishes that people would experience it whether though golf or just exploring.  The folks out there are just as friendly as you find in Ireland, and I blessed that I have been able to experience both sides of the pond regarding the golf and local cultures.  Go there....

[Scott Warren]

Not to nitpick a course that hasn't even been built yet, but 5 doglegs-right in the last 7 holes, 3 of which play in the same direction back-to-back-to-back. That looks odd.

Where did you see the routing?


Is this the course that Gil Hanse designed years ago?

The routing is in the marketing doc you can download within the website.

[John Cowden]

How is Dismal River doing? Now that there is no 5th Major we don't hear reports and I assume most of the posters here quit their memberships. Why?

Curious as to how the new ownership changed the club and if its going well

[Brad Tufts]

Interesting to me that the Prairie Club gets a brief mention as another local course of distinction, but the brochure speaks the most about Sand Hills GC. 

If ownership is the same as PC, why not talk about the cool things at PC, and the ability to play there too (given its public) if you join Old School GC?

[Tom_Doak]

Interesting to me that the Prairie Club gets a brief mention as another local course of distinction, but the brochure speaks the most about Sand Hills GC. 

If ownership is the same as PC, why not talk about the cool things at PC, and the ability to play there too (given its public) if you join Old School GC?

I don't think it's the same ownership.  It looks from the materials like the guy who developed The Prairie Club has decided not to pursue a third course, so now the original landowner is pursuing it separately.