Prairie Club- Old School

[Pete Balzer]

They drilled the wells last week for Old School.

[RJ_Daley]

Pete, can you or someone who is in the know give us a run-down or recap of the overall plan there? 

[Sam Morrow]

This will still be Hanse and Shackelford? I think this is great news, Prairie Club is a very cool place and Valentine seems like a neat little town. One of my favorite all-time on course memories is playing The Horse Course until it was so dark I couldn't see anything in front of me.

[Pete Balzer]

Things that I've heard-
Design - Hanse-Wagner. The original design, I'm assuming will be modified, had #18 routed where The Horse Course currently is located.
It will be the premium course. An upcharge to play for guests, with limited guest access.
An awesome site. Dunes and canyons, very unique.
No timeline has been announced, to my knowledge. But they are starting to hint about it in member newsletters.

[Jason Thurman]

Pete, how does the site compare with the other two courses? I consider the Dunes course to be an excellent property and even better course. It's the most underrated course I've played. I actually thought the Pines could have been the better piece of land, but perhaps wasn't utilized as well. I still loved it, but thought it could've been better.

Will the Old School course be able to take advantage of the canyon a bit more?

About a year ago, there was a thread asking if there's a property left in the world that could be turned into a course to rival Pine Valley for best on the planet. My first thought was that the original poster must not have been to The Prairie Club. While environmental restrictions may handcuff its potential slightly, I've never been to a place with such unique and varied terrain for golf. The proximity of dunes to canyon really makes it special, assuming an architect is able to take full advantage.

[Pete Balzer]

Pete, how does the site compare with the other two courses? I consider the Dunes course to be an excellent property and even better course. It's the most underrated course I've played. I actually thought the Pines could have been the better piece of land, but perhaps wasn't utilized as well. I still loved it, but thought it could've been better.

Will the Old School course be able to take advantage of the canyon a bit more?

About a year ago, there was a thread asking if there's a property left in the world that could be turned into a course to rival Pine Valley for best on the planet. My first thought was that the original poster must not have been to The Prairie Club. While environmental restrictions may handcuff its potential slightly, I've never been to a place with such unique and varied terrain for golf. The proximity of dunes to canyon really makes it special, assuming an architect is able to take full advantage.

Jason- It is the premium site at the Prairie Club.  Excellent dune terrain and dramatic canyon views and carries will come into play. While the Pines runs along the canyon, Old School's terrain will allow the use of the canyon, much like the Horse . I  believe Mr. Doak called this one of the finest sites he's seen where he didn't recieve the contract.

[Mark Fedeli]

Any updates about the Old School course?

Below is the press release from yesterday announcing their new putting course, "The Old Wagon." I'm a huge fan of PC and it's great to see them adding a putting course to go along with the Horse course, especially since they are both so close to the clubhouse.


http://www.theprairieclub.com/the-old-wagon-introduction.news

January 9, 2015

Good things can come in smaller packages, and that is exactly the case with the newest putting course at The Prairie Club, dubbed "The Old Wagon", and designed by Dunes Course co-architect Chris Brands.

Situated just beneath the Pines Course's 18th green and a mere hundred yards from the Lodge, The Old Wagon stretches nearly 150 yards of pristine canyon rim. Its unique design weaves up and down the dramatic ledge of the Snake River canyon. Over an acre in size, The Old Wagon will have room for up to 12 holes, which golfers will be able to play in a 'suggested' routing, or create their own routing--very similar to the Horse Course design philosophy. And with many spots where the green is built right next to the ledge of the canyon, this may be the first time you have ever lost a ball putting!

The grass will be the same T1/Alpha blend that we have used on all of our other greens at The Prairie Club. If the weather cooperates the rest of this winter and spring, we anticipate an opening date of early August, though many factors can affect this timeline.

The name "The Old Wagon" was given in honor of a pioneer-era wagon trail named The Old Wagon Road that cuts through the heart of The Prairie Club's land. The road was used by westward-bound gold rushers, and its ruts are still visible in a few areas.

Our vision for this project was to create a one-of-a-kind fun and challenging putting course for all of our members and guests. With its close proximity to the Caprock Lounge and patio, anyone can walk down and play as they enjoy an evening beverage, watch the sunset, and listen to Tom Denham play his familiar bagpipe tunes.

We encourage you to let us know what you think. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter and share your thoughts with us and other Prairie Club enthusiasts!