Making Sand Hills Better

[Mike Benham]

Why would you need to improve Sand Hills?

If the membership is sold out, the members use the facility, the members bring guests, why does it matter if there is another club that has all the bells and whistles?

Let's go back a few years and use CPC as the target?  Many a club has been built since CPC was built, almost all of them with better facilities and amenities and CPC has survived gloriously ...

[Larry_Keltto]

When I played there in September 2003, everyone was using a cart while playing. That was a BIG surprise. I'd never heard anything about carts at Sand Hills. It would be better without carts on the course, IMO.

[RJ_Daley]

All this speculation or off season talk about what Sand Hills could or should do vis-a-vis what the other new developments in the sand hills are up to is mental masturbation.  I don't know the man personally, but I can't imagine from Mr Youngscapp's reputation that he is staying up nights thinking too much about what he ought to do or not do.  

For that matter, I don't think the gentlemen from the PrairieClub or BallyNeal are fretting over what ammenities they "ought" to provide in order to lure members away from Sand Hills or the other courses either.  I think all those gentlemen that are the driving forces behind the new up and comer clubs or D.Y., are comfortable in their own methods and ideas, and know the product they have or envision will, like water, seek its' own level.

There is something out there for everyone.  The pure world class golf, burgers on a porch in the middle of endless prairie, and a lovely cabin and lodge nightly experience like SH will naturally draw those that like just that.  The bird hunters and fishermen, multi sport users will find Sutton Bay and the great golf there more to their liking.  Other pure golf addicts, looking for the nearer escape from Denver, or the closer reach to that City may pick BallyNeal.  Prairie club will have a slightly different look from those mentioned.  So what?  

Some times I wonder just how much you guys make of the burgers on Ben's porch.  Oh they're good and all.  They are even better due to the company and setting.  But, anyone who has cooked their own over a griddle at the shore of a great and remote trout stream, or after an exhilerating hike in one of our great national forests or parks, or after a vigorous days hunting in the highlands, can't possible say that Ben's porch burgers are some how "better".  It's all about experience and company doing what you love.  

Why not just be happy with they way SH is, the way the others will probably turn out, and if you are so lucky to get to experience them, enjoy without all the hand wringing about if one is better than the other.  

[THuckaby2]

JK:

I stand by my words.  Good lord man if that is quaint in your world, well... now I REALLY need to get to Indiana so maybe I can stay in the footman's quarters on your palatial estate.  The thing is massive, the architecture is foreboding, it screams out everything but "quaint" to me.  But that's how it's supposed to be... In fact I'd guess CB Mac is rolling in his grave at you calling this quaint!  But like I've said many times now, people can look at this differently.  I just know that looking at the clubhouse I felt like I was heading to court or something.   Jeez man you are looking at the BACK of it in that 2nd picture.. and look at the scale, which shows up better in the first one... the thing is massive and there remains absolutely nothing "quaint" about it.  You're off your rocker on this one, my friend.  But I guess it is all relative... Yes, next to the Supreme Court building the NCGA clubhouse is rather quaint.  

As for Sand Hills, there are radio towers 50 miles off in the distance, that look like they're a mile away.  That's how VAST the place is... how the scale is... it's difficult to explain.  In any case perfection does remain a tenuous thing... you of all people should know that.  But being tenuous does not disqualify it from being perfect.  It is.

BG - no, I surely did not fence-climb at NGLA (though if I lived there when younger hell yes I would have... talk about easy... there ARE no fences... and #10 tee is miles from the clubhouse....)  No, the day I was there we just played golf and entry into the clubhouse wasn't part of the deal.  We were rather in a hurry anyway to get next door to play the lesser neighbor in the pm.

Dick:  you hit the nail on the head re the burgers on Ben's Porch.  Hell they could be made of horse-meat mixed with doghshit and I'd likely call them great... It ain't about the food, it's all about the setting and the company.  And to that end, the burgers and beers and scotch and everything else I enjoyed there all add up to the some of the finest dining experiences I have ever had.  Because you see Dick, I was doing what I love, more perfectly than just about any time prior or since.  Others can achieve this through hunting, fishing, hell decorating the house (in the case of my wife).  For me?  Burgers and beer with that view and those people I was with... I guess the only improvement is I push this up a few years, make my son and daughter single-digit handicaps so we can have fair battles, and share it with them.  But that day will likely never come, so perfection was achieved for me there on that porch, with those burgers.