News from The Prairie Club

[Jason Hines]

I would think replays from "locals" would be an added benefit.  Wild Horse does very well with repeat and local play.  I would agree that should not be the only part of your model, but is definitely a benefit to a lot of us.

If they are going the $500 per day Bandon route, more power to them.  It is also a 15 minute ride to the airport and off to Scotland for that money so they’d better make the courses top notch.

[Gary Slatter]

Tom Lehman is credited with the design of a very good new course in Ontario, Robert Thompson has written about it. Not sure of the name..."best new course of 2006" or something

[Ron Farris]

Mike,

I firmly believe that The Prairie Club (if that is what it is called when this is all played out) will be a good if not great golf course.  I spoke with Paul Schock last night and he understands the importance of "GETTING IT".  You have to "Get it!" to appreciate the Sand Hills.  The Sand Hills is a magical place.  For those who have not been there and experienced the vastness, the simplicity, and the beauty of the place, it is hard to GET IT.

Having grown up in the Sandhills I can say that before golf made the impact it has recently that the biggest Celebrities were usually the Bull that produced the best sperm.  

The Prairie Club site is completely different than its Celebrity Neighbors (The Sand Hills GC and The Dismal River Club) whose designers were/are celebrity well before they designed the golf clubs in the Sand Hills.  Tom L. may not have the name recognition of Ben and Jack, but he is beloved in the region.  Can he design a great golf course - that remains to be seen.
Will people from Minnesota play the golf course (hopefully repeatedly) because Tom is the designer - I am guessing it to be so.

Does that make it a automatic success?  Who knows.  Success comes if you can pay all your bills. As for repeat customers - if I made reference to locals being the repeat customers, I was not referring to my friend who lives in Valentine.  Local in the Sand Hills can mean The Midwest, including Minneapolis, Kansas City, Omaha, etc.  

[RJ_Daley]

Jason, I heartily agree.  I look forward to an upcoming trip next month to Bandon.  But at those prices, there can't be too much repeat play for me (as an averagely situated sort of golfer demographic - making me a punter).  If the same model holds for the new Prairie Club, it turns into a once in a lifetime proposition for most average blokes.

I wonder if the new "open to the public" model for the Prairie Club has a target pricing point, and what that might be?

Let's say the concept is about 150 a night in cabins on property.  There will have to be substantial on-property food and bev because you aren't going to want to drive 30-45 minutes in the dark after playing all day, for dinner in Valentine.  So, probably a pretty pricey meal on-property.  And, perhaps $150-250 per round, and repeat play for half that like Bandon.  Maybe 375 for a night and an all day golf experience.  With gas prices as they are, how many folk are going to spend another 100 in gas to round trip about 400-500 miles of driving (6-8 hours) if they fly into Lincoln or O?  And, even O and Lincoln or Denver residents will have a long haul to get there without the connecting flight hassle.  We all still don't have net-jets at our disposal...

I don't see this as a slam dunk marketing proposition.  

[George Pazin]

Thanks everyone for the updates.

One thing to keep in mind re: Bandon is that it started off as relatively inexpensive golf, so hopefully The Prairie Club will be more affordable, at least in the beginning.

Nothing against Tom Lehman, but I wish Gil and Co. could do both courses.

[RJ_Daley]

George, similarly, Sand Hills GC started with more access and pretty moderately priced.  In the first years, you could write DY or the club pro and ask to play.  You didn't have to be an escorted guest in the early years.  

I think there is a lot to read between the lines of the Omaha World article, and the web page essays.  

[Scott Witter]

Maybe I have missed something along the way...a few replies have scratched the surface with some comments, but could someone please clarify...is Lehman REALLY the "designer", of course nothing has been 'designed' yet or is he the designer/player consultant for the name?  I am not questioning whether or not he is committed or dedicated, maybe he is maybe he isn't, to this line of work, or seriously interested in learning, but will he actually create 'plans'   whoa, I don't want to start something spinning from the other thread.

Does Mr. Lehman stake out the course, decide where and what drainage   will be installed, oops, there I go again pulling from another thread, sorry Tommy.  Does he decided grassing lines, choose the seed varieties, call out what earth will be moved to where and shaped this way and that?  Does he decide/create the green sites and putting surfaces, is he able to consider the adjacent land use features/character, or distance views when creating green sites, will he carefully position each tee surface to blend with the character of the land and strategically create interest in the....well...cause I was just wondering.

[Noel Freeman]

Just over the Minnesota border in Wisconsin, Lehman worked with Hurdzan and Fry to build Troy Burne.  I wasnt wild about that course but perhaps they will be involved in this project.  Who knows?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

One of Lehman's associates is an occasional poster here.

www.lehmandesigngroup.com

The Raven at Verrado in the West Valley of Phoenix, which  opened about 2 years ago,has received favorable reviews.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Is there a chance that Lehman will be working with Gil on the 2nd course?  Since Gil is helping redo the TPC course in Boston, maybe Lehman will be involved there--several pros are supposedly acting as advisors.  Lehman might have some great visions to bring to the property.  My friends who know him think that he is one hell of a great guy.  Give him an opportunity to screw up or ,hopefully, further the project.

[Joel_Stewart]

Somebody should show me something interesting Tom Lehman has done.  Show me a biarritz, redan or punchbowl Tom Lehman has installed, anything of remote architectural interest.  

The worst possible thing Lehman could do is change the Hanse routing.  The worst Hanse routing or golf course is going to be better than the best Lehman course.

[Jon Spaulding]

There is a "redan-like" hole at Arroyo Trabuco, hole #4; also a couple of other holes of merit at the place. Lehman's name is on the course with O'Callaghan as the architect.

http://www.lehmandesigngroup.com/ is the correct web link.

The place has a few similarities to the Rustic property; yet buckles under the weight of RC's jock.

[ed_getka]

Regarding Arroyo Trabuco, Jon Spaulding says, "The place has a few similarities to the Rustic property; yet buckles under the weight of RC's jock."

  A well-turned phrase.