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Jason Thurman

  • Karma: +1/-0
Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« on: May 04, 2012, 11:43:29 PM »
For the last year or so, I've worked a job that involves 100% travel. I'll be leaving for a new job that involves roughly 2% travel in two weeks. Getting to spend more time with the wife and puppy will be excellent. The only part of my life that will take a downgrade is golf, as it's been wonderful to get to play courses in some locations I might not have traveled on my own for a while.

I've recently been stationed in Lincoln and decided to take a long weekend to explore the western part of the state. I started today with 36 at Wild Horse. While it's been discussed quite a bit on the forum, I wanted to add some more photos.

Pano from near the practice area.



1st tee:



Approach to the 1st:



1st green:



2nd tee:



Approach at 2:



3rd tee:



3rd from driving zone:



Treacherous layup area at 3:



4th tee:



4th from forward tees showing hazards in relation to green.



5th tee. I'm not sure I've ever played a hole where the right angles are more important.



You really need to hug the left bunker or the kickplate on the other side of the mound front right will send you to purgatory.



Bail out like me, and you're screwed.



6th tee. What a great bunkerless hole.



Approach from 260. Just because there are no hazards doesn't make going for it in 2 a safe play.



The green is a hazard, especially with the pin on the far left.



7th tee.



Morbid 150 markers, and unsettling when walking on a 90 degree day...



7th approach. I take the picture from the fairway so that it doesn't look like my ball is in the long native grass.



8th tee. Toughest hole on the course, I thought.



Huge bunker guarding the left side.



Long, tough approach.



9th tee.



10th tee.



Approach to 10. So many bounding approach shots replaying in my head as I post these.



11 tee, playing only about 100 yards today with a fronting bunker. Tough shot when you'd really like to keep the ball out of the wind.



12th tee.



12 approach.



13, a good longer par 3 with some redan playing characteristics.



14. You can't see too well, but it's fair to say the width here is adequate.



14 approach from about 200 out.



The fabulous 15th.



Approach to 15 if you lay back.



16 tee.



16 approach.



And from the fairway.



17 tee.



17 from driving zone.



18 tee.



18 approach.



If you have kids in the room, have them avert their eyes. For grown ups only...





























Snake porn. The golfers aren't the only ones having fun.

"There will always be haters. That’s just the way it is. Hating dudes marry hating women and have hating ass kids." - Evan Turner

Some of y'all have never been called out in bold green font and it really shows.

Sam Morrow

Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2012, 11:47:26 PM »
I hate snakes, thanks for the other pictures.

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2012, 07:33:26 AM »
Those are bull snakes.  I have been told repeatedly over a dozen years that no one has ever seen or encountered a rattlesnake at Wild Horse.  Yet there are areas within a few miles where they are common, mostly south of I-80 in the rocky draws.

Jason, did you find the fairways playing firm? 
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Jason Thurman

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2012, 09:23:59 AM »
The fairways played very firm compared to anything else I've ever played. I did 36 holes. On my first trip around, I a 3w off the first tee perfectly. A nice, high draw up the right side that left about an 80 yard approach. My second trip around, I hit the same 3w hard but very thin. It never got more than 5 or 10 feet off the ground and barely carried into the fairway, but took off once it got there and rolled out some 120+ yards to virtually the exact same spot. It was also very tight around the greens, and eventually I elected to putt most balls within 20 feet of the green's edge.

Honestly, my first thought upon leaving Wild Horse is that it was the best conditioned course I've ever played. Very firm and fast with true greens and really not a single blemish on the course that I saw.
"There will always be haters. That’s just the way it is. Hating dudes marry hating women and have hating ass kids." - Evan Turner

Some of y'all have never been called out in bold green font and it really shows.

Malcolm Mckinnon

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2012, 11:23:16 AM »
Jason,

Thanks for the photos.

My son is a student at Wesleyan in Lincoln. I was just out there last weekend (from NJ). I've got to tie one of my visits with an exploration of golf in the prairie.

Jason Hines

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2012, 08:03:49 PM »
I am going to miss Wild Horse this Memorial Day weekend, have played there the last several.  May try and get there this fall.

Jason, are you staying in Lincoln?

Jason Thurman

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2012, 11:02:38 PM »
Malcolm, it's well worth it. Just be careful. Once you've been here, you'll want to return. I haven't even left yet and am already talking about coming back.

Jason, I'm in Valentine for the weekend and then returning to Lincoln for next week. I'm actually working in Crete M-Th but staying at the Embassy downtown. I'll be in Nebraska City the week after, then heading home to Cincinnati and staying out of the airport for a nice long time.
"There will always be haters. That’s just the way it is. Hating dudes marry hating women and have hating ass kids." - Evan Turner

Some of y'all have never been called out in bold green font and it really shows.

Jason Hines

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2012, 11:26:34 PM »
Once you've been here, you'll want to return.

No truer words have ever been spoken on this board....

Malcolm Mckinnon

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2012, 12:22:14 AM »
Jason,

When I was a youth I drove through Nebraska several times to get to CU in Boulder Colorado. Hated The trip through Nebraska and redirected through I-70 where I felt Kansas was a better ride to avoid the monotony crossing the plains.

Now that my son chose to go to college in Lincoln I have started to appreciate the beauty of the plains. The salt marshes around Lincoln are astounding. Some of the neighborhoods around the sunken park on 27th street are quite similar to Boulder, CO with the arts and crafts style bungalow housing. I also love Pioneer Park on the western edge of the city.

Most of all, the people in NE are so, so nice. A breath of fresh air coming from the east coast.

Yes, I will want to return!
« Last Edit: May 06, 2012, 12:26:01 AM by Malcolm Mckinnon »

Josh_Mahar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #9 on: May 07, 2012, 02:50:28 PM »
Jason,
Thanks for the kind words about Wild Horse but if you think its good now you need to come back.  Its about a 6.5  as far as conditioning.  Give us a month and it will be a 9. 
Glad you enjoyed your rounds and appreciate the pics you posted!


Jeff_Mingay

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2012, 03:03:26 PM »
Josh,

The course looks great in these photos. Nice work.
jeffmingay.com

Jason Thurman

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2012, 04:45:32 PM »
I spent an amazing "business" weekend in Valentine, NE at The Prairie Club. My first trip to the sandhills.

Mark Saltzman did an excellent photo tour a while ago (http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49022.0.html), and I hope this one sheds a little more light on the course. I can't vouch for Mullen as I've obviously not played there, but if Prairie Club isn't a must-visit then I just don't understand golf courses (which is a total possibility, perhaps even likely).

I started on the Pines course on Saturday. I played from one tee up at a little over 6800 yards, though it tips out at 7400. Most yardages are from the tees I played. I'll save my thoughts on the course for after I've posted all 18, and my descriptions are written as someone who, at the time, had not yet played the Dunes.

The practice green gives a good indication of what's to come. Lots of speed, size, and undulation. Obviously contours don't come through well in photos, but when I first saw it I thought of a mini version of Sitwell.



1st hole:

A straightforward opener, the first plays 400 yards to a 60 yard wide fairway. A tee shot just right of the bunker in the distance works nicely.



A better look at the huge bunkers in the landing area.



The approach from about 160.



Nearer the green area, you can see some of the swales and more bunkering. The turf here is EXTREMELY firm, and shots can run 50-60 yards if hit low. Greens rolled very fast but playable.



2nd hole:

An excellent 500 yard par 5. The ideal tee ball carries the barely-visible centerline fairway bunker.



Opening up this awesome approach. Whether laying up or going for it, you'll need to negotiate sand and try to give yourself a good angle into this diagonally set green.



A look at the approach from about 160. Just an awesome hole that you could play in about 10 different ways.



3rd hole:

154 to an elevated green with plenty of sand. While the slopes around the green are severe, the putting surface is relatively flat.



4th hole:

For the first time, we start moving toward the pines from which the course gets its name. A brutal par 4 at 435 into the prevailing wind, the tee shot is fairly open once you get past the waste area.



I'm a fairly long hitter, and hit it pretty well on this hole. I never reached the green in two in my 2 days on this course due to brutal wind. The approach must negotiate some staggered bunkers on the way to the green.



A better look at the green. Very large, it plays more like two separate greens split by the fronting bunker, particularly considering that most players must hit a running shot to get there.



5th hole:

Visually stunning, this hole winds back into the pine forest. The huge waste bunker in front of the tee becomes a theme on this course. Again though, it's fairly open once you get to the fairway.



The approach.



A better look at the green shows some of the contour.



The nines don't return, but you pass the Pines Canteen every 6 holes or so.



6th hole:

The best green on the course probably belongs to the sixth. A splendid 150 yard par 3 toward the canyon, you can see some of the swales and ridges even from the tee. My first tee shot here landed 2 feet from the hole and bounced 15 feet in the air, rocketing over the back of the green. I was smarter and landed it short during my second round to make a simple enough par.



The green with the canyon in the background.



The canyon behind the green. First of many WOW moments.



Yep, 3 putts are possible.



7th hole:

I really liked this par 5. From the way back tees, it's a scary 616 yarder through a chute.



From my tees, it's a more manageable 530 with the wind helping. One of the tighter shots on the course, you'll need to split the trees left and right to get home in two.



From about 170, it's all downhill to another wild green.



Looking back up the hill and showing the infamous "invisible bunker" that can't be seen on the approach. After looking at it, I have a hard time imagining a shot that could actually end up in there. The sand is very firm and the lip low enough that even a high approach that came up short and landed in it on the fly would probably bounce out, and a running shot would skip right over it. Of course, I'm sure some poor pissed-off soul found out otherwise...



8th hole:

This 430 yard par 4 leaves the pines and returns back to the sand dunes. Ideal tee shot is down the center of the left side of the huge 150 yard wide double fairway shared with the 9th.



A better look at the huge double fairway, with the 9th side on the right of the big bunker and the 8th side on the left.



8th green left, 9th fairway right.



Approach to 8.



9th hole:

299, but into a stiff wind you can forget about reaching off the tee on this day. I'm sure there's a correct angle to take off the tee to make the approach easier, but I never found it.



A look from about 130 yards out reveals the elevated, very shallow green.



From closer to where a big drive might finish.



A look back at the incredible area occupied by 8 and 9. Just gorgeous as you move back into the pine forest for the back nine, where things get even more scenic. More to come in the next day or two.

"There will always be haters. That’s just the way it is. Hating dudes marry hating women and have hating ass kids." - Evan Turner

Some of y'all have never been called out in bold green font and it really shows.

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #12 on: May 08, 2012, 01:08:22 AM »
Graham "Swampy" Marsh did a wonderful job of laying out this course, as did the construction crew.  the more I reflect on it, 7-8-9-10 may be one of the best/fun 4 hole stretches in the sand hills.  Short wild par 3, long exciting par 5 with driving and second shot demands and surprises, longish par 4 with fall away green, short drivable par 4 (from correct tees) with confounding false front, tiers on large shallow green and WTF rear green area that makes you smile and laugh,  and bookend par 3 semi-blind, and another fun very large green. 

Like Joshy said, you should see this area of sand hill courses when the green spring turns to firm and fast real sand hill turf  with crisp greens and browned out native.  Make the trip in October, and you won't be disappointed and will be amazed how it can be even better than you found it!  :o ;D 8) 
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Pete Balzer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #13 on: May 08, 2012, 07:40:36 AM »
Jason,

Glad you enjoyed the TPC! You've got me pysched, I'm playing there the next 3 days. First trip out this season, how was the conditioning?

Jason Thurman

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #14 on: May 08, 2012, 01:03:24 PM »
Pete, it was my first trip to the sandhills and I may not be the right person to comment on conditions as a result, but I thought the courses played fantastic. Very firm and fast by the Ohio Valley and Wisconsin standards to which I've played most of my golf. Greens were literally perfect as far as I could tell and fairways looked very good.

RJ, I totally agree on 6-10. The front side at the Pines is about as good as any 9 holes I've played east of Monterey. I thought both par 5s excellent, with 7 probably my favorite hole on the course. It's one of very few nerve-racking drives on the property from the white tees but also played well downwind and gave the opportunity to really blast one. I felt pretty amped up after leaving myself about 200 into the green Saturday after a heavily wind-assisted drive, then completely embarrassed after fatting my second into the pine forest...

6 would rank as a potential inland "Dream 18" par 3 for me if not for my round on the Dunes Sunday. I would guess that I muttered the words "unbelievable, wow, holy crap, and *$&%* amazing" about 120 times in my 54 holes at the Prairie Club.
"There will always be haters. That’s just the way it is. Hating dudes marry hating women and have hating ass kids." - Evan Turner

Some of y'all have never been called out in bold green font and it really shows.

Jason Thurman

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #15 on: May 08, 2012, 03:45:59 PM »
The back nine at Prairie Club's Pines course continues and completes a loose figure 8 routing, beginning with a few holes looping along the canyon rim.

10th hole:

A 161 yard par 3 brings us from the open area around 8 and 9 back into the pines surrounding the canyon.



From a walkway near the green, more stunning canyon views open up.





Watch your step!



11th hole:

A 558 yard par 5, 11 is beautiful but probably occupies the least interesting land on the property. It might be the dullest hole on the two courses, which says more about the quality of golf at Prairie Club than the quality of 11 itself.



From around 300 out.



Getting around the trees reveals a nice approach.



12th hole:

A 443 yard par 4, 12 sweeps hard right to left off the tee.



The approach. The back nine at the Pines suffers a bit from its routing over the flattest land of either course.



13th hole:

A return to the dunes brings another strong hole, a 385 yard par 4 with plenty of width. The best view of the green is from the left while the best angle of approach seemed to be from the right. An interesting hole.



The uphill, semi-blind approach from the center of the fairway.



14th hole:

The par 4 plays 326 to a very exposed green. In two rounds on the Pines course, the two sub 330 yard par 4s played into the wind every time. I'd probably have preferred to see one of them play drivable in any wind direction.



A look at the approach. You do not want to miss right.



15th hole:

560 yards over a ridge with a huge bunker dominating the right side of a very wide fairway.



A look at that right side bunker, which would come into play with the wind helping though was unreachable in the winds I saw.



View to the horizon from the fairway. Simply the best setting for golf I've ever experienced. It feels like a completely different world out there.



From about 200 yards out. It's an unbelievable green that offers lots of large ridges for working the ball toward pin positions.



16th hole:

A 417 yard par 4 that moves back into the pines and toward the canyon.



The approach. Hard to tell from this shot, but the canyon forms a pretty fantastic backdrop here.



Looking back 16 from behind the green.



Looking toward the canyon from over the back.



From a walking trail behind the green, amazing views of the canyon open. Here's looking back toward the clubhouse.





17th hole:

A 170 yard par 3 right along the canyon rim.



Looking toward the back of the green from the front with the canyon dominating the setting again.



18th hole:

A 550 yard par 5 that, with a good drive, presents some really interesting risk/reward options.



Hard into the wind on day 1, I didn't close enough to reach in two. You can see the outline of the green just behind the large tree on the left, and a shot between the two large trees that carries the canyon can reach if hit well.



The approach from the layup area. It's not too difficult from here, but if you miss right of the green when trying to reach in two it's almost impossible to hold this elevated shelf of a green. One really cool closing par 5.



A few thoughts on the Pines course:

  • The setting is just incomparable. This is the most beautiful, isolated, visually stunning location I've ever played. While the land lacks some of the movement that the Dunes course has, the canyon views and variation in the terrain make it absolutely breathtaking.
  • It was a cool and unique experience to play a course so fast and firm and with such excellent turf yet with so many wooded holes. In many places, it's a parkland course that plays with the firmness of a links course. I'm still waiting for my Augusta invite, so I don't expect to have the experience again soon. It's really a ton of fun to have so many options even with all the surrounding trees.
  • The front nine is much stronger than the back. The stretch from 11-15 is good, but not up to the standards set by the rest of the course.
  • While an easier walk over a less severe property, and quite a bit less heralded, I don't think the Pines is any less a challenge than the Dunes. It may be the toughest course on the property, and from the tips could provide a really tough test to anyone.

I'll start posting pictures of the Dunes course in the next day or two. I didn't love the way my Pines pics turned out, but the Dunes photos look fantastic. They'll still just barely scratch the surface of that complicated monster though.
"There will always be haters. That’s just the way it is. Hating dudes marry hating women and have hating ass kids." - Evan Turner

Some of y'all have never been called out in bold green font and it really shows.

Pete Balzer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #16 on: May 08, 2012, 09:21:20 PM »
Jason,

I agree, the Pines course is in excellent shape.The greens are in perfect shape, as you said. Much slower than last summer, but give them another month.

Dunes-ing it tomorrow, By the way- what did you think of the Horse Course?

Pete

Jason Thurman

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #17 on: May 10, 2012, 12:16:32 AM »
Moving on to the Dunes course. I teed off in cloudy conditions around 60 degrees. The result? Probably the best photos of a golf course I've ever taken, at least on the front side. I'm excited to share these. I played from the white tees, which had been moved up considerably to the blue tee position in most cases.

1st hole:

The Dunes starts fairly simply, with a 440 yard uphill par 4. It played in a crosswind off the left on my visit, but the width of the fairway makes it very playable and sets the tone for the massive width throughout the course.



The approach is all uphill to a green with a fair amount of movement.



2nd hole:

A 445 yard par 4 that also played in a crosswind, though at a slightly different angle. One of the great things about the Dunes is the way that, although it's mostly an out-and-back routing, holes are oriented to play at different angles to the wind. This tee position is perhaps the most boring on the hole, while tees some 80 yards right of this position leave a Road Hole-esque tee shot over the OB on the right.



Another uphill approach to a fantastically set green in a natural amphitheater.



A better look at the gigantic green. They get bigger.



3rd hole:

A par 5 that begins to show what the Dunes is all about. It's 554, but might be reachable even with the wind hurting slightly if you hit your shots at the correct angles. The centerline bunker and angled tee shot effectively narrows the fairway considerably, as you really need to stay right of it to have any chance of seeing where you'll be hitting your second/reaching in two. If you miss left, you'll find your ball, but there's still a heavy penalty for your inaccuracy in the form of distance and blindness.



From the top of the ridge on the left side, the green opens up from the front right.



4th hole:

My favorite on the course and one of the best par 3s I've ever played. It's 145 on the card, but you can forget about that number. With a front pin it might play only 110. With a back pin like on my visit it might play 185. Factor in a bit of hurting wind, and it's a hard hit to get home.

Even from this photo, you can see the movement in the green. The play for this pin was a hard, low 4 iron at the right edge of the green's front section. From there, a ridge kicks the ball right toward the pin. I pulled it off and it rolled to about 5 feet, resulting in one of the most satisfying shots I've ever hit. I was giddy.



A panoramic view of the 80 yard deep green. Even with the 90 degree angle, between the front and back sections, it definitely seems like you could get a lag putt close from either section if you hit it perfectly.



5th hole:

326 yards, it was definitely drivable with the wind. You have a few options. Go at the green, play between the two centerline bunkers, or carry them and leave a good angle from the left. I chose option 1, and accidentally executed option 3.



The approach from between the bunkers revealing the hellacious false front.



A look back the hole reveals a hidden section of fairway right of the green that could kick balls on, but also could funnel a shot missed wide right into a collection area. I should've lied and said this photo shows me lying 1.



6th hole:

A 540 yard uphill par 5, the tees moved up on this day to make it closer to 500 and easily reachable with a bit of helping wind, as long as you don't pull your drive into the rattlesnake farm on the left like I did. Again, the centerline bunker forces you to choose between the left and right sides, effectively shrinking the hole's playing corridor. While the Dunes presents plenty of width, it also presents the need for accuracy. I thought the strategies of each hole were pretty self-evident, but part of what makes the Dunes unique is that there is no "right" strategy. You could play most holes 10 or 20 different ways depending on wind and pin position and, as long as you execute, you can succeed. It's an extremely rewarding course to plot your way around if you hit it reasonably well.



I didn't get any shots of the approach from the long stuff left, but this shot of the green shows the undulation and also the magnificent setting. Miles and miles of rolling dunes.



7th hole:

160 yards downhill, this hole plays in almost the opposite direction of 4 so that you face a very different wind. The huge blowouts make it visually stunning, and the wild green makes it tough.



Better look at the left blowout showing the signature fenceposts scattered around the Dunes.



8th hole:

Another favorite and a fantastic Alps hole. If you carry the centerline bunker, you can get a pretty decent view of the green. Staying left shortens your approach but makes it visually awkward, and going right gives a clear view but from a long way away.



From near the center of the fairway, the green is just barely visible.



9th hole:

473 yards, mercifully moved up to 400 for my round. It still took two perfectly struck 3 woods to get just short of the green with a 30 mph headwind.



The beautiful skyline approach.



Through 9 holes, the scale and strategy of the Dunes is magnificent. Things stay interesting on the back side, which I'll post photos of in a day or so.
"There will always be haters. That’s just the way it is. Hating dudes marry hating women and have hating ass kids." - Evan Turner

Some of y'all have never been called out in bold green font and it really shows.

Sam Morrow

Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #18 on: May 10, 2012, 12:36:22 AM »
Great stuff, can't believe I'll be there in less than 2 months!

Ron Farris

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club
« Reply #19 on: May 10, 2012, 08:11:46 AM »
Thanks for sharing all of the pictures.  Makes me proud to be from that area.
I will be lucky enough to drive through these spiritual hills in about 10 days.
Nothing like returning to your roots for some mental rehabilitation!

Jason Thurman

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Nebraska Photos: Wild Horse and Prairie Club New
« Reply #20 on: May 11, 2012, 12:53:01 PM »
The final 9 on the Dunes:

10th hole:

Plenty long at 576, the helping wind and up tee made it easily reachable with a mid-iron on my visit. In normal conditions, the ideal line off the tee is up the left.



Approach from around 200 yards, with the green slightly obscured by a dune in front.



A good look at another green featuring tons of movement.



11th hole:

365 yards, mostly into the wind at my visit.



Approach from the right side, making distance control imperative. If your tee shot is up the left, it's a little easier to get the distance right on the approach but you'll have to be more on line.



12th hole:

550 yards with a very wide fairway. You can't see it due to the size of this picture, but there's a TINY 4 foot radius pot bunker in the middle of the fairway that really gets in your head off the tee. It's easily seen in the full size version of this pic. That's one big bummer about uploading photos of this course: they're about 6x as big on my desktop and you can see much more of what's going on out here.



Cresting the hill reveals a long approach to a very well-defended green.



A look at the greensite.



13th hole:

Another one of my favorites, this 430 yarder gives lots of options off the tee. With the wind and pin position on my visit, I played a hard hook with the wind and ran it between the two bunkers up the right side. One of the most fun shots I hit all day.



The approach to a front right pin opens up nicely from the right side of the fairway.



14th hole:

160 yards all uphill, with lots of sand. I enjoyed this hole but thought the green might be a bit too hard to hold from this angle. Another set of tees 90 degrees to the left make the shot much easier.



15th hole:

600 yards straight uphill. It's a long way home on this one.



A look at the approach with a semi punchbowl green and lots of sand. A really cool waste bunker behind the green is filled with old ranching equipment like carts, wagons, and some barbed wire. Would be awful to play from, but I'm guessing not too many people miss four clubs long on an uphill par 5.



16th hole:

Pause to take in the views:



You can just see the clubhouse in the distance here.



Now, onto the 200 yard par 3 with a green that slopes away from you and right to left. Really fun to run the ball on from the right and let it release to the hole here.



17th hole:

440 and uphill, you can cut a lot of distance if you hug the right side. You can also lose a lot of distance if you pull your drive. You can guess which one I did.



The long, uphill, mostly blind approach from the left.



18th hole:

470 yards with more fairway bunkering that requires a lot of accuracy to find the ideal position for the day's wind and pin.



From 200 yards+ with the green in the far distance between the bunkers.



Even from 70 yards right, you can see some of the huge swales running through this putting surface.



A few thoughts on the Dunes.

  • Wow. The biggest, most expansive, most beautiful place I've played. This is golf on a very grand scale. Good shots feel like real accomplishments.
  • More than any other course I've seen, the Dunes at Prairie Club could play like a completely different course one day to the next. The fairways have so many potential landing areas, and the greens are so big, and the wind is such a factor that it could literally play like a different course every day of the year. It's just amazing how many options you have and how complex the course can be.
    • Despite its complexity, good strategies for each hole tend to be readily apparent. I never felt completely confused or unsure where to hit, though I did sometimes have to choose between a few choices that would work. It's a testament to the design that it makes sense for a first-time visitor while still having obvious layers of complexity.
    • The difficulty of the walk is much overstated. I found it a pleasant, if relatively tough walk. While the terrain has plenty of steep slopes and a few soft, sandy spots, the transitions between holes are short enough and the walking paths reasonable enough that it doesn't feel overwhelming.
      • It'll take a long time to fully process this course, and probably another dozen or so plays that I may or may not get a chance to have someday. Of the courses I've played, it's obviously most similar to Erin Hills. I think it's much more complex than Erin Hills, but not as difficult or as challenging a walk. Both courses could challenge the world-class player, but the Dunes seems much more playable on a daily basis and would probably be a little bit more interesting for regular play, though Erin Hills is obviously also a great track.
      Altogether, Prairie Club is a must-see if you're ever in Nebraska. It's a special place and I feel fortunate to have seen it. It made for a harsh return to work on Monday, going from one of the most isolated places in the US back to teaching a computer system under fluorescent lights.
« Last Edit: May 11, 2012, 12:54:59 PM by Jason Thurman »
"There will always be haters. That’s just the way it is. Hating dudes marry hating women and have hating ass kids." - Evan Turner

Some of y'all have never been called out in bold green font and it really shows.

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