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David Wigler

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Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« on: July 22, 2004, 11:09:20 AM »
Assume I have access to these courses:

I have never golfed in Nebraska.  I do not have time to drive to Sand Hills or Wild Horse.  I am flying into Omaha the morning of 8/8.  Assuming you had your choice of Omaha C.C., Quarry Oaks, Happy Hollow, Firethorn, Shadow Ridge, Champions, or Bent Tree in Council Bluffs Iowa - Which would you play?

Thanks for your help!!
« Last Edit: July 22, 2004, 11:47:18 AM by David Wigler »
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And I took full blame then, and retain such now.  My utter ignorance in not trumpeting a course I have never seen remains inexcusable.
Tom Huckaby 2/24/04

Chris_Clouser

Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2004, 11:23:03 AM »
Omaha CC would be my choice, but people on here will probably lean towards Firethorn from past comments.

I would really be interested in the contrast in the Langford original work with the Maxwell changes from 1951 before the course gets renovated.
« Last Edit: July 22, 2004, 11:25:14 AM by Chris_Clouser »
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SPDB

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2004, 11:37:18 AM »
Out of curiosity, what is the drive from Omaha to Sand Hills?
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David Wigler

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2004, 11:41:57 AM »
Quote from: SPDB on July 22, 2004, 11:37:18 AM
Out of curiosity, what is the drive from Omaha to Sand Hills?

I checked.  It is about 290 miles on I-80 to North Platte and then an additional 60 miles on route 83.  To fly from Detroit to Omaha, make that drive, hurry through a round, and drive back to Omaha for a Monday morning meeting just does not work.
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And I took full blame then, and retain such now.  My utter ignorance in not trumpeting a course I have never seen remains inexcusable.
Tom Huckaby 2/24/04

David Wigler

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2004, 11:56:40 AM »
Dave,

For reason I will discuss in private if you want to call, there is no opportunity to fly out 8/7.  Believe me, if it could have worked, I would have done it.  No it's Omaha that I need help with.
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And I took full blame then, and retain such now.  My utter ignorance in not trumpeting a course I have never seen remains inexcusable.
Tom Huckaby 2/24/04

chris_neblett

Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2004, 12:18:04 PM »
Omaha CC if you do not want to spend the 1 hour 15 minute drive or so to Lincoln for Firethorn.  Quarry Oaks is a very nice course, but if you are only there for 1 day the other 2 are the best options.
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JakaB

Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2004, 12:51:41 PM »
David,

My sister is a member of Omaha C.C. is you need any help getting on....or maybe she could join you so you don't have to pay the unaccompanied rate.
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Daryn_Soldan

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2004, 01:32:41 PM »
Between the two course on your list that I have played, Firethorn and Omaha CC, I would recommend Omaha CC.  An enjoyable and very challenging old country club on a hilly property.  If I remember correctly, there are not many level lies to be found.  The elevation, especially around the clubhouse, leads to a few quirky shots.  Not bad shots, just character building :).  The approach on the ninth plays up one of the steepest hills that I've ever seen a golf hole located on. It's followed by the drive on the tenth into a narrow creek guarded valley.  The course will definitely make you think your way around and the combination of elevation, trees, length and slick putting surfaces make it plenty difficult.

Firethorn is a fine course, however my preference is Omaha CC.  Mabe it was from getting beat up in a 30 mph wind for three days in Lincoln ;).  If you do play Firethorn in August there is a good chance it will be running fast.  Off the tee several holes are visually daunting but there is really quite a bit of room.  I found the greens and green surrounds to be the biggest challenge. You can expect excellent conditioning at both courses.  Enjoy your first golf experience in Nebraska.

-Daryn
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pdrake

Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2004, 01:49:43 PM »
If you want to see some old time architecture......the premise of this site........I would suggest the Field Club of Omaha.  Built in 1898........a short course, but a great atmosphere!
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Cory

Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2004, 05:20:31 PM »
Benson Park is a great public golf course for a very affordable fee.  It does not have the history of a Omaha CC, however, I feel that it is a challenging and yet fair golf course.  It has some very pretty holes and you will like the affordable green fees.  This course is somewhat in the area of the Omaha CC.
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Jeff_Brauer

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #10 on: July 22, 2004, 05:30:16 PM »
Omaha is great, with some Langford (or is it Styles?  No one knows for sure) but for some reason, I want to recommend Champions..... ;D
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Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

Jay Carstens

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #11 on: July 22, 2004, 06:53:00 PM »
Jeff-
I can tell you their superintendant told me that it's Langford....no question... and that C&W have it wrong.

RE Champions: I'll never forget the round we played there during a lunar eclipse.  Talk about tough conditions! Impossible!!  ???   8)

 

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Play the course as you find it

Jeff_Brauer

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #12 on: July 22, 2004, 09:57:27 PM »
Quote from: Jay Carstens on July 22, 2004, 06:53:00 PM
Jeff-
I can tell you their superintendant told me that it's Langford....no question... and that C&W have it wrong.

RE Champions: I'll never forget the round we played there during a lunar eclipse.  Talk about tough conditions! Impossible!!  ???   8)

 



Yeah, I designed it for that.  Once every 150 years or so, the course is great....other than that, its just very good...... :o

I may not have my terminology right, but it if was a lunar eclipse, does that mean you were already night golfing and it just got a little more dark than you had anticipated?  Or did you golf during the day when a solar eclipse started?

As to Omaha CC, Tom Athey and I have discussed that.  He IS certain it is Langford.  On the other hand, so have Ron Whitten and I.  Ron is just as convinced its Stiles as Tom is that it is Langford.  Ron can point to a few greens that look more like Stiles and there are some that look like Langford to me.  Tom showed me some aerials from the 70's.  There was a neat little punch bowl par 3 on the front nine with a reverse slope that was modernized by someone I had never heard of.....

Ron bases his opinion on an ad by Stiles touting Omaha CC as a current project.  The club points to Rons first edition and the fact that Langford had far more midwest work than Stiles, who only had a course in St. Louis, done the same year as OCC.

They are going to use Keith Foster to renovate it, and no matter, because they want to emphasize their Maxwell heritage - the 8 greens he did there were the last before his death - if they ever decide to rebuild their greens.
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Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

Jason Hines

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #13 on: July 22, 2004, 10:23:52 PM »
David,

Champions Run will be finishing up their Nationwide Tour event on the 8th, I would do OCC.  Manicured, tight, tough greens and not very crowded.  

Omaha's problem, dilemma or blessing is that we have a lot of very good courses, but none that knock your socks off.  (50+ in the area)  Two others in the area that are in that category are Woodland Hills in Eagle, 5 stars in golf digest. (50 minutes to an hour from the airport) Arbor Links in Nebraska City which is about 50 miles from the airport.  They all have websites.

If you need any other type info about Omaha, let me know.

Jason
« Last Edit: July 22, 2004, 10:24:39 PM by Jason_Hines »
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Tony_Chapman

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #14 on: July 22, 2004, 10:46:44 PM »
David - Champions, as Jason noted will not be possible as the Nationwide Tour will wrap up their event there that day.

I would recommend Bent Tree, but OCC is the top notch one if you can get on. I went to college with Tom Athy's son and he certainly knows what he is doing. I believe he has consulted with Sand Hills and Prairie Dunes on some projects.

Jeff brings up some good points about the architect. I would lean toward what Jeff says about it being Langford and Moreau. They did two other privates in Omaha (Happy Hollow Club and Ironwood) in the area during the same time as OCC being built.

The OCC clubhouse


Omaha Country Club aerial

Again, if money is no option and OCC is the place to go. Jeff's course over in Council Bluffs is one of my favorite in the Metro - I like it better than Woodland Hills. There is also a Robert Trent Jones course, Willow Lakes, on the Air Force Base that is pretty fun. Consecutive par-5s and par-3s on the back side.

Have fun!!

Tony
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David Wigler

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #15 on: July 23, 2004, 09:14:13 AM »
I feel like the world is against me on this one.  OCC is having their Member-Member that day, so it is closed.  I have been promising Jeff for two years, I would see one of his courses, so Champions sounded great and now I find that it is having a nationwide event.  It sounds like Firethorn (Hardly a penance).

Jeff,

Any chance you are in the area and want to tee it up on 8/8.
Logged
And I took full blame then, and retain such now.  My utter ignorance in not trumpeting a course I have never seen remains inexcusable.
Tom Huckaby 2/24/04

David Wigler

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #16 on: July 23, 2004, 09:17:05 AM »
Wait, Bent Tree is Jeff's course, right?  If you had never seen one of Jeff's courses, would Bent Tree be a good first one to see and start to form your opinion about his work?
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And I took full blame then, and retain such now.  My utter ignorance in not trumpeting a course I have never seen remains inexcusable.
Tom Huckaby 2/24/04

Tony_Chapman

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #17 on: July 23, 2004, 11:00:46 AM »
Quote from: David Wigler on July 23, 2004, 09:17:05 AM
Wait, Bent Tree is Jeff's course, right?  If you had never seen one of Jeff's courses, would Bent Tree be a good first one to see and start to form your opinion about his work?

David - Yes, Bent Tree is a Brauer course.  Of the courses of his I have played, I like it the best. You would like to drive out and through Champions, especially since the Nationwide is there.

I have also played Woodland Hills (which is a 5-star "Places to Play"), his city course Highlands in Lincoln and the green redesign of Pioneers also in Lincoln.

Again, I haven't played one I didn't enjoy and feel Bent Tree was my favorite to play.

www.benttreegolf.com
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Tiger_Bernhardt

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #18 on: July 23, 2004, 11:13:31 AM »
The guys are right on the recs here. I played Quarry Oaks and enjoyed it alot. But it is behind Omaha Cc and Champions for sure.
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Gene Greco

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #19 on: July 23, 2004, 01:31:55 PM »
I lived in Omaha for eight years and these recommendations are spot on.
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"...I don't believe it is impossible to build a modern course as good as Pine Valley.  To me, Sand Hills is just as good as Pine Valley..."    TOM DOAK  November 6th, 2010

Jeff_Brauer

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #20 on: July 23, 2004, 03:03:59 PM »
David,

My son and I are going to be close - in the KC area for his AJGA tourney qualifying there on the 9th.  We were thinkning of driving to Colbert Hills to play - and that is a course of mine worth seeing for sure, and maybe Wichita CC, Prairie Dunes and Flint Hills.  That may not fit your time schedule though, as its a few hours from Omaha.

I hate to rank my own courses anywhere.  I think they are all good, of course, but Champions is probably the best of mine there, even if it is a "timepiece" of late 80's architecture - lots of contouring.  Highlands and Woodland Hills in Lincoln area aren't bad either and are more traditional.  

Bent Tree is a links course - we left lots of natives on site, including some farming berms, that affect play.  It was built on a shoestring, so I wouldn't say that would be the best course on the Brauer primer tour.......  It had early maintenance issues, opening too soon, but has improved every time I stopped by.  Great to read some positive opinions of it, so it must still be getting better.

This may be sacriligeous, but have you considered not playing, and simply touring all those courses mentioned in a cart for your own architectural edumacation?
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Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

Jason Hines

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #21 on: July 25, 2004, 06:38:31 PM »
David,

Let us know where you decided to play and how you liked it.

Jason
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TEPaul

Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #22 on: July 25, 2004, 07:18:40 PM »
If I only had one round to play in Omaha I'd go to the nearest "Doll House". I have to assume Omaha has a "Doll House". If they don't they better get one fast! I assume there're a pretty good number of wholesome farm girls near enough to Omaha who need to work their way through college!
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Jeff_Mingay

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #23 on: July 25, 2004, 08:56:17 PM »
David,

Firethorn has 27 holes, if you have time... Dye's original 18, plus a new nine by Rod Whitman, opened in 2000 (if my memory serves me correctly).
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jeffmingay.com

Bill Kubly

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Re:Where would you play if you had 1 round in Omaha?
« Reply #24 on: July 26, 2004, 06:41:09 PM »
David,

Nebraska and the Omaha area have many very good golf courses to play including many mentioned before.  Our company has built many of them including Jeff Brauer's Champions Run and Woodland Hills.  If you must play in Omaha, one course not mentioned before is The Players Club at Deer Creek which is a tough golf course that you would most likely enjoy.  

If you have a little extra time and since Champions Run is tied up that week, your best selection in this area would be ArborLinks in Nebraska City which may be a 40 minute drive from Omaha and is well worth it.  This is a very Links style course with NO housing, great terrain, and an all you can play rate.  Even though I have the option of playing most of the best courses in the state, nothing is more enjoyable than a round at ArborLinks.

 The conditioning at this time is excellent and my guess is that soon it will be considered one of the best stops in the Midwest for the public player and this GCA site will be talking about it in the same breath as Wild Horse.  
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