Pines Course @ The Prairie Club

[kwl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j59lf2VZ8LA

[kwl]

swampy does it again

[Eric Smith]

kwl Swampy,

Dude you rock!

Those pictures are spellbinding - what a fun looking place to knock your ball around. 

A getaway to Valentine is definitely in order.  Anyone going out to get their fill of all 46 holes when they open next season?
 
Thanks for the thread.

[Jeff Spittel]

Setting mapquest route from Houston . . . .

Man that place looks great.

[Rob Rigg]

Really looking fwd to checking out the PC next July - the aerials, photos and tours look very interesting - if the courses play as fun as they appear then a big congrats will be in order to all involved. The public/private model is also a cool idea.

Has anyone played both courses and the Horse (was this discussed on another thread?)

[Ryan Admussen]

what would be the closest major airport?

[kwl]

major depends on your definition...Pierre SD would be the best spot to land a commercial bird

[Rob Rigg]

looks like denver is the closest major airport which is about 7.5 hours away - same for omaha

rapid city is 4.5 hrs

pierre is about 3.5 hrs

[Jason Hines]

Omaha and Denver have the major carriers and better flight schedules, also potentially the better rental car rates.   

You can also play a few of the other venues on your way to Valentine if you fly into these cities.

[Ryan Admussen]

looks like denver is the closest major airport which is about 7.5 hours away - same for omaha

rapid city is 4.5 hrs

pierre is about 3.5 hrs

Harder to get to than Bandon! Don't know if I can sell the fiance on rural nebraska as easy as Oregon, but I'll have to try definitely looks like its worth the trip!

[Ryan Admussen]

Omaha and Denver have the major carriers and better flight schedules, also potentially the better rental car rates.   

You can also play a few of the other venues on your way to Valentine if you fly into these cities.

Which courses would you suggest?

[Rob Rigg]

There are some great privates near The PC - Ballyneal and Sand Hills - if you know someone

And at least one great public - Wildhorse

[Jason Hines]

I would add to Rob’s list, Sutton Bay (private) in Pierre if you come from the North.  Bayside in Ogallala if you are coming from Denver, Arbor Links in Nebraska City or Firethorn in Lincoln if you are coming from Omaha.  Jim Engh is working on Awarii Dunes in Kearney that I believe will have 9 holes done by next summer.  (Don't quote me on that one)

Those are the bigger named courses, however there are still a few pasture and sand green courses if you want to get raw on the way out there.
J.

[Adam Clayman]

7.5 HOURS from Denver is not exactly accurate. It's basically an hour north of Mullen. 6 hrs max.

Omaha is likely closer by 1.5 hrs. (a guess)

Valentine actually has stuff to do, too. There's a river float that gets a lot of talk as well other cultural experiences. (think cowboys and indians) Square dancing and gambling.

[Ryan Admussen]

7.5 HOURS from Denver is not exactly accurate. It's basically an hour north of Mullen. 6 hrs max.

Omaha is likely closer by 1.5 hrs. (a guess)

Valentine actually has stuff to do, too. There's a river float that gets a lot of talk as well other cultural experiences. (think cowboys and indians) Square dancing and gambling.

Sounds like calgary at stampede time 

[Rob Rigg]

Thanks Adam - Google Maps is rarely spot on for driving time - in this case it wasn't even close.

I guess you can probably drive around 85 mph on those roads?

[RJ_Daley]

For what it is worth, North Platte has connecting Great Lakes Aviation puddle jumpers to Denver 3X weekdays and 2X weekends.  And, they have a rental counter of sorts where you can rent something between a buckboard and a F-150.     They used to have about 2 or 3 airlines into N.P. but I guess a sign of the times.... I never flew in there.  But, I have in fall taken Northwest connecting out of Minnieapple to Lincoln, which is a full service airport with a number of airlines servicing it and several rental counters.  N.P. is about 2.5 something to Prairie Club.  Lincoln is at least 5hrs.  Lincoln used to have some really great deals from Green Bay connecting in Minnie for like $99rt during fall football season just a few years ago. 

[Jason Hines]

Is anyone up for a PC/Nebraska get together next fall?  It has been awhile since we have had one.  (Or at least I have been invited)  I have family in Kearney, so it will be easy to ditch the family.  It would be good to get back to our roots on this site, maybe try and work in a guest speaker?

Just a thought as the weather turns on us here in the mid west, will give us something to mull over.

[Tom_Doak]

That is one of the best pieces of property I've ever walked.  I hope they got the most out of it they could.

However, I don't understand some of what I see in the pics.

For example, in the last pic, what do you do if you're in that bunker on the right of the fairway?  I can't tell if it's 100 yards from the green or 200, but there's a tree in your way at the bunker and another at the green.

Likewise, in the next to last photo, seems there are two trees in the way going up the long hole in the distance, and it's hard to tell how you get a clear line to the par-3 before it.  Has anyone seen these holes in person?

[Jeff_Mingay]

I agree with Tom.

Rod Whitman and I walked this property as well. It's very good. I particularly like the uniqueness of treed area along the canyon rim. It's a very distinctive environment amongst the sand hills.

[Ben Sims]

Tom,

Other than the soil differences, how did the site compare to Deer Lodge?  

All,

The pics looks great.  Then again, some folks have mentioned--in regards to the Pines course--the words "less than inspiring".  I have also heard that the Dunes course won't be walker friendly?  Is this true?

[Cristian]

Really looking fwd to checking out the PC next July - the aerials, photos and tours look very interesting - if the courses play as fun as they appear then a big congrats will be in order to all involved. The public/private model is also a cool idea.

Has anyone played both courses and the Horse (was this discussed on another thread?)

Indeed a great looking course.
Looks like there are some long walks though, is it a course that can be played without a cart?

[Tom_Doak]

Ben:

The property is not much at all like Rock Creek.  The Prairie Club property doesn't have much elevation change from one side to the other ... it's all just up and down endlessly within about 50 feet of elevation from the canyon rim, from what I can recall.  Rock Creek has 300+ feet of elevation change just within the 18 holes [which is somewhat misleading because the course is laid out in a long line, only the 14th hole has as much as 75 feet of change from tee to green].

[John Kirk]

For example, in the last pic, what do you do if you're in that bunker on the right of the fairway?  I can't tell if it's 100 yards from the green or 200, but there's a tree in your way at the bunker and another at the green.

I've taken a tour of the course.  That is about #7 on the Marsh course, a medium length par 5 if I remember correctly.  Although I didn't take a careful look from the bunker in question, I do remember that the land drops sharply down and to the right, perhaps 20 feet down from the fairway bunker to the green.  You might be able to bounce it down onto the green, if the approach line is blocked by trees.  The green has siginificant contour.

It's a pretty golf hole, especially the approach shot.

[John Kirk]

The second to last photo is #17 and #18 at the Marsh course.  #18 is a reachable par 5, so I think the idea with the trees is create obstacles for reaching the left side of the fairway where you have a second shot at the green.