I was fortunate to tour Awarii Dunes today with Tim Hartnett, Jim Engh's #1. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. The small pocket of dunes this course occupies screams golf. It's scale is perfect, it's movement ideal. The subtle variety is artfully experienced as one journeys from one end of this pocket to the other. Some of the dunes are bigger (on the back nine) than expected. Jim Engh has created a walker user friendly routing that is sure to be a hit, only 5 miles outside of Kearney Nebraska.
Awarii, an indian word for strong wind will be the farthest east course in Nebraska adding to the strong rota of Prairie (Irish like) links golf.
Heres a link to Jay's article written last year.
http://jayflemma.thegolfspace.com/?p=2212And some pictures Jason provided on another thread.
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=44478.0 One of the more difficult aspects of this project was not scrapping the loam away to find great golfing ground, it was marrying (and repairing) the existing irrigation system, and corridors, into a cohesive walkable design, on the old nine holes (formerly Cranview). The new back nine holes will ebb and flow through dunes land north of the original course. Giving Awarii a seamless cohesive 18 holes of golf. The range of holes has a nice spectrum of short to long. All of them having lay of the land, at grade, contouring. Interesting doglegs with uphill par five's that have devilishly small greens. The 6th or 7th(?) will feature the hugerest green at 18,000 sq/ft. The ninth begs for a Heroic carry, complete with ample width, allowing for not only the plodders, but the wind, too.
A-1 bent throughout, all one low height of cut, should allow Awarii Dunes to accentuate the Nebraska landscape, and lInks golf aficionados, for generations to come.
They are having a membership premier one day sale on June 29th, with deals on what is already a reasonable rate. Worth considering if one wants to get a foot hold in the region.