A Great Day at Prairie Club

[Mike Hendren]

Adam, with respect to the bunkering at the 4th,  it's a little overwhelming - not unlike Main Street USA at Disneyland as compared to East Street in Ogallala   I prefer the latter.

A highlight of my trip was bumping into you at Bayside, though I was a little concerned about the company you were keeping. 

Bogey

[astavrides]

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[Sam Morrow]

The free breakfast buffet is awesome, prime rib hash is the tits.

[Mike Hendren]

If nothing else this thread confirms Barney's opinion that Prairie Club suffers from an identifity crisis as precious few of the comments are about the golf course architecture.

Marsh's Pines course in no way plays second fiddle on the premises.  The wind howled during my round and the course came to life.

Gratuitous windmill photograph of the short 3rd:


The course transitions into the pines at the 4th.  This photo is from 80 yards out on the par four:

 
I wish I had taken a photograph from the tee of the par four 5th.  The drive is from a narrow tree-lined shute over a sandy waste area to a blind but abundant fairway that turns abruptly right.  This photo from the right side of the green shows the fun contouring:


This photo of the one-shot 6th is taken from slightly left of the tee - a visually stunning golf hole:


The 6th green from back left - I dig this chili:


The Snake River from behind and below the 16th green.  An all world green site but unfortunately a routing dead end:


Headed home with the A/C and Radio Margaritaville cranked all the way up.  This land is your land - this land is my land:


Arguably, for a student of golf course architecture, Prairie Club is a top ten destination in America as it offers an accessible, genuine sandhills golf experience over two top modern courses plus the bonus of Hanse's short course in a comfortable and hospitable environment.   Not cheap, but rightly priced in relation to other resorts such as Pinehurst, Bandon Dunes,  American Club or Pebble Beach to name a few.  The golf might be a notch below those destinations, but what's a few Doak points among friends.

Bogey

[John Kavanaugh]

The Snake River from behind and below the 16th green.  An all world green site but unfortunately a routing dead end:

It is very important to note that that is not a view a golfer gets during his round.

[Mike Hendren]

John is correct.

Barney, do you see any way to exit that location?  Could the 16th hole have been shifted backward or at least the green somehow been moved down and left so that a tee in this spot could be utilized to play to the general location of the present 17th green?

Not sure about the environmental constraints but the canyon is simply majestic.

Mike

[RJ_Daley]

I don't think a stroll about 20-30 yards behind and left of 16 green is too much to undertake in order to get this view.  The course isn't likely to be backed up with groups right on your tail waiting to hit their shots into the green.  But, it seems to me that the steepness of the capstone and footing is not something to tempt golfers from a safety and liability standpoint.  Bogey, you aren't getting any younger, and when guys like me (maybe you) fall or slip, we tend to roll a ways!  In that instance, it is a long way down. 

There are a couple of peaks at the canyon from the Horse course, and if they do the original or close to the original Hanse routing as a third course, you'll get a few canyon peeks, similar to this one.  Prairie rattlers tend to hang out on that capstone near yucca.  So, a safe distance and good footing for the photos are advisable. 

I think you have described the Marsh Pines course pretty well, Mike.

[John Kavanaugh]

John is correct.

Barney, do you see any way to exit that location?  Could the 16th hole have been shifted backward or at least the green somehow been moved down and left so that a tee in this spot could be utilized to play to the general location of the present 17th green?

Not sure about the environmental constraints but the canyon is simply majestic.

Mike

I don't have a clue why Marsh didn't use the canyon.  Perhaps his upbringing in the dramatic landforms of Oz dulled his senses towards natural views.  

It's all just very sad that the premier location where the 3rd course will be built wasn't used first.  It has some beautiful canyon holes available.

[Mike Hendren]

I thought the 17th and 18th were among the weaker holes of the Pines Course.  A questionable routing decision to turn your back on Mother Nature at the home hole (unless you plan to construct a suspension bridge over the surf).   Surely a couple of replacement holes could have been found.  How about an unconventional ending - a big swinging 250 yards downhill redanish par three to Serenity Point?

Bogey

[Pete Balzer]

If nothing else this thread confirms Barney's opinion that Prairie Club suffers from an identifity crisis as precious few of the comments are about the golf course architecture.

Describe the identity crisis that the Prairie Club suffers from-?

[RJ_Daley]

I'm going to hazard a guess that in the conveyance of the land title-deed, there is something in there about set back and non-disturbance of the canyon, and rightfully so, IMHO.  Doc Trimble loved this land deeply.  I was with him and Gil and Geoff one time going over the routing of the original.  While there were spots that got close to the rim, and a few shots over fingers of canyon tee to LZ, there were considerations for safety and getting too close.  You know as well as I that there are golfers at various courses that do not exhibit the best of common sense in their wanderings and activities not related to just playing the game, where temptation and foolish antics lead them to difficulties.  The footing along those rims of capstone are not solid, and really sandy slippery.  Not everything in nature need be violated for a golf tee or green.  In this case, I think that sort of cautionary thinking is incorporated into the golf routing and design.  One can get their peeks, and maybe with some sort of special guide and supervision, even take a morning or evening hike down to the river, for catch and release special permitted fishing.  But, tramping the canyon is not for every hack golfer on the fraternity trip to the sand hills to goof off and act up away from the wives and bosses... or both.  A little moderation is in order when approaching this sort of sensitive unique land.  "This land is our land" sort of.   But for sake of conservancy and preservation, some of it is set aside with great care and restrictions to protect it from overzealous folk seeing every vista as a new tee or green site possibility, ski slope or dirt bike trail.  IMHO, of course. 

[Mike Hendren]

Not to answer for John but my take:

It's viewed as an add-a-course.  Worth a visit while you're in the region to play Ballyneal, Sand Hills or Dismal River.  And an expensive add-a-course at that with Wild Horse (from Omaha) and  Bayside and Common Ground (from Denver) less expensive alternatives to justify an additional stay in the area.  

Prairie Club is a worthy destination its ownself.

That, and it has no vested apologists on this web-site.

Bogey

[astavrides]

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[Pete Balzer]

ok, i wasn't going to write about this on a golf course review forum, but as long as people are complimenting the breakfast buffets and hospitality...
i stayed and played there this year and when it came time for me to leave, i found that one of my suitcase bags was missing from the baggage room.  some people who worked there indicated off-handedly that this happens with some regularity there.  in short, they (especially the GM) were rude to me and continually questioned my sanity apparently trying to avoid liability.  they tried to get me to leave as soon as possible afterwards saying they would call me if it turned up.  they called me the next day around noon saying it had turned up in a member's car in kansas city.  I received it fedex in denver 3 days after it was lost.  In all my dealings with them I only received 1 half-baked apology and no compensation for the inconvenience and suffering they caused me.  I'll never go back as long as the current GM (who has been there since March) is there.

For what's it's worth- we received a call asking if we had your bag a few hours after we left on 7/2, we didn't

[Matt Ingraham]

ok, i wasn't going to write about this on a golf course review forum, but as long as people are complimenting the breakfast buffets and hospitality...
i stayed and played there this year and when it came time for me to leave, i found that one of my suitcase bags was missing from the baggage room.  some people who worked there indicated off-handedly that this happens with some regularity there.  in short, they (especially the GM) were rude to me and continually questioned my sanity apparently trying to avoid liability.  they tried to get me to leave as soon as possible afterwards saying they would call me if it turned up.  they called me the next day around noon saying it had turned up in a member's car in kansas city.  I received it fedex in denver 3 days after it was lost.  In all my dealings with them I only received 1 half-baked apology and no compensation for the inconvenience and suffering they caused me.  I'll never go back as long as the current GM (who has been there since March) is there.

The same thing happened to one of my co-workers but his experience with the staff was the complete opposite.  Shortly after arriving at TPC his suitcase got loaded into a member’s vehicle (and later their plane) and ended up in Chicago.  The GM really took care of him.  He was taken to the shop and given a new wardrobe for the rest of his stay.  The GM also bought the entire group’s dinner the first night.  The owner was on the property later during their stay and he came over and personally apologized.  My co-worker has nothing but good things to say about the situation.

[Tim Pitner]

Is it not possible to just handle one's own luggage?

I'm making a trip there in Sept so any words of wisdom would be helpful.

[astavrides]

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[astavrides]

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[astavrides]

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[Jason Thurman]

It's viewed as an add-a-course.  Worth a visit while you're in the region to play Ballyneal, Sand Hills or Dismal River.  And an expensive add-a-course at that with Wild Horse (from Omaha) and  Bayside and Common Ground (from Denver) less expensive alternatives to justify an additional stay in the area.  

Prairie Club is a worthy destination its ownself.

I can't agree more, at least as it's discussed on this forum. It's almost a total afterthought next to the other prairie courses. Perhaps part of that is because it's newer. I worry that more of it is related to its being designed by architects who don't move the needle among the treehouse. I think it's terribly underrated among this group.

If viewed purely as a golf resort, where does Prairie Club rank? To me, it's obviously a notch below Bandon Pebble Kohler, but you could make a strong argument for it after those three, particularly if they get the Hanse course together and it matches or exceeds the quality of the other two.

[Jason Hines]

Because of the recent threads on TPC, I am looking forward to the day when I can get back again, I personally preferred the Dunes course over the Pines for a lot of the same reasons above.  Even though we played the Dunes with a driving mist, during mid-September in 38 degrees.

I would agree that TPC has suffered a bit of an identity crisis and for me it was not because of “big named designer”.  Is it an add on?  Is it because others came before it?  Do they need a third course?

Maybe Pete B. would not mind sharing what drew him to become a member over other courses in the region? 

I am genuinely curious and am one of those that would leave for the sand hills tomorrow if I could.

Jason

[Wayne Freeman]

Michael,

        everyone in our group thought that the finishing hole on the Pines course should be blown up.   For the average golfer
 he really has no place to hit his second shot as there is almost no angle into the green.  And if the pin is anywhere on the
 right half it is basically impossible to hit your 3rd and hold. We just didn't get it... the head pro said that there had been a number
 of similar comments, but they didn't have any plans to change anything.  I talked to Graham Marsh about that hole and he said
 in all the times he has played it, no one has ever made any negative comments about it... maybe no big surprise.   

[Mark Saltzman]

I think Prairie Club (Dunes) is exceptional (and I think I've made that clear in the past). Its scale, its variety in green shapes/contours, the elasticity of the course in different winds, the different teeing options, the width, the strategic interest, all of this combine to make one of the top-10 modern courses in the United States. With all due respect to the other courses in the Sand Hills, if given the chance to play 10 rounds at any one course in Western Nebraska I would pick Prairie Club Dunes.  

Full Dunes photo tour here: http://onegolferstravels.blogspot.ca/2012/04/prairie-club-dunes-golf-course-review.html?m=1

Full Pines photo tour here: http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49022.0.html

[Mike Hendren]

Thanks for sharing this wonderful photograph.  For a minute I thought it was a Charles Russel painting.



Is it just me or do such moments add to the experience?

Mike

[Jason Thurman]

Michael, I think it adds a lot. The whole atmosphere surrounding The Prairie Club (and Sandhills golf in general, I would guess) is one of its great strengths.

Mark, if I understand your statement correctly, I completely agree on the replayability of the Dunes course. I thought as I was leaving that if I were stuck playing only one course for the rest of my life, I believe I'd get the most variety out of the Dunes as opposed to any other course I've seen. It can be a completely different track from morning to afternoon even, and when you factor in different tees, winds, and hole locations, it's almost endlessly complex.

I'm not well-traveled enough to call it a Top 10 Modern, but it's easily the best I've played.