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big course on the prairie
A new golfing frontier is about to open up deep in the heart of America. And an Australian had a big hand in helping shape this unique development.
America is blessed with several centres of golfing excellence. California and Florida are practically bursting at the seams with quality courses.
But now there’s a new kid on the block. Or should we say prairie.
The Prairie Club is a world-class destination in the heart of Nebraska’s Sandhills region. Opened at the end of May, the site features three courses, with plans already underway for a fourth, as well as the 31-room Prairie Club Lodge.
Nebraska is slap bang in the centre of America, bordered on six sides by other States (Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa.)
It’s a place most Australians would struggle to find on the map. But thankfully one did. Graham Marsh has designed one of the courses here, called The Pines.
Marsh was one of the leading Australian golfers of his generation with 64 wins in his professional career, 11 of them in Australasia. But since 1986, he has been tearing up golf courses in a different way through his thriving design business.
With more than 50 courses already built and another 20 or more under development, it’s no surprise he’s one of the most sought after designers in the world. His service to golf was the reason he was awarded an MBE by the Queen.
“The Prairie Club site is one of the most unique terrains I have had the opportunity to work on and is nothing short of a golf architects dream. I am confident the Prairie Club will be regarded as one of the great remote golf destinations in North America,” Marsh commented recently.
The Pines takes advantage of the remnants of an ancient ponderosa forest situated along the banks of the Snake River Canyon. It has five sets of tees, allowing golfers to travel between 4,872 and 6,883 metres.
“It’s a minimalistic style of golf,” Marsh told Golf Vacations. “We didn’t need to move too much earth and the course is the better for it. The best courses ever built cost the least amount of money because they were constructed on the best pieces of land.”
Crossovers at the 5th and 6th holes on the outward nine and at the 15th and 16th on the back nine mean golfers will have the canyon wall on the right going out and on the left coming home.
But perhaps Marsh’s greatest achievement is to combine his two favourite styles on the one course. Here, links golf meets tree-lined golf in a seamless transition.
“It was a great opportunity to put both styles together. But we had to transition and flow from one to the other without giving golfers a jolt. And I think we’ve achieved that.
“I’m keen to see the response. I know I’m not going to make everyone happy and everyone will have their opinions. But I’m confident people will get a pleasurable golfing experience.”
The owners’ brief to the three course designers was to provide golf in its purest form. It’s a testament to this ambition that all three layouts were completed in just 20 weeks and cost considerably less than most new course developments.
The Dunes is an 18-hole championship course designed by former American Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman and architect Chris Brands.
A challenge for golfers of all standards, the Dunes six sets of tees stretch from 5,341 to a massive 7,381 metres but its wide sweeping fairways – 140 metres wide in many areas – are specifically designed to increase the playability of the course.
Characterised by dramatic elevation changes, endless views of the Sandhills in all directions, and immense bunkers, golfers will face a wind-swept course with massive rolling seascapes of prairie grass. The fairways look like small yet welcoming green oases amid the straw coloured background.
With a tip of the hat to natural, minimalistic links-style courses in Scotland and Ireland, the Dunes is a purely American, prairie-style links experience.
Set apart from the two championship courses is the wickedly fun Horse Course. This 10-hole, par-3 layout takes the game to a new level, because there are no tees. The player with the honour simply nominates the spot where the tee shot is to be played from.
Right on the rim of the Snake River Canyon, the Horse plays from 443 to 1,028-metres, depending on how lenient or evil the leading player wants to be.
The course was designed by renowned golf architect Gil Hanse in conjunction with partners Geoff Shackelford and Jim Wagner. His work has proved so popular that Hanse has been commissioned to build another 18-hole course on the site, to be called Old School, that will run along the rim of the Snake River Canyon, above a 90-metre canyon wall.
It will be adjacent to the Pines, Dunes and Horse and in full view of an old historic schoolhouse built around the turn of the century.
While that’s still on the drawing board, the Prairie Club Lodge is up and running, offering authentic and relaxed dining and accommodation. It’s open to both members and visiting golfers.
Apart from the 31-rooms, it has a gourmet restaurant, two bars, a library, a conference room, covered and outdoor patios, merchandise store and golf shop.
In addition to the Lodge, the Prairie will also offer a four-room cabin located on the rim of the Snake River Canyon.
Complementing the Lodge is an expansive practice facility, which allows members and visitors to work on their game before tackling whichever course takes their fancy.
As well as world-class golf, club staff can also assist guests in choosing some of the other outdoor activities available in the Sandhills region of Nebraska.
These include blue-ribbon trout fishing on the nearby Snake River, canoeing and kayaking on the Niobrara River, and bird watching, including the annual migrations of the sandhill crane.
at a glance
Getting there: Delta Airlines flies from Sydney to Denver, Colorado, via Los Angeles, with onward regional connections to Nebraska.
Delta Airlines. Contact Global Aviation Services (02) 9767 4333 or visit
www.delta.com
The Prairie Club is 27kms south of Valentine, Nebraska. Commercial flights are available into Pierre (South Dakota) and North Platte (Nebraska). Both are about 210kms by road to Valentine.
Green fees: Hosted Lodge Guest, $US135; Sponsored Lodge Guest, $US165; Public Lodge Guest, $US180. Hosted Non-Lodge Guest, $US165; Sponsored Non-Lodge Guest, $US190; Public Non-Lodge Guest, $US220.
Caddy: 18-holes, $US50 per bag, per round (excluding tip).
Accommodation: Single room – Hosted Guest, $US150; Sponsored Guest, $US180; Public $US200.
Single room (shared bathroom) – Hosted Guest, $US130; Sponsored Guest, $US150; Public $US175.
Double room – Hosted Guest, $US185; Sponsored Guest, $US215; Public $US250.
Four-bedroom cabin – Hosted Guest, $US900; Sponsored Guest, $US1,050; Public $US1,200.
Things to Do: Fishing, canoeing, hunting, kayaking, bird-watching.
www.theprairieclub.com
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