Sand Hills Golf Club

QMany

QMany

All-American
After reading tschu's status, I thought we could start a thread about one of Nebraska's treasures, the Sand Hills Golf Club.

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Nebraska has excellent golf, but Sand Hills is the best of the best. I've been fortunate enough to be invited to stay and play there on two occasions.

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There are not many things that will keep me out of Memorial Stadium when the Huskers play, but this place is one of them. The only weekend I could make it out there was the weekend that we played Wisconsin. I played all day (45 holes) and then bellied up to the bar to watch the game. With that comeback, it might have been the perfect day.

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My connections are limited to the club, but I will do my best trying to get on whoever would be serious about a fall trip to Mullen.

 
Man that course would be a "fun" one to play. Are there any other courses in the western part of the state that even compare to it?

 
wiuhusker said:
Man that course would be a "fun" one to play. Are there any other courses in the western part of the state that even compare to it?
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I don't think there are many courses in the United States that "compare" to it, but there are some alternatives. Dismal River is just down the road, and it is a little easier to get on. I have heard great things about Wild Horse Golf Club in Gothenburg, NE. Just looking at pictures, it looks very "similar." It is quite the bargain, too. I need to find a time to check it out.

 
I would definitely love to play Sandhills. I had a chance to play it when I was about a junior in high school. My dad and brother both were going with some others. This is when the club was just opening and they allowed public play for a year or so. I decided not to go. It was a mistake I still am mad about today. I would love to go and play it if I could get on. I plan on playing The Prairie Club courses this summer as I live fairly close to them. I know a member of Dismal and know I can get on there pretty much whenever I wanted, but haven't yet. Also, Dismal they will let you play as a member of the public, but the green fees are expensive when doing this way. Sutton Bay up in Agar, SD is another course you can get on as public but expensive that way. Sand Hills is the one place it's tough to get on unless you know someone.

So, I'm up to play if I could find a way on. Just have to let me know.

Btw, Gothenburg is an absolutely awesome course and is really just ridiculously crazy how great it is and what price you get it for. Easily one of the best courses in Nebraska for price, and really even if you take price out of the equation. I try to play it once a year at least. Also check out Bayside Golf Club,http://baysidegolf.com/,out by Ogallala. And yes, that's a bunker in the middle of the green. 17th hole, par 3, with a basically 4 tiered green with a bunker in the middle of it. Pretty cool. It's right up on the south side of Lake Mcconaughy. Very nice course. It's a links set-up with quite a few elevation changes whereas Wildhorse in Gothenburg is a links style with a flatter landscape. Both awesome courses for as cheap as you can play them. Nothing like great golf at rural Nebraska prices!!

 
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Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
Don't really know much about golf. What makes the place special?
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To me it's a beautiful type of golf course. I was born in the Sandhills and have returned back. The landscape is like nothing else I've really seen and to see golf courses taking that terrain is just neat to me. Guess it's more of a personal thing for me, and having a lot to do with growing up in the area. Don't get me wrong, I like golf courses with trees too and your more "classic" american golf course layouts, like Lochland CC or Omaha CC. I like to just play the best courses I can get on, and it's kind of driving me nuts that I haven't been on the highest rated course in my home state. The other thing is playing a perfectly groomed golf course is just like a great work of art. Places like Sand Hills have the money and workers to be able to maintain the courses perfectly. That's why places like Wildhorse in Gothenburg are an enigma. They don't have the budget like Sand Hills or Omaha CC, but they are still maintained so highly and you can play it for so cheap.

 
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It's consistently rated top-10 or top-5 even in the world.

Most of the allure and beauty comes from the fact that Lehman and Crenshaw didn't really do any construction or dirtwork - they went out onto the 8,000 acre property and found over 130 all-natural golf holes, bunkers and everything. Didn't have to build a single bunker on the course, they just used the natural blown-out hillsides of the sandhills. Pick ou the 18 best holes (and best-routed for a course I guess), plant some fairway grass and some greens and viola. But the all-natural feel, the absolutely ridiculous design, the pristine conditions... I can only imagine. Haven't seen the place.

How do you even get on anyway? I think you have to know a member or go with a member

 
Haven't played it. From the pictures it looks a lot like Wild Horse Golf Club outside of Gothenburg - which is a great course.

Anyone played both?

 
There's also the Prairie Club, in Valentine, which is supposed to be similar. And in Colorado there is Ballyneal.

I have not played any of these, as they are pretty much all private and exclusive. Wild Horse is the exception and I plan on getting out to it when I get a chance.

 
Praire Club has like a stay and play deal for like $400, play all day, stay the night, play the next day. Or so I'm told. Not bad for a couple of days a course that good

 
CheeseHusker said:
There's also the Prairie Club, in Valentine, which is supposed to be similar. And in Colorado there is Ballyneal.

I have not played any of these, as they are pretty much all private and exclusive. Wild Horse is the exception and I plan on getting out to it when I get a chance.
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Got to sneak in and play Ballyneal. It's walking only and I wasn't used to carrying my own bag through the sand but other than that it was a great course.

 
I grew up on a ranch that is about 30 miles from the course, through the hills. I've played the course three times, mainly because I'm good friends with a guy that works on the course. It is a great course to play if you get the chance. If you ever go play Sandhills, take the time to go in to Mullen and play a quick nine on their course. It's nothing special, but a really nice course for a small town!

 
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