The Prairie Club

Mike Keiser and Paul Schock developed The Prairie Club in 2010 on a piece of Sand Hills land south of Valentine, Nebraska — three hundred miles from Omaha and roughly the same distance from Denver, which makes it one of the most-remote championship golf destinations in the American interior. The property has two regulation eighteen-hole courses and a ten-hole short course: The Pines, designed by Graham Marsh, sits on the timbered side of the property; The Dunes, designed by Tom Lehman and Chris Brands, sits on the open Sand Hills side. The Pines is the one the scorecard reads against here.

The Pines from the back markers measures 7,385 yards, par 73, with a slope of 129 and a course rating of 74.6. The par-73 carries five par-5s — the routing has more par-5 scoring chances than most modern championship layouts. The four par-3s sit between 159 and 183 yards. The 183-yard sixteenth is the longest one-shotter and plays uphill against the prevailing southwest wind. The five par-5s range from 548 to 616 yards. The 616-yard sixth is the longest hole on the card.

The number-one handicap is the 462-yard fifth — a long par-4 with a tee shot that requires a carry over a Sand Hills depression. The 443-yard second-hardest is the par-4 thirteenth; the 419-yard third-hardest is the par-4 ninth that closes the front. All three of the top-three are par-4s, which is the slope signal that scoring on The Pines happens on the par-5s and the par-4s are exposure.

The Nebraska Sand Hills climate compresses the prime playing window into May through September, with the firmest fairway conditions arriving in late August. The remoteness of Valentine — and the fact that there is no commercial airport within ninety minutes — keeps the resort small and the round counts low. Walking is encouraged; carts are available for resort guest play.