Course Review: The Prairie Club – The Pines Course

Posted by Rob Rigg
July 2010

The Prairie Club – The Pines Course, Valentine, NE

Par 73

7,403 Yards

Architect: Graham Marsh

Semi-Private – opened in 2010 – Please visit The Prairie Club website for information on Stay and Play packages.

The Prairie Club is an impressive new golf destination in the Sand Hills of western Nebraska. The land at the club is very diverse as the rolling open prairie meets the majestic Snake River Canyon. There are currently three courses at The Prairie Club with a fourth, which will be located on by far the most compelling land on the site, currently under design by Gil Hanse and his team. The Pines Course, The Dunes Course and The Horse Course (a really fun ten hole “dream” pitch and putt) have been completed and are currently open for play. Paul Shock, the founder of The Prairie Club, should be very proud of his creation and it will only get better with time.

The Pines Course is routed over an interesting piece of property that combines the open prairie and land adjacent to the Snake River Canyon that is populated with trees. The site is excellent for golf and Marsh did a good job of creating an interesting course that will be enjoyable to play again and again. The greens deserve mention as they tend to have a lot of subtle movement, larger undulations when appropriate and sizes that changed fit in well with the surrounding landscape.

Hole #1 – Par 4 (419 – 285 yards)

The straight-forward opener calls for a longish carry from the tips to a welcoming fairway – a nice handshake to start the round.

Hole #2 – Par 5 (548 to 384 yards)

A reachable three shotter with an epic tee shot followed by a heroic approach to a green set against a dune and fronted by a deep bunker. The best par 5 on the course.

Hole #3 – Par 3 (168 to 121 yards)

A short walk around the dune puts you on the tee of this picturesque one shotter.

Hole #4 – Par 4 (479 – 351 yards)

From the tips the semi-blind drive is a lot of fun. There is ample short grass so trust your line. Three bunkers that cross the fairway diagonally create some visual uncertainty but should not really come into play and there is plenty of room to run an approach onto the green.

Hole #5 – Par 4 (416 – 298 yards)

From the tips, the tee shot on the 5th is blind and over a waste area. The hole moves sharply from left to right so a long and high fade is ideal. There are a couple fairway bunkers that should not come into play and the approach to the green is open on the front.

Hole #6 – Par 3 (159/116 yards)

The sixth is a strong one shotter, the best on the property in my opinion. While not long on distance, the green is very tricky as it has a false front, a “Biarritz” like ridge running through it left to right and some subtle undulations elsewhere. There are bunkers lurking on the sides, but the green is plenty big so they should not really be in play. Par is a good score here – and don’t forget to take in the view of the Snake River Canyon from the green.

Hole #7 – Par 5 (616 – 442 yards)

This is a really cool drive from the tips over a small chasm. The hole plays as a true three shotter unless there is a really strong tailwind. I like the downhill approach to the green, something that is not seen often enough in modern golf.

Hole #8 – Par 4 (462 – 347 yards)

Into the wind, the 8th can play like a beast. On a calm day it calls for a solid drive to the left side of the fairway to leave a good view into the green. Anything pushed right will put the golfer behind a large bunker and the approach will be blind.  The green has quite a bit of movement so stay focused and accept a two putt happily.

Hole #9 – Par 4 (314 – 214 yards)

After the long uphill 8th, the 9th is a welcome chance to drive the green on a short par four. The tee ball will run out nicely to the bottom of the hill, but it takes a well struck poke to run it up the false front to leave a putt for eagle. This is a really fun hole, just remember that trouble does come into play if you spray the ball too far left or right.

Hole #10 – Par 3 (173 – 125 yards)

The back starts with a one shotter that plays towards the canyon. Usually a short to mid-iron is required and there is plenty of room to run the ball up onto this large green.

Hole #11 – Par 5 (602 – 430 yards)

Similar to the 7th, this long three shotter plays through a corridor of pines towards the end of the property. Once again, the green is tucked away slightly on the right as you approach the green.

Hole #12 – Par 4 (461 – 362 yards)

The 12th is a strong par four and a great driving hole. The approach is easier from the right side of the fairway as a bunker protects the green on the front and also back right. There is a little knob in the front of the green that can deflect well flighted shots away from the putting surface (don’t ask me how I know).

Hole #13 – Par 4 (422 – 313 yards)

The architect takes us back into the prairie for a couple of shortish two shotters. Take a deep breath and relax as there is plenty of room off the tee and into the punchbowl green on the 13th.

Hole #14 – Par 4 (345 – 253 yards)

The 14th is a drivable par four that calls for a long and accurate poke to get there in one. Bunkers guard the left side of the green and there is a steep drop off to the right where another bunker lies in wait. The green is rather large though so you might as well have a rip at it.

Hole #15 – Par 5 (581 – 445 yards)

The golfer transitions from prairie to pines again on this uphill three shot hole. Depending on the wind it might be reachable but it takes a big drive to get on top of the hill. The second is usually blind and should be played to wedge distance short of the green. From short yardage, the green is welcoming and birdie is definitely a possibility so play it as close to the pin as you can.

Hole #16 – Par 4 (460 – 334 yards)

The final three holes play through the pines and along the canyon which is somewhat hidden on the left. The tee shot on the 16th is semi-blind, but the trees outline the corridor for the hole and the tufts of grass in the waste area are a good place to start your drive. A draw is ideal on the approach as the green is protected by bunkers left and a drop off on the right.

Hole #17 – Par 3 (183 – 104 yards)

The 17th plays over a wee chasm to a very large and deep green. Short right is the obvious bailout, although it may leave a long up and down or birdie putt.

Hole #18 – Par 5 (595 – 422 yards)

The final hole hugs the upper canyon as it sweeps to the right and back towards the clubhouse. Depending on where you place the drive there is an opportunity to go at the green in two. The two large trees on the left side of the fairway are in the way more than anything and make it more challenging than it should be to find a good line on the second, especially if you want to play conservatively. While the home hole was a bit of a let down, I really enjoyed the fact that it played back towards the clubhouse which is perched above the Snake River Canyon.

The Pines Course at The Prairie Club is an enjoyable walk across the prairie and through the woods that line the Snake River Canyon. This is a solid course that will be enjoyable for members to play over and over again. The fairways are generous but not massive which adds some intimacy to the round while not jeopardizing playability if the winds are up. Marsh has created a variety of holes that call for different shots and strategies depending on the wind.

The Walking Golfer would rate the Pines Course a 3.25 out of 4.0 for Walkability. There is some movement to the terrain, a couple of longer green to tee walks past the “snack shack” on the 5th and 16th, from the 9th to 10th and 10th to 11th, and you will probably need a lift out to the 1st tee from the clubhouse, but overall the walk at the Pines Course is very enjoyable and manageable. The club has done a pretty good job of creating walking paths and a few more signs will make it even more walking friendly.

The land made available for The Pines Course is excellent and Marsh did a nice job of creating an interesting routing that keeps the golfer engaged. Some may not enjoy the blind or semi-blind tee shots from the tips or the long forced carries, but three other sets of tees are available. While I do wish there were more views of the canyon from the course, the journey in and out of the trees made for a fun golfing experience. The par fives, aside from the second, are quite long which takes some of the fun out of them, but there was good variety of holes and the architecture tied in well with the environment. I would give the Pines Course a 3.5 out of 4 for Architecture and Aesthetics.

From a Strategic standpoint The Pines Course is fairly straight-forward but it does present options or obfuscations made to challenge the golfer. The four sets of tees make the course very Playable for the higher handicapper while also delivering an interesting venue for the stick. The reachable par fours and short par threes provide some good birdie opportunities, while the longer par fours and par fives – especially if into the wind – are a stern test. The commendable balance at The Pines Course would lead me to rate it a 1.75 out of 2 for Strategy and Playability.

Overall, The Pines Course receives a very solid 8.5 out of 10 from The Walking Golfer. I was pleasantly surprised with the interesting routing that Marsh created on this fabulous piece of property.

TWG Rating for The Pines Course at The Prairie Club:

3.25 / 4 – Walkability

3.5 / 4 – Architecture and Aesthetics

1.75 / 2 – Strategy and Playability

8.5 / 10 – Total

All Photos by Rob Rigg (2010)
Review by Rob Rigg (2010)