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The Prairie Club Golf Course - Valentine, Nebraska
The Prairie Club Story - June 2009
When Paul Schock first laid eyes on Cleve Trimble’s 2,500-acre stretch of land situated along the Snake River Canyon in the heart of Nebraska’s Sandhills region, a tingle ran up and down his spine and an obsession gripped him almost immediately. Where most people would see rolling hills carpeted in prairie grass and scrub brush, dotted with enormous sand dunes, Schock saw a place where he could completely lose himself in a passion that has engulfed him since he was a young man growing up in South Dakota.
Deep in the heartland of America is a place where prairie golf may soon rival more famous destinations, drawing devout believers in the game. On the rim of the Snake River Canyon, right near Valentine, Nebraska, is the sublime new Prairie Club. Played as it lies, this uniquely American terrain has been so gently seeded, each hole so naturally revealed, it is as if the Divine Hand wore a golf glove. Unimaginable beauty. Heightened senses. And a focus on leaving well enough alone. Come experience what may be the world’s most undisturbed holes of golf.
The Dunes Course, The Pines Course & The Horse Course
To touch the soul of the avid golfer by creating unforgettable memories through a world-class golf experience.
For Paul Schock, The Prairie Club is a true labor of love. As founder and president of Destination Golf Ventures, LLC, Paul leads the development of remote golf venues whose designs and settings promote appreciation of the natural world. Paul lives in Sioux Falls with his wife and four children, but is just as likely to be found with them on his Cherry County, Nebraska ranch, or his Brookings County, South Dakota farmland or his longstanding family property in the Black Hills. During his varied 25-year business career as a commercial banker, CFO, president of his own investment advisor firm, venture capitalist, and director of corporate development, Paul has maintained a keen interest in conservation, borne of his love of the outdoors. Paul is a former member of the Board of Trustees of The South Dakota Nature Conservancy. Add to that the fact that Paul became one of South Dakota's best-known amateur golf champions, and you’ll know why The Prairie Club is all about the land, and all about the golf.
The Prairie Club is located 17 miles south of Valentine, Nebraska off highway 97. Denver, Colorado is located 397 miles to the southwest; Omaha, Nebraska is 298 miles to the southeast; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota is 278 miles to the east. 15 minutes from The Prairie Club is the Valentine airport, which has a 4,700 ft long concrete runway that is 75 feet wide. 45 minutes east of The Prairie Club is the Ainsworth, NE airport, which has a 6,824 ft long runway that is 110 feet wide. Google Map
The Courses
The Dunes Course
There is a word in the Sioux language, Wakanya, which means sacred. When I first stepped foot on the grass-covered dunes of The Prairie Club, that was exactly my first impression. The overwhelming presence of the Creator was evident in a way that is nearly impossible to put into words. I always leave with a sense of sadness but also with the knowledge that I have left better than when I arrived. These are heartfelt words, ones full of truth and great meaning to me, and I have not yet even mentioned anything about golf. Without question, in the words of Old Tom Morris, "Eh Mon! The Almighty had Golf in his eye when he made this place!". It took Chris Brands and me over a year to finalize the routing of the 18 holes which are The Dunes Course. It was not a matter of finding 18 great holes. There are dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of those out there in the sandhills of The Prairie Club. The real battle was to overlook that which was extremely good for that which was and will be truly great. We have given our hearts and souls in the past two years to the marriage of golf and nature, in the hopes of creating something that will be beyond excellent. - Tom Lehman
A humbling 18 holes of Championships golf set in the widest of open spaces, the Dunes Course and its seven sets of tees stretch from 5842 to 8073 yards. Marked by dramatic elevation changes, endless views of the sandhills in all directions and immense blowouts easily viewed from satellites, the golfer faces this wind torn land and massive rolling seascape of prairie grass, searching, hoping, for a bright calm slick of green fairway. Links style golfers will welcome the challenge, keeping the ball low in the wind and pressing on. If your ball sails true, cutting the air like a rudder, you make rapid headway. Racing over the swells of this ocean of grass, rather than fighting them, you will find yourself in short order arriving on a beautiful island of bent-grass, the magnificent greens of the Dunes Course, a place as close to a tropical atoll as one finds in all of Nebraska.
The Pines Course
From the very first time I visited the Old Course at St. Andrews, it left an indelible image on my mind as I felt this was the way golf was meant to be played. Conversely, as a young amateur growing up and playing in Australia, I became enamored with the classic tree lined courses in the sand belt region of the Melbourne suburbs. Both of these forms of golf, in their own way, offered great challenges and a true sporting chance to conquer, if one applied their mind to understand the strategies and nuances of the design. It was with these thoughts and principles in mind that I tackled the routing and design of the The Pines Course. I have attempted to blend these two unique forms of golf into an experience that excites and challenges players through a collection of holes on each nine that move seamlessly through the many dramatic and varied landforms of the property. It is my dream that the course will be remembered as one having 18 distinct holes, each with its own character that seduces and lures players into returning for the sheer joy of the challenge and the experience. I found it incredible good fortune that I should have had the opportunity to design a course that encompassed two of my favorite styles of golf. I will never forget the journey. I trust your journey on The Pines Course is equally memorable. - Graham Marsh
A semi-protected 18 hole championship golf course that meanders through the pines on the edge of the canyon rim, the Pines course features five sets of tees ranging from 5329 to 7528 yards. The prevailing prairie winds are blocked by the western wall of the canyon and the trees, making the warming sun and the canyon views stunningly beautiful, creating a silent reverie for the golfer. But you will snap to your senses with the first echoing crack of your golf ball against the unmoving trunk of a ponderosa pine. Trouble will find you here. Pull yourself together after the third hole windmill pump and get a long cool drink. Your head now cleared by the largest underwater aquifer in the world, the Ogallala, you should now thread the pines like a pro, and end on classic risk-reward par 5 finishing hole with the clubhouse in the background, in full stride.
The Horse Course
To be able to work with the combination of the canyon rim and the prairie, along with unrestricted wide open spaces, has been exhilarating. Unlike a typical par three course, The Horse Course will have no tees, only expanded fairways and 10 greens. The concept is that the winner of the previous hole, like the basketball game of "horse", gets to choose the stance, lie, shot, and green for the next hole. Ultimately, we worked hard to make sure that we created a course that would inspire creativity and place fun as the highest priority. - Gil Hanse
A semi-protected 18 hole championship golf course that meanders through the pines on the edge of the canyon rim, the Pines course features five sets of tees ranging from 5329 to 7528 yards. The prevailing prairie winds are blocked by the western wall of the canyon and the trees, making the warming sun and the canyon views stunningly beautiful, creating a silent reverie for the golfer. But you will snap to your senses with the first echoing crack of your golf ball against the unmoving trunk of a ponderosa pine. Trouble will find you here. Pull yourself together after the third hole windmill pump and get a long cool drink. Your head now cleared by the largest underwater aquifer in the world, the Ogallala, you should now thread the pines like a pro, and end on classic risk-reward par 5 finishing hole with the clubhouse in the background, in full stride.
Nestled on the rim of the Snake River Canyon lies the ultimate 19th hole – The Prairie Club Lodge. Comfortably appointed, but not pretentious, this lodge is built for recharging your batteries after a long day on the Nebraska prairie. With fine and casual dining along with well appointed amenities, there is a place for everyone to relive the glory shots (and shanks) of their day. And after the stories are told, there are 31 lodge rooms and 1 separate cabin, for a total of 44 great beds, lying under the thick blanket of darkness and stars that is the Nebraska Sandhills night.
Perched out over the Snake River Canyon will be the spectacular Canyon Rim Cabins. Each cozy cabin has 4 beds and a porch for enjoying the view and the stories. It's the end of a perfect day and the beginning of a perfect night.
Contact
The Prairie Club
c/o Destination Golf Ventures
201 S. Phillips Avenue, Suite 100
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
Director of Membership: Darin Fedt
Direct: 605-357-5311
Main: 888-402-1101
darin@theprairieclub.com