A lot of people joke about the state of Nebraska being pretty empty from Lincoln all the way to the Colorado border. We can prove them wrong. Golf fans can find an incredible array of golf courses that highlight the prairie landscape found in the state. Many of the golf courses you’ll find here are of the links-style, so you don’t have to travel all the way to Scotland to get a glimpse of this type of golf. Instead, take a trip to one of the golf courses in this list of best in the state to put your game to the test.You won’t find golf quite this calm, quiet, and peaceful very many places. Golf in the Nebraska plains is beautifully simple and often highlights the natural flow of the hills and plains. There’s something to say about a golf course that seamlessly blends the native geography with the greatest man-made game ever. Give these courses a try and you’ll quickly see exactly what we mean.
Best Golf Courses in (Province/State)
Rating: 5.0/5.0
The Prairie Club is a 46-hole facility (yes, 46…two regulation 18s and a 10-hole par 3 course) in the north central city of Valentine, where the top public golf course in Nebraska is located. The Dunes course, designed by Tom Lehman and Chris Brands, at the Prairie Club is also known as the 35th best public course in America, and it’s easy to see why. It features dramatic elevation changes, picturesque views of the sand hills, and a stark contrast between the green fairway and the brown fescue. It’s a links-style course where you’ll benefit from keeping the ball low under the wind. The Prairie Club is meant to be a full experience, so cost differ depending on your stay length and group size.
Rating: 5.0/5.0
Tatanka Golf Club is located in Niobrara, which is in northeast Nebraska on the South Dakota border. Built in 2015 by architect, Paul Albanese, it’s been called “Nebraska’s Sandhills with trees,” a reference to Nebraska’s top private golf club, Sandhills Golf Club. Albanese’s goal was to incorporate cultural stories of the Sioux Nation into the design. For example, it’s not unusual to see buffalo roaming right next to the golf course because the Sioux stories often included buffalo. This course is a unique blend of sport, culture, and nature that you won’t see very many places. During the summer season, you can play this course for $65 on weekdays and $70 on weekends. All these things are what make this course one of the top golf courses in the state.
Rating: 5.0/5.0
Awarii Dunes, located in south central Nebraska in the town of Axtell, comes in at number 3 on our list of best golf courses in the state. Designed by Jim Engh, who says the piece of property reminds him of an Irish links course, resulting in very little excavation. The land that Awarii sits on is as natural as it comes. There are options at Awarii to be a member or play a straight daily rate. For the general public, you’ll pay $62 (including cart) on weekdays and $65 on weekends and holidays.
Rating: 5.0/5.0The Pines course at the Prairie Club is the second course at this facility to make our list of greatest public golf courses in the state of Nebraska. This one is also ranked as the 75th best public course in America. As we stated earlier, the Prairie Club is a golf experience where you stay and play for a couple days, not just a quick round, and it definitely won’t disappoint with these two top-notch tracks in one location. The Pines, as you can probably tell by the name, is a bit different than the Dunes. It’s a more wooded course which helps block the wind and results in a little bit tamer golf experience. It’s set on the rim of a canyon, which makes for quite the scenic views. Again, the pricing depends on your stay length and group size, but don’t let that shy you away. This is an incredible course that’s easy to see why it’s one of the best golf courses in Nebraska.
5. Wild Horse Golf Club, Gothenburg
Rating: 5.0/5.0Wilde Horse is located in Gothenburg, right in central Nebraska. After teeing off here, you’ll quickly see why it’s listed as one of the best golf courses in the state. The contrast between the yellow-brown prairie and the vibrant green fairways makes for a unique scenery. Designed by Dan Axland and Dave Proctor, who helped create Sand Hills Golf Club and rebuild Riviera, partner up to form this incredibly fun track. You can experience Wild Horse for $68 (with cart) on the weekdays or $78 on weekends.
6. Quarry Oaks
Rating: 5.0/5.0
Quarry Oaks is the first golf course on our list of best in the state of Nebraska that is not located in the middle of nowhere. Instead, this course is nestled right in between Lincoln and Omaha, so you don’t have to travel to far off the beaten path to experience this course. Located right on the Platte River, this course provides you plenty of great views overlooking the water. It winds its way through a wooded area that makes you feel like you’ve completely escaped the city. On weekdays, you’ll pay $68 (including cart) and on weekends you’ll pay $78.
Rating: 4.5/5.0Bayside Golf club, located in Brule, comes in at number 7 on our list of greatest public courses in Nebraska. Bayside is situated on the south shore of Lake McConaughy, so it has some really great lake views on almost every hole. This is the second course on our list that’s designed by Dan Axland and Dave Proctor. It’s another links style course that features wide fairways, great for anyone who sprays their tee ball a bit. Greens fees are pretty reasonable for the quality of this golf course; you’ll pay $60 (including cart) on weekdays and $65 on weekends.
Rating: 4.0/5.0The Championship course at Wilderness Ridge is located on the south side of Lincoln. This course plays fairly long, so you better be prepared to hit some long irons into greens. It’s always a well-kept golf course, so you’ll rarely have to worry about a bad lie. Wilderness features a really nice indoor practice facility on the south side of their driving range, so you can practice all year. In that practice area, there’s even an indoor putting green, which is a rare thing for indoor practice areas. To use their indoor facility, you’ll pay $22 per hour in the winter months. For golf, you’ll pay only $38 (including cart), which makes Wilderness Ridge the best deal on our list.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Eagle Hills Golf Course comes in at number 9 on our list of best courses in the state of Nebraska. Located just outside of Omaha in the city of Papillion, Eagle Hills opened up for play in 2000. The course features undulated greens that will test your green reading ability. It also has one of the best practice facilities in the Omaha metro area. The practice area has a large teeing area, two fairways, and a three-hole Academy Course for further practice. Rates at Eagle Hills are $23 (with cart) on weekdays and $29 on weekends.
Rating: 4.0/5.0NuMark is a 27-hole facility that’s located on the southeast side of Lincoln. The original 18 holes were built in 1993, with a third 9 coming in 2001. You’ll have the nice option here to choose which 18 holes you want to play that day. It’s a fairly well maintained golf course all around that features several ponds and quite a few trees around the course. For those looking to play NuMark, you’ll pay $23.50 to ride 9 holes on a weekday and $28.50 on weekends.
Wrap up
11.Quail Run Golf CourseOUR SCORE: 4 out of 5 starsQuail Run is located in Columbus right on the Loup River. It opened in 1991 and was designed with some challenging par 5s and tricky par 3s. Surrounded by huge cottonwoods, it blends new architecture with the natural lay of the land. Quail Run also has one of the largest practice facilities in the state. This track will cost you $24.75 on weekdays and $29 on weekends and holidays. Conclusion:Once you’ve checked off some, or all, of these courses off your bucket list, you’ll never view Nebraska the same way again. It’s a state that is full of great golf at a fair price. This hidden gem of a state can never be called “nothing,” at least for those who take golf courses into consideration. We challenge everyone to play all ten of these courses that have been given the distinction of “greatest golf courses in Nebraska.”
