the prairie club

We drove from Minnesota for our stay at The Prairie Club Sept 7-11. Below is part of a letter I wrote to one of the owners who assisted us visiting his club:"The experience we enjoyed was way beyond what I had even anticipated. From the day we arrived at the front entrance until we left yesterday we were treated like no other place we have ever played golf.From Mandi and Janeen and Ross and the front desk staff to James and Dallas in the golf shop to everyone on the outside services teams through to the dining staff we felt like royalty. They did everything possible to make us feel welcome. You can be proud of the team of employees you have at The Prairie Club.We found out that the chef was formerly at Jax Café here in Minneapolis. I am sure you know how fortunate you are to have him at PC. The quality and presentation of the meals was fantastic.Then there were the two golf courses! Everyone in our group raved about both The Pines and The Dunes. They are world class while being fair and playable for all handicaps. We had some rain and cool conditions our last two days but being hardy Minnesotans we focused on the privilege we were experiencing to play golf on such great courses. I know you had some winter kill issues with a few of the greens on the Dunes course but we hardly even noticed it. I can tell you that our guys liked The Pines course the best and especially the greens. Our 8-bedroom cabin was first-class and even more than we had hoped for. For each guy to have his own room/bathroom was a real plus. You spared nothing in making the accommodations warm and user friendly. Our group had a blast staying together in one unit and being so close to the lodge. And we can’t forget about the gorgeous setting overlooking the river gorge!"If you want a fantastic experience for your group of golfers you can't do any better than The Prairie Club!Larry from Minneapolis

Played two days with a life long friend. We had rooms in the lodge which were 5 star in every respect. The bedding was so wonderful I am ordering sheets and a similar mattress since this one has been discontinued. Food and service also 5 star. Maybe wouldn't have had sauce on the steak since I enjoy the pure taste of a great steak. Now the golf--- these courses will give every golfer at any level a test of their ability. We have played Sand Hills, Dismal River and Wildhorse and this course is just a notch below Sand Hills. Also nice to have a variety with the Pines course. There were some areas on greens and fairways that hadn't recovered from winter kill, but as they say " As pure as golf gets". Would need to play these courses several times to know where to leave the ball on these large and undulating greens. Hate the three putt!! Definitely will be a redo !

I had a hard time beginning this review. Normally not a loss for words, having just left The Prairie Club, there are just too many superlatives coming to mind.First, the sincere kindness and professionalism of the reservation staff was beyond anything I've come across in years. This unparalleled courtesy permeates the entire experience throughout the valet, restaurant, pro shop, and cart staff.Accommodations were impeccable. The beds and linens were first class. Rooms are a perfect match to the lodge setting in the midst of the north central Nebraska landscape of high dunes, yet perched on the edge of a rugged, deep, tree-lined river valley.Food and drink were not only reasonable priced but perfectly prepared whether sitting in the dining area or the golfers lounge.This is a golfers experience......plain and simple. The courses share share some common themes but the Pines Course meanders high above the river with tree framed tee shots and greens perched on the edges of cliffs. Some of the holes venture into the edge of the dunes. The Dunes Course is larger and more expansive. Vistas from the elevated tees survey some of the widest fairways I've ever seen. But be careful! Blown out, natural bunkers are everywhere splitting the fairways into risk/reward target landing areas.Both courses feature rolling, quick greens, possessing the most break I've played in some time. How much golf do you want to play? We got in 36 each day as a threesome. Each eighteen took approximately three hours. Could have played more. Fifty-four is easily possible if your body can take it.Finish the round and walk away from Your cart. It's ready for you the next day as you walk from your room down the hall for breakfast and out the door for another memorable day at The Prairie Club.Have played Bandon, been to Ireland twice, Scotland once. But, this was maybe the most full golfing experience I've ever had.Many thanks to The Prairie Club. See you again soon!

Definitely bucket list courses! Worth 700 mile drive! Courses were very playable. Winter damage is minimal and is not an issue if you're there to have fun. Would love to go back in a year or two. Your favorite course may depend on how the wind blows! Big fairways and greens. Pines looks tighter from tees but once you know the wide parts of the fairways it becomes easier. GPS on carts is very helpful. Course plays firm and fast and if you're from Illinois or similar flatland states like me the higher elevation is worth maybe half to full club on irons.

This was my groups 8th guys golf trip and by far our best. We have been to the RTJ Golf Trail 5 times, Cragun's in Minnesota once, and the Natrual State Golf Trail. Not that we didn't enjoy the other places, but this experience stood out above the rest.The number one priority on my list for these trips is that I want nice and fast greens and the Prairie Club did not disappoint. Yes, there was some kill on a few greens, but for the most part they were huge with plenty of undulation and the speed was phenomenal. I would put the quality of courses at the Prairie Club just below the Judge, Senator, and Fighting Joe on the RTJ trail, but above all of the other courses we have played. The rooms in the hotel were very well designed with the feel of 2 separate rooms in 1.The food was fantastic.The service was right on par, if not better, than the gracious southern hospitality on the RTJ trail. As the organizer of the group, I greatly appreciated the attention Dallas and others gave us in the pro shop.

Expensive? Yes. Worth every dollar? Oh, yes! Golf unlike you've never seen! Accommodations? Great! Food? Like a 5 star restaurant. Be prepared to lose some balls, and be prepared to need a new sand wedge after playing. No problem, you'll be grinning from ear to ear.

Reading the last review is unfair to the club. They suffered a brutally cold and dry winter and there was a lot of winter kill just like a lot of courses suffered in Nebraska. The ground crew has been working their tails off to get the course back to where it was before the winter. They have been re-sodding a lot of the greens and doing their best and the conditions are improving daily! They have also had the battle of not very much heat. I believe when that review was written they didn't have their ground temperature above 56 degrees and that is tough to grow grass at that temperature. I recently hosted 15 guest and not one of those guys thought the course conditions caused them to lose a shot - so that should tell you about how greatly improved this course is since the early year. If you are looking for a great destination golf course with excellent facilities and dining then The Prairie Club is a place to visit. As far as the staff I have never had anything but great experiences. From everything I have witnessed they go out of their way to make sure all of their guests are taken care of. It is well worth your venture out to rural Nebraska for a great golf outing!

My husband and I recently played the Dunes and were very disappointed not only in the condition of the greens, but also the overall experience at this very expensive course. Our first unpleasant surprise began when paying for our round, we were charged an additional $26 each for our cart rental-seriously? We were then directed to go to the Dunes Course--no directions, just go. The one employee who actually tried to improve our experience, was the golf pro, Bob Cooke. He saw our surprise at the directions given and stepped up and walked us out to our cart and explained how to get to the Dunes (which needed a fairly detailed explanation-more than just go.) We then began the round. We were excited with anticipation of playing this highly rated course, however the excitement soon turned to disappointment. The greens were in terrible shape, the cart paths a confusing maze of unmarked dirt trails, holes were not numbered, tee boxes marked by a stick with a paint stripe around the top-simply not the quality of amenities that comparably priced courses offer. This wasn't our first rodeo. We have played the Greenbriar, Bay Hill, the Broadmoor and other highly rated courses--all deserving the acclaim they have earned. The Prairie Club failed to deliver on almost every detail. Save your money and your time in getting to this remote course. Perhaps the management could have adjusted the price of a round, since they were well aware that the condition of the course was much less than perfect. Thank you to Bob Cooke who tried to save our unpleasant experience by letting us play the Pines course, but that simply didn't help an afternoon of frustration and disappointment.

Me and three buddies recently played four rounds of golf at the Prairie Club. Played two rounds at the Dunes and two at the Pines. Spent two nights on property. Very enjoyable. The lodge / clubhouse is very nice. The rooms were spacious and clean. Staff was very polite and friendly. Regarding the golf, the two courses we played could not be any more different. The Dunes course is true links style golf. Wide open, natural bunkers all over the place and quite hilly. We all had a difficult time judging distances when you were out in the open. GPS on the carts helped tremendously. The Pines course runs along the Snake River canyon. Pine trees line most of the holes. More flat. Felt like you were playing in Colorado or the Black Hills. I personally enjoyed this course more than the Dunes. This past winter was really tough on the course. Most of the greens were under repair on the Dunes course. Bad winter kill so putting was very difficult. The Pines course's greens were in much better shape. One of the guys I played with is an avid golfer and has played all over the country. Inspite of the rough greens, he rated the golf experience quite high and rivals many of the other places he has played. I enjoyed it as well. The scenery is amazing. Would recommend it to anyone looking for a short golf vacation.

Dunes Course is just as good as Sand Hills. Huge fairways and wildly entertaining greens. Pines Course is, well, a tad odd because it flows into an unexpected pine forest after starting on the prairie and then slides adjacent to a river canyon that's equally unexpected creating a visually jarring ride from prairie to forest to precipice. Still fun. Great conditions. Awesome lodge and food.

Eight Floridians traveled to The Prairie Club in August and were treated like second generation members. It takes the proverbial "trains, planes and automobiles" to get there, but it is well worth the trip. The courses are in superb condition and the accommodations are top notch. The cuisine is also first class. The chef visited our table and shared a glass of wine with us on our last night. It's amazing that he can provision such fresh ingredients in a such a remote location. Put this at the top of the list for your next golf trip!

Beautiful lodge, very rustic, comfortable rooms and amazing bed. Both Dunes and Pines courses were visually amazing, mounded everywhere, multiple length options and undulating, firm and fast greens. Stayed for 3days and weather forced a different experience each day. Horse course was fun and very challenging. Unfortunately, This "pure golf" experience means no yardage markers (bring GPS!), no ball washers, no tees on driving range and no beer carts. But, that also meant we were never hurried, rarely saw other golfers even though they said they were full.Unfortunately the hotel and golf staff were done for the season in many ways as we stayed the last weekend they were open. VERY limited menu although as good as advertised and nicely presented. They ran out of many drink choices and even the filet mignon and most wines! Golf cart was dirty and was never wiped down but staff was always smiling.Long time friends playing great golf in a nice atmosphere. We'd do it again but earlier in the season.

Both courses are outstanding. I personally like the Dunes a bit better as it is the same caliber as the Sandhills Golf Club...REALLY. We stayed in the lodge and the rooms, food, and service were top notch. The overall experience rivals Bandon Dunes.

Just visited The Prairie Club with three buddies for three nights/four days of golf. The golf was outstanding. Certainly top five of my golf experiences. I enjoyed both courses. Even though the golf was outstanding it wasn't what I would tout the most about The Prairie Club, that would be the food! The chef is fabulous! Being that the guests are essentially captive, the food had better be good or no one would come back. Well, it's some of the best food you'll ever eat. The accomodations are top notch as well. We couldn't have been more comfortable than in our four room cabin. Each of us had our own king room with bath. A common area with bar, tv, and furnishings centered the cabin. At the cabin we spent most of our time together on the deck though. If you're visiting for the first time there are some things you need to know. First, we weren't welcomed by a bellman or concierge but by cart boys, maybe fitting for a golf club but not a high end destination. They were not properly trained to give us the run down on what to do or how things worked. Our cabin wasn't ready so we changed in the locker room for golf and the boys stowed our bags. They did deliver them to our room for us. Each day one of the two courses is reserved for the members. So if you want to play 36 it's on the same course. That wasn't an issue for us but just one thing we didn't realize. We weren't exactly clear on the gratuity set up in the bar and restaraunt. We were adding tips or leaving cash and then thought later they were adding 18% on the checks. So check that out. The customer service level in the lodge is outstanding. Everyone we dealt with was so pleasant and helpful. Kim has only worked there as a server a short time but handled us like a seasoned pro. Even though the temps when we were there were 100+ it was a bearable dry heat. A very nice gentleman works very hard stocking the coolers located on the two courses with ice and complimentary bottled water. There is a "halfway" house on each course with food and beverages. I give The Prairie Club a four of five rating a recommend it.

Best golf experience I have ever had. I would recommend this to any lover of golf. Take a weekend or weekday trip and over dose on golf. You will be talking about it for years with your friends. Great lodge for accommodations, awesome cabins that overlook the Snake River Canyon and the FOOD!!! Oh the FOOD!!! Hats off to the Chef. You will have to have caddies your 1st couple of rounds but they are top notch and make the round so much fun. No yardage markers and the courses are LONG and the caddies made all the difference. Thank you for the great trip. I am still talking about it 2 years later. I will be back!!!