Dunes at The Prairie Club

The Prairie Club's Dunes course occupies rolling sandhills terrain in the Nebraska Sandhills region near Valentine, a landscape of native grasses and natural undulation that provides an unusual setting for golf in the American heartland. Designed by Chris Brands in collaboration with Tom Lehman and opened in 2010, the course routes through this distinctive topography with minimal earthmoving, allowing the existing landforms to shape play. The layout takes advantage of elevation changes and natural bowl-shaped features characteristic of the region's wind-sculpted dunes.

The design emphasizes wide fairways and strategic options rather than penal hazards, with bunkers placed to reward aggressive lines and create visual interest against the prairie backdrop. The property's isolation and the absence of trees create an open, links-like character where wind becomes a significant factor in club selection and shot-making. Several holes play along ridgelines or drop into valleys, offering long views across the sandhills landscape.

The Prairie Club operates as a daily-fee facility with lodging on-site, unusual for a remote location but designed to attract destination golfers. The property includes a second eighteen-hole course, the Pines, which contrasts with the Dunes by incorporating more wooded terrain. The club's model focuses on walkable golf and a straightforward experience that emphasizes the natural setting and the game itself.