Willow Lakes Golf Course

Willow Lakes Golf Course sits in Bellevue, a suburb immediately south of Omaha along the Missouri River valley. The course bears the Robert Trent Jones Sr. name, associating it with the architect whose career spanned much of the twentieth century and whose designs emphasized strategic bunkering, large greens, and water hazards as central features. The Jones design philosophy typically called for courses that tested accomplished players while remaining playable for higher handicappers through multiple tee positions. The routing at Willow Lakes reflects its name, incorporating water features that come into play on several holes and shape strategic decisions from tee to green. The terrain in this part of eastern Nebraska tends toward gentle rolls rather than dramatic elevation change, and courses here often work with mature tree corridors and open fairway corridors. Jones designs from this era frequently featured bold, sculptural bunkering and greens with distinct internal contours that reward precise approach shots. Bellevue itself is one of Nebraska's older communities and sits within the Omaha metropolitan area, giving the course access to a regional population base. The course serves as a public facility, making Jones design principles available to a broad range of golfers in the area. While not a tournament venue of national prominence, Willow Lakes represents the kind of mid-century American public golf that brought name architects to communities across the country during the post-war expansion of the game.