Layman's Hall

Gothenberg, Nebraska

Architects: Dave Axland and Dan Proctor
Walkable: Most certainly
Highlighted holes: 5, 9, 12, 15

The first time I played Wild Horse, I didn’t “get it.” It was the summer of my Junior year of high school (2009) and it was a leg of a Play the West Nebraska trip along with Brule’s Bayside. Bayside’s back nine immediately thrilled me with its variety and boldness. The front nine seemed bland – nothing stuck out to me.*

Now, teenagers are not known for their appreciation of nuance. Subtle details and no details can be indistinguishable. I went in knowing that it was highly regarded, but what I saw didn’t comport with what I wanted out of a “good golf course”; there were no long carries, no dramatic drop-offs, and no lakes or water features.

I played it again and again over the next 7 years and it slowly grew on me, but there was no big revelation until this past year when I discovered that there was a whole ‘nother way of looking at golf. Playing it with a newfound interest in architecture, strategy, charm, and beauty has made it one of my absolute favorites, that I played four times in 2023. That it’s easy to get on with little traffic only enhances the love. Imagine! Having a world-class golf course to yourself.

Wild Horse sits on the edge of the Nebraska Sand Hills, right alongside active farmland. The subtle hills and rolls of the land mimic the terrain of its older brother and make me wonder how it would be regarded if, instead of having a view of the highway and a number of houses around, it was built as a private club in the middle of the nowhere with nothing but dunes and wind and grass.

Each hole is distinct. Even from that first playthrough there was no confusion over which was which – they all stand alone. I would be willing to go as far as to say that there isn’t a weak hole on the course. There are none that overshadow or dramatically outshine any of the others. It’s a well balanced, complete golf course.

That being said, a lot has been written about Wild Horse. I’ve linked to articles about its origins, design, and the opinions of far more experienced eyes than mine below. Rather than rehash their thoughts, I’m going to focus on a few of the holes and features that outline what I love in a golf course and have made me fall for this manicured prairie in the middle of Nebraska.

Five: The fifth hole is a slight dogleg left and the corner is certainly tempting to try and cut. Axland and Proctor left a bunker right in the way and ending up in that or the ‘wooga’ (the long grass that lines the fairways) could add another shot to your score. Play a long iron or wood out to the right side of the fairway leaves you safe but with a sandy rugged hump that you’ll have to go over to a semi-blind green. I’m a sucker for a short par 4 and this one is most charming.

Nine: The par threes at Wild Horse are second to none. The lengths are varied and each hole is distinct. You could make an argument that any of them is the best on the course, but I love everything that the ninth presents. From the tee, you can only really see the right side of the green and the bunker in the front left. The green falls away toward the clubhouse so the ideal line is right over the bunker and into the unknown. A well hit shot should take the slope and wind up on the right side of the green. With the clubhouse on your right, this shorty is a good place to finish your first nine.

Twelve: Coming after the exceptional eleventh, the twelfth is downhill with an undulating fairway. The ideal line would be to cut the corner, but at 284 yards of carry from the back tees, a healthy wind at my back is the only way I’d attempt it. The approach is to a green surrounded by bushes which create an attractive amphitheater that frames the green. The green is two tiered with bushes that, for me, create a sense of whimsy.

Fifteen: The fifteenth is another short par four. The ideal line is a long drive to the left side of the fairway over the bunkers left. It gives you an open look at the green. If you lay up, there is a front and a back bunker, each of which is easy to slide into if your approach isn’t precise. This is another beautiful green complex. Perhaps there is a pattern in my liking the holes surrounded by bushes.

Final thoughts: I love this course. I highlighted my favorite holes, but easily could have also focused on 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16, or 18. Without having played Sand Hills, I can’t compare the experience, but if it’s anything like Wild Horse, I’m sure I’d be in golfing heaven. I’m hoping to experience Proctor’s Pelican Beach in Hyannis and Lehman’s Frederick Peak in Valentine this year to further my experience of golf the American linksland.

Related:

The Fried Egg – Is Wild Horse the Best Public Golf Course in America?

Golf Club Atlas discussion – Wild Horse — They build it and YOU must go!

The A Position – Wild Horse Golf Club-Doing Design the Right Way

Tony Dear – My Favorite Public Golf Holes in America (Back Nine)

Top100GolfCourses – Wild Horse

Footnote:

* (n.b. I love the front nine and hope to highlight it in a post about Bayside one of these days)