From immaculate to a cow pasture with sand greens
Third day playing golf in Nebraska yielded a couple of pleasant surprises at nine-hole golf courses.
With Wild Horse looming in Gothenburg, Tuesday’s first stop came at Friend Country Club in Friend, Neb. This charming nine-hole course dates to 1967 and it’s what small-town golf should be about.
Driving into the gravel parking lot revealed a modest clubhouse that features a golf shop.a restaurant and a lounge. The course was immaculate – a sure sign that Friend takes its golf seriously.
Tee boxes are mowed in a decidedly squared off pattern. The bentgrass fairways are narrow and lined with a mix of oak and pine trees. And while they are a nuisance fpr a wayward golfer, they don’t overpower the course.
The bentgrass greens are small, with some tilt and undulations. One thing I found interesting was that there wasn’t an abundance of pitch marks on the greens – either players aren’t hitting the greens or they are doing a good job of policing themselves.
Friend CC is no pushover, either. One of the par 3s plays over a pond and the other checks in at 195 yards from the blue tees. The closing stretch of Nos. 6-9 includes three par 4s that measure more than 400 yards.
If you are lucky, you’ll even get the chance to marvel as a crop duster makes numerous low passes over the adjacent farmland.
For $31 for nine holes, Friend Country Club was a treat to play.
At Dannebrog Country Club be sure to yell ‘Moo’
From Friend CC, the solo tour of Nebraska stopped in at Dannabrog Country Club. Talk about quirky, Dannebrog CC is definitely that – and more. Where to start? My interest in playing Dannebrog CC dates to 2024 when an acquaintance told me that it features sand greens and that it’s cut out of a pasture.
If you are looking for Augusta National-quality conditions, you might as well move on to the next course. At Dannebrog, you put your $8 in the honesty box, grab your sticks and move to the first tee. By the way, that $8 is for all-day play. And don’t look for a fleet of carts. There aren’t any.
I loved the quirkiness of Dannebrog. Because the course traverses a pasture, winter rules are in effect year round. The fairways are firm and unpredictable.
The sand greens are tiny – I paced off one of them at 11 paces by 11 paces. I expected them to be a little firmer, but that’s not the case. As a result, you can pretty much go straight at the flag with your approach.
Featured image of Friend Country Club by Gregg Dewalt
Gregg Dewalt is the editor of Alabama Golf News
Have a story idea or a news item to report to Alabama Golf News? Email gregg@alabamagolfnews.com
