Tregaron - Bellevue

The setting of Tregaron Golf Club includes rolling hills, some soft sand bunkers, and assorted water challenges. The course looks sharp from most views, but primarily at sunrise and sunset, when the undulations cast ominous shadows on the Bellevue course.

Tregaron boasts itself as “Your country club for a day.” It isn’t far off, except in price: $25 for 18 holes and a cart. The variety between the holes keeps the course fresh, and the use of water and rolling terrain on this links style course make for some great golf.

That the course contains a little bit of everything adds to the country club feel. Most often, you’ll find bunkers waiting near the landing areas of your tee shots, and few more guarding the green. Water comes into play on nine holes, including No. 7, where it’s easily visible and affects the second shot and your approach to the green.

Many of the bunkers are a soft, white sand and the front edges are steep, meaning placing a shot in the trap could equal a one-stroke penalty just to get it out. (Other bunkers are flat and not as good looking.)

You’ll face several severe changes in elevation, whether it’s teeing off down a long slope or hitting upwards to a hidden, elevated green.

And the greens. Can’t forget the greens at Tregaron. Catch a side hill slope and a three-putt is waiting to nab you. The greens are lightning-quick, so adjust early, and it’s imperative your approach shots miss below the hole.

A closer look

Tregaron’s No. 1 is a great tune-up: Downhill tee shot, dogleg left, two-tiered green. Handle it well and you’ll feel you’re off to a confident start.

No. 2 features major water, but you’ll be able to choose the angle and distance at which you carry the hazard. No. 3 and 4 are straight, but the sloping of the fairways and greens keep you honest.

No. 5 is a par 3 with water to carry.

No. 7 is one of the true challenges in the metro area. It’s a 571-yard par 5 that features three sand traps in the landing area. The second shot usually takes you toward a two-tiered fairway and hopefully away from the large water hazard on the left. If you’ve set your ball to the right side of the fairway, the water really won’t come into play, but the large, sloping green is extremely tricky. It slopes toward a bunker and the water, but land it on the green, and you will be safe.

Another par 3 at No. 8, where a large bunker hangs on the entire right side of the green. No. 9 is nearly a 90-degree dogleg to the left. Bunkers guard the landing area, which sits well below the raised green. It’s tough to judge the pin placement, but if you land your approach on the back side, it’s a slippery slope coming back.

No. 11 is a deep-dropping par 4 that introduces you to some of the woods that guard parts of Tregaron’s back 9. A large tree looms on the right side of the fairway, requiring some placement off the tee.

No. 12 (a par 3) and No. 13 (a shorter par 4) use the same pond to force placement off the tee, and No. 14 is another large test Tregaron offers. The par 5 curves around a long lake, and if the rough has been recently mowed, your ball can easily roll into the hazard. It’s another terrific hole.

No. 17 can be brutal if your tee shot isn’t safe. The tees sit back in the forest, and the hole is uphill for at least half of the 538 yards. To reach the green in two, you’ll have to maneuver several sand traps and elevation changes that cover the front edge. On in three is a nice feat.

No. 18 is a great finishing hole: uphill, wide open other than a few bunkers, generally forgiving and featuring an approach shot towards an elevated green.

www.lovenebraskagolf.com

Shoreline - Carter Lake, Iowa

Can’t hit your drive straight? Then buy some extra golf balls – and not the expensive ones – before your round at Shoreline. As customary with many area courses, you won’t need long drives.

But what separates Shoreline (located in Carter Lake, Iowa despite its location west of the Missouri River) from other courses near the Metro are the unforgiving tree lines that guard nearly every fairway like an army around a castle.

In some of the tightest cases, the trees sit less than five steps from the fairway. On other holes, the rough is open pasture. In either case, the fairways are tight.

There are some rough spots at Shoreline, mostly due to lots of rain and mud, but the course has seen some improvements over recent years to improve its appearance.

While the course won’t win any beauty pageants, its narrow playing area could make you fall in love with your fairway wood or long iron off the tee.

Shoreline also takes advantage of its lake in creating two Pebble-Beach-No.-18 like holes, where the drive must carry water towards a fairway than sits at an angle to the tee box. Again, there’s no need for the big drive, but you’ll need plenty of accuracy to measure your approach to the landing area.

Shoreline also features a rarity in a double-hole green, where the par 4 sixth hole and par 3 12th utilize one big two-tiered green. It’s not impossible to land on the wrong tier, but it’s not very likely either.

When you’re done at Shoreline, you'll look back and wonder where that surprisingly tough golf course disappeared to behind the trees.

A closer look
While holes No. 1 and 18 are fairly open at Shoreline, they are a far cry from an actual representation of the rest of the course.
No. 1 is a dogleg left with some extra breathing room in the landing area.

There are trees, but plenty of escape room exists to allow for first-tee jitters.

The par 5, No. 2 requires a carry over water, then another long shot near the lake and thick shrubbery can keep you on edge. The really narrow stuff starts at No. 3 and continues on nearly every hole thereafter.

The first, second and third holes are three of the toughest five on the course.

As you escape to the last holes on the way out, the trees lessen the pressure.

No. 10 is a short par 5 (490 yards from the tip) and a great way for a golfer to start off the back nine with a par or better.

The confidence will come in handy. No. 11 is a tight dogleg left with little room for error off the tee.

No. 13 requires carry over a lot of water if you want an easier approach to the green. From the tee box, trees hide the green, meaning you’ll want to stay to the right half of the fairway to give you a clean look at the pin for your second shot.

No. 14 plays a slight dogleg left, but the hole runs downhill near the landing area into a tight spot near trees and a culvert. Thick trees also await straight and long. It’s another example at Shoreline where straight is safer than long.

Shoreline opens with three tough holes, and closes with the other two toughest, 17 and 18, the fourth and second toughest holes. And these are some of the holes where the rough is less constricted.

They serve great purpose, making Shoreline a surprisingly narrow contest.

www.lovenebraskagolf.com

Quarry Oaks, near Ashland

Quarry Oaks is one picture-perfect setting after another. The view of the Platte River from tee boxes and fairways on the back nine are so spoiling, the creek and water fountain on No. 18 barely catch the eye.

But this golf course near Ashland is more than a few holes along a drying river. At each hole, heavy forests tighten up the fairways and sand traps are set at the perfect distance away to gobble up tee shots. Most often, you can’t see any hole but the one you are on, a great facet about top-of-the-line golf courses.

The course design at Quarry Oaks takes advantage of the settings. Steep, sloping hills make for great views from tee boxes and tricky landing areas in the fairways.

As you approach No. 13, be aware. The Platte River is close and adds definite character to the following four holes.

It doesn’t actually come into play, but you’ll probably want to keep your eyes on it in between shots.

Some of the best holes are No. 6, a deep-dropping par five that gives you a constant feeling like your slipping down the hills. No. 16’s tee boxes hang way above the fairway and give a great view of the past several holes. No. 18 effectively uses a creek and an isolated tree to prevent an easy walk home.

Certain parts of the actual course are a little rough. But overall, the course is lush green and the sand traps are soft and fair.

Each hole means a different view, different strategy and different shots, but you don’t have to be a top-notch golfer to enjoy it. In all, it’s one of the best courses in the state.

A closer look

There are so many challenging holes at Quarry Oaks near Ashland, and with distances ranging from 7,000 to 5,000, there’s a spot for golfers of every level.

Nos. 1 through 3 are fairly simple compared to the rest of the course, but they give you a great chance to warm up, judge the greens - which are smooth and steady - and get a few good scores in early.

No. 4 is a mid-range par 3 with a tough trap on the right. No. 5 requires great placement off the tee. Traps on the right force you left, but a single tree hugging the left fairway makes down the middle the only real safe bet.

One of the best holes on the course is No. 6, a par 5 that doesn’t play that long at 512 yards from the back tee. But the tee shot is entirely downhill to a fairway that never seems to settle and plays a dogleg to the right. The area around the green is wide open, which makes going for the green in two a fun and realistic challenge.

No. 7 and No. 9 are the third and first holes in handicapping. They are long holes, reaching 400 yards, and have tough, uphill second shots with little or no bail-out areas, so you almost have to go for the green.

No. 10 is a great, simple opener for the back 9. The par 3 eleventh is a scenic tee shot over water with similar bounding rough short of the green, meaning pulling a club long enough is important.
No. 12 is a great par 5 with hills on all four sides of the fairway and greens. Sand traps play large roles on the second and third shots.

Three holes border the Platte River, starting with No. 13. None of the holes are overly hard, but the tricks of finding fairway and avoiding deep trouble are just as important.

The best view of the Platte might be at No. 15, the longest par 3 on the course. No. 16 features a stair-stepping ladder of tee boxes rising up in the trees.

No. 17 is the best looking of them all. Again high above the fairway, the tee boxes show you everything: lots of fairway, the green, and plenty of water, all surrounded by thick trees and vegetation.

When you reach No. 18, the hard work is not over. The hole features a threatening creek down the right side of the fairway, and an overhanging tree on the left guarding the green from your approach shot.

Eagle Hills - Papillion

Tucked away in the forest-like acres of Papillion’s Eagle Hills is what has to be one of the toughest string of holes anywhere in the Omaha area. Slender is a good word.

The holes are certainly not overfed on space. What they lack in breathing room, holes 11 through 14 hold more than their fair share of flat-out tough shots.

The current front nine actually was built later than the current back nine. That changed when the course officials realized golfers needed to be more than warmed up for the opening holes. But because the front nine is newer, it lacks the features - specifically the use of mature trees – that make the later holes special.

However, the differences are part of the charm of Eagle Hills. Enjoy the front nine, the regulars say, because the hard part is coming.

And each of the four holes I’ll call ‘The Challenge’ are vastly different, guaranteeing most golfers in your foursome will judge each hole differently.

A closer look

We’ll start with the back nine, since that’s where the action begins. (The first nine isn’t devoid of challenges, by the way.)

Enjoy No. 10, a straight, clean par four that hosts bunkers right where you would expect them.
Now for ‘The Challenge.’

Place your tee shot near the middle of the fairway on eleven and you’ll be fine. However, the fairway cuts off shorter than your eyes see from the tee box.

A wrong angle for your second shot cuts off a chance at the green and severely hampers birdie seekers. You’ll remember this hole for two reasons: the electric fans you see surrounding this green to help with moisture problems, and the feeling you’ll get when you look around you. It's as if you’ve been dropped in a ravine with tall trees keeping you from sunlight.

Survive eleven and No. 12's sky-scraping tee box awaits. It’s a monster downhill that tugs at the heart of your decision making. Rely on everything you see - the yardage, the wind, your eyes, and your common sense - in picking your club.

No. 13 beckons to be played simply. Trees block your view of the green and substantially shorten your tee shot, unless you play a fade. It’s easier after the tee shot, and the more you play this hole, the better you’ll play this hole.

Fourteen is the final hole that beckons your complete attention. A three-step approach gets you home clean, but stray on just one shot, and a par slips away. The claustrophobic will feel ill on the first and second shots.

If you play the back tees, you’ll really enjoy the location of the tee on No. 16. It’s tucked way back in the trees and allows only a view of the water and the fairway.

Water could be a problem on 17, as well as the out of bounds directly behind the green. The 18th is a great finishing hole. You can see everything in front of you and the land contours your focus toward a big final green.

On the front nine, No. 5 is a lot of fun with the water sitting in front of the green, and the par-three sixth features more water.

No. 8 has a terrifying two-tier green. Be double sure you know where the pin is. The final hole before the turn requires a blind tee shot for long hitters. A tee shot over the small hills can cut the distance by three or more clubs.

http://www.lovenebraskagolf.com/

Welcome

We've added this blog to LoveNebraskaGolf.com to make it easier for you to find your next 18-holes. More to come.