Sports Illustrated honors two Nebraska courses that opened in 2022

Si.com’s Joe Passov named Landmand, north of Homer, as its Best New Public Course and “awarded” Lost Rail Golf Club in Sarpy County the Best New Private Course “Silver Medal.”

What was said about Landmand:

“In 2017, the names Tad King and Rob Collins burst into the brains of course connoisseurs everywhere. In August of that year, word began to spread about what their King-Collins firm had accomplished with a redesigned nine-hole layout in rural Tennessee called Sweetens Cove. Eager to prove they were no one-hit wonder, King-Collins opened its first 18-hole creation in September, Landmand Golf Club in Nebraska. Mission accomplished. Landmand is already so acclaimed for being so distinctive, King and Collins are guaranteed to lose their anonymity forever.

“Located on fourth-generation farmland in the northeast corner of the Cornhusker State, roughly 10 miles south of Sioux City, Iowa, Landmand (the closing ‘d’ is silent) is named after the Danish word for farmer, reflecting the Andersen family’s ( the farm owners) heritage. The Danish word for ‘massive’ would be helpful to know as well, because Landmand occupies an almost incomprehensibly vast arena, 580 acres, three times the size of an average course.

“The 7,200-yard, par-73 layout sprawls with abundantly roomy fairways up to 100 yards in width that provide multiple routes to the hole, and features a set of greens that are as enormous—yet varied—as any collection of putting surfaces in the game. Most notable is the 30,000-square-foot dance floor at the 315-yard, par-4 17th, where one could drive the green—and still make a double-bogey. Walkable, though with moderate elevation change, Landmand is pure fun, especially for the drive-for-show, putt-for-dough crowd.

What was said about Lost Rail:

“Another standout in the ever-growing roster of terrific tracks in Nebraska, Lost Rail didn’t garner many reviews from our insiders, but those who responded were universal in their acclaim. Opened in early September, Lost Rail features the handiwork of architect Scott Hoffman, who formerly worked for Tom Fazio and for a Fazio spin-off, Jackson-Kahn. Located a half-hour west of downtown Omaha, this was a special project for Hoffman, an Omaha native. To create the first private club in the Omaha area in 25 years, Hoffman enlisted the assistance of another Cornhusker, Bill Kubly, CEO of ace course builder Landscapes Unlimited. Together, they’ve done their state proud.

“What resulted is a 7,309-yard, par-71 layout that features ridges and valleys, amid rolling pastureland, some of which is tree-covered, some of which is open farmland. Reviewers all praised the walkability, the wide, firm, fescue-framed fairways and the variety of holes, especially the green complexes. What resonated strongest, however, are the front nine holes that give the course its name.

“Those holes, starting with the downhill, 188-yard par-3 5th, embrace remnants of the Burlington Northern Railroad line that once connected Omaha to Sioux City. Although mostly disassembled in 1926, one vestige remained, a 10-foot-high railbed that crosses roughly 500 yards of Lost Rail property. ‘At one point, the bed collapsed over the ravine and formed a 40-foot canyon,’ Hoffman said. ‘There’s nothing in golf quite like it. You’d swear the earth swallowed a boxcar!’

Lost Rail ranked only behind Ladera, designed by CapRock Ranch’s Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, in the California desert.

Korn Ferry Tour starts: Veteran tour members Scott Gutschewski of Omaha and Brandon Crick of McCook are in the field for the first event of the 2023 tour, the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic. It starts Sunday as the first of the 22 regular-season tournaments with $1 million purses.

Carson Schaake of Omaha and Noah Hofman of McCook will be tour rookies. Neither was high enough on the eligibility list to get into this week’s start.

NGA championship dates: The state’s men’s championships will be going outside the metro areas, to Beatrice for match play and Scottsbluff for the state amateur, with the women using Happy Hollow in Omaha for match play and Fremont Golf Club for their amateur.

Other dates on the Nebraska Golf Association schedule:

Men’s Four-Ball, May 6-7, Tatanka, Niobrara; US Open local qualifier, May 10, Omaha Country Club; Women’s Match Play, June 5-7, Happy Hollow, Omaha; Senior Amateur, June 13-14, Players Club, Omaha; US Junior Amateur and Girls Amateur sectionals, June 15, Awarii Dunes, Axtell; Girls Match Play, June 19-21, Wayne; Boys Match Play, June 19-22, Wayne; Men’s Match Play, June 26-30, Beatrice; Nebraska Cup Matches, July 6, Fremont; Boys and Girls Amateurs, July 10-12, Lochland, Hastings; US Amateur sectional, July 13, Wild Horse, Gothenburg; Nebraska Amateur, July 20-23, Scotts Bluff; US Senior Amateur sectional, July 31, Shadow Ridge, Omaha; Women’s Amateur, July 31-Aug. 2, Fremont; US Mid-Amateur sectional, Aug. 8, Riverside, Grand Island; Kansas-Nebraska Junior Cup, Aug. 8-9, Landman, Homer; Mid-Amateur, Aug. 19-20, Landmand, Homer; Women’s Mid-Amateur, Sept. 23-24, Platteview, Bellevue; Senior Match Play, Sept. 26-28, The Pines, Valley.​