The Last and Longest "Golfing Nebraska" Trip

For my last trip, my wife Pam traveled along with me as we attended a funeral in Ceresco on Friday and Pam went with my mother to a family bridal shower in Norfolk on Saturday.  I called my old Norfolk Junior College golf coach Larry Godel who has lived in Norfolk since we last saw each other in the spring of 1970. We met for coffee at a downtown coffee shop on Saturday morning.

We had a great visit talking about the old Juco Golf days in Norfolk. We had fall and spring golf seasons for two years together. I had forgotten about the trophy that Larry brought with him. The 68-69 team was the first golf team at NJC for many years. Larry was brought in to re-start the  golf team at Norfolk Junior College. My teammates and I were not the best team in the Nebraska Junior College ranks but we had the most fun! After two years of play we only won one team match. At the end of the 1970 spring season we had this unique trophy made showing a club being broken over a knee and inscribed "From the Best of the Worst" Teammates were Larry Cloeter, Jack Munter, Don Zimmerman ( my golf bro for 48 years and married to my youngest sister) and Bunnie Phillips who was the 1976 Nebraska Womens State Champion.

On Sunday we drove to Ainsworth to spend the night and visit with Pam's Aunt over dinner. My first tee time on Monday is at 10am at Valentine about 50 minutes west. Just before we left Ainsworth, we met Erika, a biking friend of our son's from California who is biking from Oakland CA to Washington DC solo! A brave young lady!

04/24/2017

The new Frederick Peak Golf Course located in the caverness hills in the northeast side of Valentine was built in the last two years to replace the Deer Creek CC that was sold by its owners and land was cleared. It has been built as a ten hole course on city property just south of the Niobrara River.

The first four holes are on the gentle rolling flat ground and then the canyons begins. The fairways have wide landing areas and the large undulated greens are guarded by sand bunkers ( I missed them!) and they have good pace. Well worth the trip to Valentine!

 Next Stop: Gordon

Located next to Hwy 20 west of town, the Gordon Golf Club is fairly young at 30 years old. The pine, spruce and elm lined fairways are gently rolling with small flat elevated greens. The finishing hole is along par 5 that requires a good drive and second shot around a dogleg to allow a chance over a creek for the 3rd.

 I arrived just as a group of locals were starting their daily game and they asked me to join them. Since we had 6 players, we played a game I had never heard of before. After all drives are hit, the 3 drives to the right were partners and the 3 to the left side were partners and we played total strokes. Low total got one point each. Partners could change each hole based on drive positions. At 25 cents per point. I lost $.50. Great game to try at home when a course is not busy!

 Next Stop: Rushville

In 1997, the members designed and built a grass green course called Sand Ridge to replace their old sand course as part of a city sports complex.

Sand Ridge is a short, flat rolling course with thick spruce trees lining most of the fairways. The greens are small to medium with slight undulations.

Next Stop: Chadron

Ridgeview Country Club is located south of town at the foothills of the Pine Ridge.

A very well manicured and long tree lined course, Ridgeview  is a challenge with two ponds in play on dogleg holes. Wide fairways with large elevated greens with green side  bunkers on each hole makes a great course to play on your trip out west.

End of Day: Stay in Chadron

04/25/2017

We woke up Tuesday morning to snow showers in Chadron. This changed our plans of heading to Crawford and instead headed south to play the Sedgwick County Colorado golf course that is located in Nebraska near Julesburg , CO as I have discussed in a previous post. Also on that drive we will stop at the Sky View golf course in Alliance to pick up a scorecard. This is the last card of 20 courses that I played before I decided to finish up playing all the course in my "Golfing Nebraska" adventure that I needed to obtain for my collection.  I played there in the fall of 1969 with the Norfolk Junior College golf team that I wrote about at the top of this post. Zimm I got one for you also. In visiting with PGA Pro Doug Dietrich there, he mentioned that he was working here in 1969. Fond memories!!

But before we left Alliance there was one more stop to make. Carhenge! We have heard and read about it but never have seen it. Back in 1987, Jim Reindes built the replica of Stonehenge as a memorial to his father. It was dedicated in June of 1987.  On August 21, 2017 Carhenge will be in the direct path of the Total Solar Eclipse at 11:49AM (MT). They are planning a BIG party. Check it out on Carhenge Facebook!

Two hours south of Alliance is the Sedgewick County Golf Club. It is located in Nebraska within site of Julesburg, CO near Hwy 27.  It is positioned on a hillside with the clubhouse being at the top of the slope. The fairways are not watered except for 50 yards in front of the small flat greens with a few sand bunkers. It was a lumpy walk!

Next Stop: Back to Alliance to stay the night

The weather in the Crawford area had changed for the better since we left Chadron on Tuesday morning. It should be in the 50's by noon. We got to Legend Buttes in Crawford about 10am with a temp of 40 and light wind. Perfect walking weather to enjoy the beautiful view!

The course is fairly level with large elevated undulated greens and wide fairways. The White River winds through the course and is used for irrigation as it flows north to the Bad Lands.  The course is very well maintained and is a must to play in western Nebraska.

Score Card: 219 Course played

Miles Driven: 1260

Total Miles since 7/21/2014: 14,088