A classic Sand Hills golf trip may include the Sand Hills Golf Club which is exclusively private in addition to Dismal River, also private, but less so, and The Prairie Club, fully open to public play. Along the arduous journey from either Denver or Lincoln, you may add in potentially Bayside, Wild Horse, and Aware Dunes.

We’d like to make the case for an “alternative” Sand Hills expedition that’s more budget conscious and about the same amount of driving. We utilize our Nebraska map of the best golf courses you can play along I-80 which traverses the state from east to west to identify the best prospects. At the eastern end after leaving Lincoln, there’s the classic, York Country Club which Jim Engh had a hand in a resdesign 1/15 hours west your find the Jim Engh designed Awarii Dunes near Kearney. Another hour west is Wild Horse in Gothenburg. Maybe you’ll then rest overnight in North Platte which has an ample selection of lodging and restaurants where you’ll also find Rivers Edge Golf Course and Lake Lake Maloney. You may/may not linger here for golf as the best is yet to come!

Next up and another hour or so west is the créme de la créme, Bayside on Lake McConaughy-an Irish sounding lake in Nebraska! Another 1 1/2 hours west you’ll hit the town of Bayard where you’ll find a couple of interesting named courses, Court House and Jail Rock and Chimney Rock, a couple of small town 9 holers worth your time to pull of I-80. Finally, a bit further west, but worth the drive if only for the setting is Monument Shadows in Scottsbluff in the shadow of the Scottsbluff National Monument.