Old Dane Golf Club

Old Dane Golf Club in Dakota City, Nebraska, is being transformed into a 12-hole public golf course by Canadian architect Trevor Dormer — his first project as lead designer, and the first new routing on this 93-acre Loess Hills site since owner Will Andersen rebuilt the original nine holes in 2010.

Why Play Old Dane Golf Club?

Old Dane offers a rare opportunity to play a brand-new 12-hole layout — designed with flexible six, nine, and 12-hole loops — on a flat Missouri River corridor site that Dormer has described as an intentional departure from conventional design. As the sister course to Landmand Golf Club, it anchors a two-course destination in northeast Nebraska that no other area in the region can currently match.

History of Old Dane Golf Club

The property that became Old Dane was originally developed in 2002 as Ironhorse Golf Course, an 18-hole layout designed by Terry L. Johnson. The Andersen family acquired the course in 2007, and in 2010 Will Andersen led a reconstruction that reduced the layout to nine holes — retaining a links-style character with native prairie grasses lining the fairways, and holes named in honour of local figures of Danish heritage.

In April 2024, a total rebuild was announced, with Trevor Dormer — a longtime associate of Coore and Crenshaw — named as lead architect, marking his first solo design commission. Dormer had come to know the Andersen family while shaping greens at the nearby Landmand Golf Club for architects King and Collins; that working relationship directly led to his appointment at Old Dane.

Dormer became a partner in the newly-founded firm of King Collins Dormer in 2024. Construction on the rebuild began in early 2025, with the project targeting preview play towards the end of the 2026 season and a formal grand opening in 2027.

Course Layout & Playing Experience

Dormer's plan for Old Dane calls for the 93-acre property to be completely rerouted, producing a 12-hole course with six, nine, and 12-hole loops. The driving range has been eliminated to create space for three additional holes, and a two-acre lake is being excavated — with the fill used to reshape a site that has just five feet of natural elevation change.

Will Andersen has described the opening hole as a drivable par four with a subtle green and out of bounds running the full length of the left side — an early signal of Dormer's stated intention to avoid safe or conventional solutions. The terrain at Old Dane contrasts markedly with the dramatic Loess Hills topography of Landmand Golf Club, sitting instead in the lowlands below the high Missouri River bluffs.

The Verdict

Old Dane Golf Club is not yet open in its redesigned form, but the architectural and ownership credentials behind the project make it one of the more compelling new-build announcements in midwest American golf. The combination of Will Andersen as owner, Trevor Dormer as debut lead architect, and a flexible multi-loop routing on a reshaped prairie site positions Old Dane as a natural companion to Landmand Golf Club for travelling golfers planning a northeast Nebraska golf trip. Preview play is targeted for late 2026, with a grand opening in 2027.

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