Tom Lehman and architect Chris Brands designed the 18-hole Dunes golf course at The Prairie Club, an eminently walkable out-and-back layout with wide fairways and enormous greens
Tom Lehman and architect Chris Brands designed the 18-hole Dunes golf course at The Prairie Club, an eminently walkable out-and-back layout with wide fairways and enormous greens
Several years before The Prairie Club opened in 2010, founder Paul Schock set about acquiring over a thousand acres of a former cattle ranch along the Snake River Canyon in Nebraska, with a view to offering visitors a unique golfing experience in a remote location.
When land was purchased and permits were in place, Schock and business partner Cleve Trimble interviewed a number of prospective designers before selecting three who would bring their golfing vision to life and this resulted in three very distinct layouts from the architects who were chosen.
Tom Lehman and architect Chris Brands designed the 18-hole Dunes course, an eminently walkable out-and-back layout with wide fairways and enormous greens set out on a rolling landscape punctuated by sand hills.
Lehman says that “it took Chris Brands and me over a year to finalize routing of the 18 holes. There are dozens and dozens, if not hundreds out there in the sand hills of the Prairie Club. The real battle was to overlook that which was extremely good for which was and will be truly great”.
Regarding the other layouts at The Prairie Club, Graham Marsh fashioned the 18-hole Pines course and Gil Hanse set out a fun, 10-hole par three course named Horse. Another 18-hole course (provisionally named Old School) was due to be built at The Prairie Club in the near future by Gil Hanse, but has so far failed to materialize.
The latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World serves as the ultimate global golf bucket list. Most members of our World Top 100 Panel are seasoned golfers, each playing 20-30 of these courses annually while travelling extensively over decades to form their opinions on others. We recognise that opinions vary—even among our panel members. Rankings are subjective, and there are undoubtedly 50 or more courses in the UK and USA alone that could easily fit onto this list. Links Golf Pilgrimages The rankings
California, United States
New Jersey, United States
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
New York, United States
New York, United States
So many of us come to this game because of our parents. I certainly did. My dad is the reason I ever picked up a club, and he is the reason I have spent the last 30 years chasing the world's greatest golf courses. My first visit to Prairie Dunes was with him in the spring of '23, and I immediately fell in love—with both the course and the story behind it: Press Maxwell completing his father Perry Maxwell's vision. To me, it is one of the greatest father–son stories in golf. That thought was on my mind as I boarded a plane to Wichita to meet up with friends from the Lockhart Travel Club—luggage-free, thanks to our friends at Ship Sticks. I am a sucker for a great drive-in—think Friar's Head or Crystal Downs—and Prairie Dunes hits you instantly. You're swallowed by rolling dunes and mature cottonwoods, with layers of "gunch" lurking everywhere. By reputation alone, you know that some of the most diabolical green complexes in the game are waiting in the aesthetic. Sometimes you just know you're going to love a course on first contact. I knew before I teed off. After eighteen holes, I was obsessed. Two years later, I still firmly believe it is one of the very best in the United States. Evolution on the Prairie To understand Prairie Dunes, you must start long before golf ever existed. For hundreds of millions of years, what is now Kansas lay beneath ancient shallow seas. Those waters deposited the sand, silt, and minerals that would eventually form the region's unique soils. When the oceans receded—roughly 275 million years ago—vast beds of salt were left behind, creating one of the world's great underground salt deposits. Much later, during drier and windier eras, these sandy sediments were shaped by relentless prairie winds into the dune systems that still ripple across the landscape today. No glaciers—just time, wind, and an ancient seafloor waiting to become a golf course. Fast-forward to the early 20th century. After the salt deposits in Hutchinson were tapped, local businessman Emerson Carey founded what became the Carey Salt Company, pioneering large-scale salt and ice production in the United States. The mine has operated for over a century and still runs today as the Hutchinson Salt Company. If you are not claustrophobic, the underground tour—Strataca—is a surreal, slightly disorienting experience. You descend roughly 650 feet into the earth in the original mine-shaft elevator, swallowed by total darkness. Not your typical après-golf activity. With the salt business thriving, Mr. Carey—an unabashed golf fanatic—commissioned Perry Maxwell in 1935 to build a course on the nearby dunes. Maxwell, of Augusta, Crystal Downs, and Southern Hills fame, was reportedly so taken by the property that he said he would have to eliminate a hundred great golf holes just to get down to eighteen. Working with a skeleton crew, a handful of horses, and his trusty Fresno scraper, he carved out nine extraordinary holes—today's 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, and 18—which opened in 1937. After Perry's death in 1952, his son Press—who had worked alongside him since returning from WWII—was brought in to finish the vision. Press designed and built holes 3–5 and 11–16, opening them in 1957 and completing what may be the most seamless father-son collaboration in golf architecture. Historians and raters still marvel that you cannot tell where Perry ends and Press begins. Short Game Shangri La What they created has aged with almost supernatural grace. Prairie Dunes has required remarkably little restorative work. It has hosted multiple USGA championships and NCAA events and remains one of the sternest tests in American golf. The greens are the soul of the course. With full respect to Oakmont Country Club, I genuinely believe Prairie Dunes has the best, most interesting, and most challenging set of 18 greens in the United States. There is not a weak or throwaway hole or putting surface on the property. Precision is not optional; touch is mandatory. I loved having Ship Sticks send my clubs directly from my home club to Prairie Dunes, where they were waiting for me outside my room in the Founder's Lodge. I walked straight to the short-game practice area to immerse myself immediately and sharpen my touch for what lay ahead. I love chipping and pitching—the creativity, the imagination of the short game—and Prairie Dunes lights up the part of my brain that loves the craft of scoring. The Maxwells must have had short games from another planet. Whether the greens were running at 7 on the Stimpmeter in 1937 or 13 in 2025, average golfers would struggle to handle them. I do not see a 20-handicap breaking 100 here most days. Proper technique and total conviction are prerequisites. If you can two-putt and get up-and-down at Prairie Dunes, you can score anywhere. There is no robust caddie program, so the decision-making is entirely yours. Off the Chart Measurables It is an easy walk, though riding is not uncommon and the cart paths are unobtrusive, if not hidden. Tee boxes and green sites are framed with cottonwoods. Fairways twist and turn gently, rising and falling symphonically. The infamous gunch lines the fairways and presents itself at every key decision point. Aesthetically, it adds spectacular visual appeal—but finding your ball in it, let alone advancing it, is unlikely. One loose swing can bring round-killing prairie bramble into play. The bunker sand is orangey and powder-soft on top, yet firm underneath. A well-played bunker shot will grab; anything less will release onto those tabletop greens. The bunkering is masterful—and the more courses I see, the more I believe this is often the line between good design and great design. On the Doak Scale, I would consider Prairie Dunes to be a solid 9. At Top100golfcourses.com, we have it ranked #15 USA/North America and #28 in the World. While I may argue for a slightly higher ranking in the USA, the World Ranking is so impressive that the defence rests. Prairie Oasis A perfect day at Prairie Dunes ends with the house specialities: the Haystack salad, the PD Smashburger, and a frozen Gunch Punch or two. Chapstick is a must with the wind a constant. Layers are recommended, though the pro shop has you fully covered with top brands and an outstanding yucca-in-bloom logo. We had the special opportunity to view the original Maxwell Collection paintings by Mark Rivard of Charcoal Golf—commissioned by the club and chronicling the original Perry Maxwell nine. Look for them on display in the clubhouse. The mixing at PD is fostered by perfect congregation spots: the Card Room (bar and grill), the bar and fire pits at the Founder's Lodge, and, of course, the lit putting green. I've done both family-style Kansas BBQ in the Founder's Lodge—with Hutchinson local sauce—and a classic three-square in the Card Room. Both are outstanding options. Quick breakfasts to get you on the tee. Burgers to seared duck breast at supper. The Card Room is elite for logo bingo—like a settler's outpost from old western times—mixing national members with sophisticated guests from great clubs all over the world who have made the pilgrimage to Hutchinson. And when your head finally hits the pillow in the Founder's Lodge, you may find yourself thinking that you are not in Kansas anymore. Words - Matt Kaul Edited - Jasper Miners
We've curated four exceptional gifts for the discerning golfer—from handcrafted Sunday bags to contemporary art that reimagines golf's greatest holes. Pine Coast Golf Sunday Bags The Sunday bag represents golf at its purest. Pine Coast Golf has elevated this concept with bags handcrafted in a Polish workshop using Italian leather from a fourth-generation Tuscan tannery and waxed canvas from Dundee, Scotland. Founded by Lisette and Johan from a love for golf and commitment to mental health awareness, each bag features brilliant functionality: a skewed pocket that secures valuables naturally, accessible water bottle storage, and strategically centred shoulder loops that balance perfectly over 18 holes. The collection—The Dirty Shirley, The Whitecap, The Pine, The Moss, The Beach, The Sunset and The Orchid—ranges from 3,490 to 4,890 SEK (£260-£370/$350-490) for canvas models. The premium Leather Bag: 9,995 SEK (£750/$995). Personalised embroidery available. Perfect for: Minimalists, walkers, and golfers who value sustainability Why we love it: Handcrafted with purpose, these bags develop a beautiful patina that tells the story of your rounds. Charcoal Golf Art Prints Charcoal Golf bridges fine art and golf course architecture with urban contemporary flair. Artist Mark Rivard brings over 20 years of fine art experience—from skateboard art to founding "Do Rad Things" with Sharpie Markers—to golf's premier landscapes. His top-down hole designs are immediately recognisable yet gritty and unfinished, with geometric patterns and bold colours that push beyond traditional golf art. Each museum-grade giclée print on heavyweight archival stock is hand-signed by the artist. Recent works include Sweetens Cove, Sand Hills, Prairie Dunes, and Bethpage Black's 18th. Custom commissions available. Perfect for: Modern collectors, design enthusiasts, gand olfers who appreciate contemporary art Top100 Members & Subscribers: 15% off with code Top100 at checkout Why we love it: It represents golf culture's evolution—respectful of tradition whilst embracing modern expression. Fyfe Golf Harris Tweed Headcovers Handcrafted in Scotland using authentic Harris Tweed woven in the Outer Hebrides, these headcovers are wearable art. The dark charcoal herringbone pattern features 100% pure new wool that naturally repels water, with plush fleece lining protecting your clubs. Co-founded by Neil Rennie—whose grandparents worked at Aberdeen's famous Grandholm Mill—Fyfe reconnects golf with Scotland's manufacturing heritage. Fabrics come from heritage mills, including Halley Stevensons in Dundee. Carbon-neutral production. Made to order, shipping within 7-14 working days. Available for drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids: £85-95 ($105-122). The newly launched Shooter's Club line really hits the Scottish sporting estate vibe hard. Perfect for: Traditionalists, Scotland lovers, golfers who value heritage craftsmanship Why we love them: They age beautifully, developing character with every round. "Buying better and buying less." Gary Lisbon's "Great Golf Courses of the World" Melbourne-based photographer Gary Lisbon has spent two decades capturing 685 courses across 26 countries. This panoramic coffee table book showcases over 400 images—many never published—from 100+ courses in 20 countries. Playing off a mid-single-figure handicap at Royal Melbourne, Lisbon brings a golfer's eye to his dawn photography. Journey from Norway's Lofoten Links to the British Isles, Australia's Melbourne Sandbelt to New Zealand's clifftop masterpieces, and continental gems like Valderrama and Morfontaine. Over 95% of featured courses are accessible to travelling golfers. 1991 Open Champion Ian Baker-Finch feels it is "undoubtedly the best collection of golf course images from around the world." $135 with worldwide shipping. 18-month desktop calendar: $25. Perfect for: Dreamers, trip planners, course architecture enthusiasts Why we love it: Trip-planning material disguised as art—a worldwide golfing journey from your living room. Mymo Golf Personalised Prints Every round has a story. Mymo transforms those memories into watercolour-style prints featuring any hole from any course worldwide. Founded by Chris Pyatt after his first hole-in-one, Mymo creates personalised aerial prints capturing every detail. Choose your course and hole, add a custom message, and receive a digital proof within 48 hours. Printed on premium matte paper (189 g/m²) with water-based inks. Available in Medium (12 × 16") or Large (16.5 × 23.3"), framed or unframed. Course Map collection features all 18 holes with space for player names and dates—perfect for commemorating trips. You can also capture your three favourite holes on one print. Partnership with Arccos integrates shot-tracking data. Orders typically take 7 days. First-time customers: 10% off. Perfect for: Commemorating holes-in-one, bucket-list rounds, cand elebrating achievements Why we love it: Turns memories into masterpieces worthy of display rather than hidden in your golf bag. Editor's Choice Smathers & Branson Needlepoint Belt Founded by college roommates in 2004, Smathers & Branson now employs over 2,000 artisans creating 100% hand-stitched needlepoint using French cotton thread, full-grain Italian leather, and solid brass buckles. Arrives in a handmade wooden gift box. $185. Pro tip: add 2-3 inches to your pant size. Editor's Note: "The St Andrews Scene belt is my personal favourite. The detail is extraordinary—a daily reminder of golf's spiritual home." Vessel Skyline PrimeX Backpacka For travelling golfers, the right backpack is essential. Vessel features crosshatch embossed synthetic leather—durable, weather-resistant, easy to clean. Padded laptop compartment (15" MacBook Pro), velour-lined valuables pocket, internal water bottle sleeves, hidden top pocket, trolley sleeve, compression-moulded neoprene back panel. Once you have one you'll wonder how you travelled without it. Available in Black, Maroon, Navy: $195. Editor's Note: "A lifesaver on 50+ flights. Transitions seamlessly from airport to office to course." Gift Pairing Ideas Heritage Collection: Pine Coast Sunday bag + Fyfe headcovers for European craftsmanship Art Lovers: Charcoal Golf print + Lisbon's book contrasting contemporary and classical Travel Package: Vessel backpack + Smathers & Branson belt for the well-travelled golfer Memory Makers: Mymo personalised print + Lisbon's book with a promise to book a featured course Scottish Links Experience: Fyfe headcovers + Smathers & Branson St Andrews belt Why We Selected These Gifts Each product celebrates craftsmanship, sustainability, and artistic vision whilst supporting small businesses with genuine purpose. From Scottish workshops to Polish leather artisans, from contemporary artists to master photographers, these gifts honour the game and inspire golfers to play with intention. And don't forget about Top 100 swag at shop.top100golfcourses.com
Midwest Region US Best In State Rankings 2014 Phase two of our revised and updated US Best In State rankings for 2014 is complete 13th March 2014 We are pleased to announce that the second phase of four Regional updates is now complete, detailing our latest biennial US Best in State rankings. The Midwest Region of the USA, as defined by the US Census Bureau, comprises of twelve states, the East North Central states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin; and the West North Central states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. For the purpose of grouping our Best in State updates, we have decided to implement the rollout in four regional phases (Northeast, Midwest, South and West). A large element of the Midwest incorporates the Great Plains, so it’s unsurprising to hear that the West North Central Region has very few American Top 100 Golf Courses located in this area. Only four layouts from this region made the current national Top 100, but two are truly stellar courses. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw’s Sand Hills in Nebraska is the highest ranked course in the entire Midwest Region, but some think Prairie Dunes in Kansas is even better. It just goes to show that world-class golf courses can be built on the prairies of the Great Plains. The East North Central states form part of the Great Lakes region and Chicago is the most densely populated city in the Midwest. Sixteen courses from the East North Central states feature in the US Top 100 and Chicago Golf Club in Illinois and Crystal Downs in Michigan are perennial national Top 20 layouts that invariably knock on the door of a Top 10 ranking position. However, Ohio leads the way with five courses in the national hundred with Muirfield Village currently leading the way. One fifth of the nation’s Top 100 Golf Courses are currently located in the Midwest Region which is an impressive percentage given the physical geography of this vast low lying area. We’ve extended most of our Best in State ranking lists since our first iteration some two years ago. Illinois, Michigan and Ohio now feature a Top 40 for the first time and Minnesota and Wisconsin now profile a Top 30 and a Top 20 respectively. We’ve also extended our tables for North and South Dakota to Top 10s. The latest revision of our Best In State rankings is simply work in progress, as we know there are many unheralded golf courses that we still need to feature. If you’re passionate about your home state’s golf courses and would like to help us further develop our Best In State initiative by shining a light on a hidden gem, then please send an email to info@top100golfcourses.com. We’d love to hear from you. To find out more about our revised Best in State rankings for the Midwest region, please navigate to the dedicated US state pages by clicking on any one of the following links: Illinois Best In State Golf Courses (Top 40) Indiana Best In State Golf Courses (Top 20) Iowa Best In State Golf Courses (Top 10) Kansas Best In State Golf Courses (Top 10) Michigan Best In State Golf Courses (Top 40) Minnesota Best In State Golf Courses (Top 30) Missouri Best In State Golf Courses (Top 10) Nebraska Best In State Golf Courses (Top 10) North Dakota Best In State Golf Courses (Top 10) Ohio Best In State Golf Courses (Top 40) South Dakota Best In State Golf Courses (Top 10) Wisconsin Best In State Golf Courses (Top 20) The Top 100 Team
