Quarry Oaks

Quarry Oaks Golf Club benefits from sitting midway between Omaha and Lincoln, the two largest cities in Nebraska. It also benefits from sitting right on the Platte River, offering scenic views along the course’s signature stretch.

Although the river itself won’t provide a hazard, the views can be distracting and the slopes on the other side of the fairway can make the two par fours that run alongside the Platte tricky. The third hole in this series, an 185-yard par three, plays a forced carry across the stone quarry that previously operated on the property.

Architect John LaFoy was fortunate to get this piece of property, developed for golf during 1997, when many similar courses were being constructed alongside real estate. The land here remains entirely dedicated to golf, a small price to pay for a somewhat longer drive from the city.

Many of LaFoy’s greens are long and thin, challenging the choice of club upon approach. One example is the par three at No. 4, which is nicknamed “Cemetery”...both for its ability to bury your score with a difficult putting surface and for the small pioneer burial plot nearby.