Lochland Country Club, Hastings, Nebraska
This is one of my top 10 in Nebraska and if you haven’t played it you are missing a good golf course. It doesn’t have the glitz of all the newer links and prairie courses in the state, but has plenty of good golf holes, a well- run pro shop, great club house, good food and all the amenities you expect in a country club.
I first played here about 40 years ago when some friends and I would come out to play a 2 day scramble. We loved the course and did well in the scramble for several years. It was also where I first learned about a Calcutta in golf. We were shocked at what some stranger paid to own our team without knowing us. That’s another story.
We visit every year with the Nebraska Senior Golf Association and usually get about 80 players who come mostly from Omaha and Lincoln. It is always in impeccable condition and I commend the members for taking care of the course. A few years ago they actually killed all the grass and reseeded. This is an expensive proposition and takes a course out of play for a while. But it shows how much the members care about keeping their course in top condition. I don’t have a great understanding of turf issues, but I have understood that to maintain good quality you have to start over sometimes.
I don’t think they allow much public play unless you are from out of town. I believe it is on the list for the Nebraska Passport.
The course is all parkland style with houses around the perimeter. There is enough elevation change to give it some character. The course isn’t too tight but there are mature trees lining most of the fairways and you can’t just swing away. There are a few ponds, but water doesn’t come into play much. The exception is 18, a par 5 great finishing hole that forces you to hit over water twice. You cut off as much as you can with your drive, hoping to get far enough to hit over the water again on your second shot. When we played this in the scramble 40 years ago, we were always dead set on getting home in two. You get one drive safe and then the next three guys try to take an angle and go as far right as they can go and still clear the water. Then you are 200 plus uphill to the small green.
One of the other harder holes is 17, a long par 4 with a narrow fairway and a small green. Finishing with pars on these last two holes is a strong finish to any round. Don’t be fooled on dogleg hole number 6. If you don’t play here much you think you can cut the dogleg, but anything left of the bunkers is OB. You don’t see that visually from the tee. Hole 13 has similar characteristics. Here you think you can drive it left of the bunkers, but too far left or too long puts you OB. Trying to carry the bunkers on the right is not in the bag for average golfers.
Greens don’t look tricky, but have enough slope to be a challenge to read and I would say a little smaller than average.
Three par 3s and three 5s on the front nine give the course some extra character that I enjoy.
We thought this course was good enough that 8 of us took off from Omaha, drove the two plus hours and played it all day. A second time around helps you understand the course a little better.
Finally, I would say in the events we have had at Lochland the service has been great. Ty and his staff in the pro shop are welcoming and attentive to details. They provide one of the best post-round meals we have anywhere.
If you are in Omaha or Lincoln and heading west, don’t pass up an opportunity to play Lochland.
