Jack Nicklaus’ 250th golf course designed has opened in the form of
Dismal River, the highly anticipated course in the Nebraska Sandhills. Playing across the rolling, grass-covered dunes of the Sandhills, Dismal River is a minimalistic layout cutting through 400 acres of the property’s 2,900 acres. “The experience of arriving at the Dismal River site was like stepping back in time and seeing what the dunes of Northeast Scotland must have looked like a hundred years ago,” Nicklaus said. “In every direction I looked, I saw great golf holes.” Nebraska is the 38th state in which Nicklaus Design is represented, and Dismal River is the Golden Bear’s 208th solo design to go along with 30 co-designs and 12 re-designs. Along with the golf course, which plays as long as 7,600 yards, Dismal River’s amenities include an 18,000 square-foot clubhouse, four bowling lanes and a wine room. When all amenities are complete, Dismal River will include a second 18-hole course, 9-hole short course, Italian restaurant, and spa and wellness center, and general store. On-site lodging will include 160 beds broken up into single, 2-bed, 4-bed, and 8-bed cabins.