The land is limitless for golf in the Sand Hills of Nebraska and surrounding areas.
Can the same be said for the number of golfers playing the growing number of courses that seem to be popping up like prairie sand dunes?
Two pricey golf clubs, Dismal River near Mullen, Neb., and Sutton Bay in South Dakota, are building their second 18-hole courses. Two more, Prairie Club near Valentine, Neb., and Ballyneal in Colorado near the Nebraska state line, intend to add 18 holes apiece.
These courses and the original that spawned them, the majestic Sand Hills Golf Club near Mullen, have earned a mystique in the golf world and are wildly popular in certain golf circles. They also have limits when it comes to length of season, workforce and demand.
In many ways, the things that give the courses their allure are what make it hard for owners to turn a profit.
Counting the Wild Horse daily-fee course in Gothenburg and the new Awarii Dunes in Kearney, the region has seven facilities that offer "low-profile," or minimalist-design golf to a regional and national clientele. Such courses incorporate the natural features of the land — which in the Sand Hills and surrounding areas — many believe is naturally perfect for the game.
If all the additional courses are built, there will be as many as 216 holes in the market.
One course investor, asked if he believes the market is saturated, said any more developments are unlikely.
It would take "someone with a lot of money (who) wants to do it just to do it," said Bill Kubly, the owner of golf course builder Landscapes Unlimited in Lincoln, which is in the partnership that operates Sutton Bay.
That club's golf season, he said, is even shorter than that for the Nebraska courses. It's difficult to be a profitable venture when you have only from Memorial Day weekend to September to pay the bills.
"Sand Hills (Club) wasn't built for someone to make a lot of money and I know Sutton Bay wasn't," Kubly said. "These were courses built just to do it."
Another obstacle, Dismal River CEO Chris Johnston said, is a small workforce pool. Dismal River and Sand Hills are in Hooker County, which had a 2010 population of 736. McPherson County, which lies between the courses and North Platte, has 539 residents.
Even in Cherry County, which includes Valentine (population 2,820), Prairie Club has had staffing and management issues.
"We really stumbled at times with our operations," developer Paul Schock told Golfweek. "One of the strengths of The Prairie Club is that it's a long way away. But trying to run a five-star resort in such a remote area is really hard. Hiring the right people has been really hard."
Dismal River has been sold twice since opening in 2006 as the first venture to follow Sand Hills Club. It offered more amenities than Sand Hills, creating higher expenses for owners.
Better utilization of the club's facilities is a primary reason, Johnston said, for building another course to complement the existing Jack Nicklaus-designed course.
"Two courses means the average guest will stay an extra night and play both," he said. "It's a great benefit for members because now they have two alternatives when they want to play here."
Members are paying for the new course, designed by Tom Doak, through an assessment thought to be $25,000 apiece.
Johnston said he doesn't believe the region has reached saturation for the facilities already in place.
"Demand for play is very high," he said. "We've had people here this year from 48 states. Membership interest is extremely high because of the new course and strength in the Tom Doak brand."
On the new course, expected to open in 2013, six greens and surrounding areas already have been built and seeded. About 70 percent of the main-line irrigation system is installed.
The remainder of construction will be completed next spring, with the grow-in phase starting in June.
At Sutton Bay, Kubly said nine of the new holes have been "totally grassed" and another nine are under construction. A reason for adding 18 holes, he said, is nine of the original holes eventually may have to be abandoned because of erosion.
Pro golfer Graham Marsh designed the second 18 holes at Sutton Bay after laying out the original course. His work also includes one of the first two courses at Prairie Club.
At Ballyneal, where Doak was the architect for the first course, former Doak associate Bruce Hepner has completed the routing for the second course but construction has yet to begin.
At Prairie Club, it announced last year that it would build its third course, "Old School," that has been in the blueprint stage for collaborators Gil Hanse and Geoff Shackelford for several years. When construction begins apparently depends on membership reaching 500.
Kubly said it's beneficial for the region to have these high-end golf properties succeed.
"I wish them all well," he said. "I hear about all these facilities whenever I travel. This is one of the top golf destinations in the country."
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