Nebraska is the most underrated golf state in America. The Sandhills region holds a concentration of world-class courses unmatched anywhere in the middle of the country, and three Nebraska courses currently sit on Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Public Courses list. This ranking blends national reputation with honest local judgment. Private clubs are noted — and ranked where they belong.
1. The Prairie Club — Valentine
The Dunes Course ranks 36th on Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Public Courses (2025–‘26). Two Tom Lehman designs sprawled across 1,000+ acres of Sandhills, with lodging on site. This is the full destination-golf experience — the one you plan a long weekend around.
2. Landmand Golf Club — Homer
The phenomenon. King-Collins (Rob Collins and Tad King, of Sweetens Cove fame) carved this out of the Loess Hills, and it won Golf Digest’s 2022 Best New Public Course award before debuting at #24 on the 100 Greatest Public list. The greens average 14,000 square feet — more than double the national average — with slopes and contours this side of St. Andrews. Public, walkable, and genuinely fun. Book tee times far ahead; they sell out.
3. Wild Horse Golf Club — Gothenburg
The course that started the Sandhills boom — a minimalist links on native dunes, also on Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Public list. Fescue fairways, no cart paths on most holes, wind as a constant playing partner. Public and refreshingly unpretentious.
4. Sand Hills Golf Club — Mullen
Private. The original — Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore’s 1994 masterpiece that proved world-class golf could exist in the Sandhills and launched the entire region. On Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest (overall, not just public). You almost certainly can’t play it, but any honest ranking starts here.
5. Dismal River Club — Mullen
Private. Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak each built 18 here, side by side in the Sandhills. A Golf Digest Best in State fixture. If you know a member, say yes immediately.
6. ArborLinks — Nebraska City
The most accessible great course in eastern Nebraska — an Arnold Palmer design on Arbor Day Farm, open to the public, and a regular on Golf Digest’s Best in State list. Rolling terrain, prairie grasses, and none of the Sandhills drive.
7. Nebraska Dunes Golf Course — Axtell
The comeback story: formerly Awarii Dunes, the Jim Engh design south of Kearney closed in October 2025 and reopened June 2026 under new ownership after a full revitalization. Natural blowout bunkers, bowl-shaped greens, bentgrass fairways this far west. Public, affordable, and right now the freshest round in the Tri-Cities.
8. Bayside Golf Club — Ogallala
Lakeside golf on Lake McConaughy — the rare Nebraska course where water is the defining feature. A natural pairing with a western Nebraska road trip, and public.
9. Quarry Oaks Golf Club — Ashland
The best public golf between Omaha and Lincoln. Built around an old quarry with real elevation change — unusual for eastern Nebraska — and a Golf Digest Best in State regular.
10. Tatanka Golf Club — Niobrara
Paul Albanese’s prairie-bluffs design overlooking the Missouri River valley, on tribal land of the Santee Sioux. Public, distinctive, and a Best in State honoree. The most scenic finishing stretch in eastern Nebraska.
The honest take
If you’re coming from out of state: play Landmand, Wild Horse, and the Prairie Club in one trip and you’ll understand the hype. If you live here: ArborLinks, Quarry Oaks, and Nebraska Dunes are the best golf within easy reach of the eastern cities. And if someone invites you to Sand Hills or Dismal River — cancel everything.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best public golf course in Nebraska? Landmand (Homer) and the Prairie Club (Valentine) top most lists — Landmand won Golf Digest’s 2022 Best New Public award and ranks #24 on the 100 Greatest Public list; the Prairie Club’s Dunes Course ranks #36. Wild Horse (Gothenburg) is the classic third.
What is the best golf course in Nebraska overall? Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen — but it’s ultra-private. Among courses you can actually play, Landmand and the Prairie Club are the consensus picks.
How many top-100 public courses does Nebraska have? Three on Golf Digest’s 2025–‘26 100 Greatest Public Courses: Landmand (#24), the Prairie Club Dunes Course (#36), and Wild Horse.
When is golf season in Nebraska? Typically April through October. The Sandhills courses peak in late spring and early fall, when the wind is manageable and the fescue is golden.
Do I need to book Sandhills courses in advance? Yes — Landmand’s public tee times have sold out entire seasons in advance. The Prairie Club books lodging and golf packages ahead too. Plan months out, not weeks.