Centura Hills is the course Nebraska golfers mention when they say “you probably haven’t played it, but you should.” This 18-hole Marty Johnson design sits in Cairo — no, not Egypt; central Nebraska, 13 miles west of Grand Island on Highway 2. The first nine was built in 1996, the second nine added in 2007, and the whole thing is a proper countryside test.
The signature is the 7th, the longest and most demanding hole: sloping terrain, native rough, out of bounds, and a creek guarding the green. Holes 7 through 9 are known as “Amen Bend” — a church sits nearby, the creek bends through the trouble, and bogeys abound. Say a little prayer and swing smooth.
The club calls itself central Nebraska’s leading golf course, and the staff pride shows — reviewers praise the conditioning and the welcome. The deck overlooking the 18th green is the right place for the post-round debrief.