Prairie Dunes
Though located in a remote location, the Prairie Dunes is one the top golf courses in the world. It is located in the mid-western part of the US at Hutchison, a little-known town in Kansas.
History of the course
The Carey family of Hutchison is responsible for the birth of the Prairie Dunes golf course. The course initially had nine holes and was designed by Perry Maxwell, a golf course architect and was opened on 13, September, 1937. The second set of nine holes was designed by his son, Press Maxwell, making it an 18-hole course. The Carey family also founded the Prairie Dunes Golf Club in the mid 1930s.
The course was built without the use of any machinery. Horses, mules and wheelbarrows were used besides the workers. The native grass and weeds were removed by hand and greens and fairways were created by the workers dragging plows and scoops.
The features of this course are unique. The sand hills, wind and prairie grass are some of the characteristics of the course. It is styled as a coastal links course though it is located hundreds of miles away from the sea.
Course Trivia
- The Prairie Dunes golf course has been home to a number of tournaments like the US Women's Open, US Men's Amateur meet and several others.
- The course was regarded as the best nine-hole course in the US for 20 years, till the back nine holes were built.
- The Prairie Dunes Golf Club will not allow outsiders to play on the course unless that person is accompanied by a member.
The Prairie Dunes course is ranked 24 th amongst the top 100 golf courses in the US, according to Golf Digest magazine in 2005. As we continue on this tour we will learn about the other top-100 golf courses in the world.
