Any Courses Worth Playing Between Denver and Prairie Club?

[TK3]

Hi guys,

 

We will be having our annual golf trip (4 of us) and we're flying into Denver and driving to Prairie Club for a couple of nights.  We arrive early in Denver (7:30am), so we thought of playing 18 along the way to Prairie Club (about a 5-hour drive).

 

Thought of playing Wildhorse, but they want a stay-play for us to book ahead of time.  We just want an afternoon T-time and then drive to PC.  We can only book WH 72 hrs before - think that would be a problem in early July?

 

Any other suggestions?

 

Cheers, TK

[puttnforthe8]

Ask nicely and you might get on Bally;  otherwise Bayside for sure, Awarii (but it had gone downhill imo) and farther away.  The others I would not say are worth a stop.  Moloney is not bad, but not worth a diversion unless you just want a round.

 

For WH, you might get lucky 72hrs in advance, but no assurance- if it is hot and humid your chances go up.  

[Dancin]

Bayside is best if you aren't going to Wild Horse.

 

If you strictly want a round of golf anywhere on the way up without much of a diversion, Quail Dunes in Fort Morgan, CO is about an hour from DEN and right off I-76 and cheap. It's nothing special but it has a few interesting/unique holes and some good elevation changes for an older style course. Another option pretty close to I-76 is Sky Ranch Golf in Sterling, CO about 1.5 hours from DEN. Again nothing special, fairly flat, but a couple good holes and again really cheap. Both of these will be pretty empty if arriving on a weekday. If choosing between these two, Quail Dunes is more interesting, but neither of these are in the same conversation as Bayside.

[ThermalDan]

TPC Colorado requires an alternate route up to Prairie Club, but we enjoyed the round.  

[deadsolid...shank]

Adding on to Dancin’s post, of a similar quality to Quail Dunes in Fort Morgan is Crandel Creek in Ogalalla. Right off I 80 ( the exit you would take if you went to Bayside). 
 

But if I were choosing from among this group I’d do something a little different. It would add about 50 miles to the trip. I’d go north at Fort Morgan on Hwy 71 to Kimball, NE. 4 Winds golf course. Literally 3 minutes from the I80 exit. Cheap, not busy, fun course. We routinely made the 45 minute drive to play there. But with all the driving already, adding more may not be real desirable. 

[Mullenboy]

Bayside would be on the way; Wild Horse would be a little more than an hour out of your way.  And if you can get from Denver airport to Prairie Club in 5 hours you'll be flying.  Watch out for NE state troopers once you leave the interstate.

 

Bottom line - Wild Horse is a far better course, but Bayside is logistically your best bet.  Although both suggested in the last post sound cool!  

[Walter Sobchak]

We did Bayside on the journey from Denver to Prairie Club.  Fun and unique spot to break up the drive.  
 

Front 9 was so-so but everyone in our group was impressed with the backside.  A great par 5 and par 3 on the back.  Good no frills place to scratch the itch on the long drive.  If you are looking for a country club experience it’s not that (which I liked).  

 

Attached is a pic of the par 3 I mentioned on Bayside’s back 9 and one from Prairie Club.  Have a great trip.  Being from Atlanta I love the isolation of the sand hills.  Time melts away once you settle into playing from dawn until dusk.

[deadsolid...shank]

If you need a meal and want a unique place to have it. Pull off I80 in Paxton (about half way between Ogalalla and North Platte) and have a steak at Ole’s Big Game Steakhouse and Lounge. You won’t believe the taxidermy in there. Good food at a good price. You won’t believe it exists in a town of a few hundred people. 

[sabram]

Bayside is a good option. Here's  a link to a photo tour https://www.flickr.com/gp/golfcoursepix/FS895848R4

[Husker4theSpurs]

Bayside best if considering not going too far off your route. Wild Horse is a better course--bet you'd have no problem getting that tee time and in the past they don't make you wait 72 hours out.

Is anyone a member of a private club? Call ahead to Dismal or have your pro contact them. If you time it right you could possibly get a full day there prior to driving up to Prairie Club and barely out of the way.

[deadsolid...shank]

3 hours ago, Husker4theSpurs said:

Bayside best if considering not going too far off your route. Wild Horse is a better course--bet you'd have no problem getting that tee time and in the past they don't make you wait 72 hours out.

Is anyone a member of a private club? Call ahead to Dismal or have your pro contact them. If you time it right you could possibly get a full day there prior to driving up to Prairie Club and barely out of the way.

And really, if you take the back way into Wildhorse (since they’ll be coming from the west) so you don’t have to drive through Gothenburg, it’s really not much longer than the trek from I80 down to Bayside. 15-20 minutes longer maybe?  Figure it’s what, 35-40 minutes to Wildhorse from North Platte, 15-20 minutes from the I80 exit in Ogalalla to Bayside. 
 

For that time difference, if you can get the tee time, absolutely choose WildHorse. 

[Husker4theSpurs]

45 minutes ago, deadsolid...shank said:

And really, if you take the back way into Wildhorse (since they’ll be coming from the west) so you don’t have to drive through Gothenburg, it’s really not much longer than the trek from I80 down to Bayside. 15-20 minutes longer maybe?  Figure it’s what, 35-40 minutes to Wildhorse from North Platte, 15-20 minutes from the I80 exit in Ogalalla to Bayside. 
 

For that time difference, if you can get the tee time, absolutely choose WildHorse. 

I certainly would pick Wild Horse every time 🙂 As long as it fits timing wise with where they're coming from ...