Bayside GC

Nebraska has more miles of river than any other state, hundreds of waterfalls, and plenty of lakes as well. Bayside Golf Club in Brule plays along one of the last, winding its way around a section of Lake McConaughy and making great use of the rolling terrain in Nebraska’s southwest corner. With 30,000 surface acres, the lake is Nebraska’s largest reservoir, its dam is one of the largest of its type in the world, and the fish here have earned several state records—everything about the area is big, and that includes the golf. The land here is characterized by ruts, bluffs, arroyos and wildly rolling grassland, and the course beautifully incorporates all of the above. There’s a warm approachability to Bayside as well, likely because it’s a family-owned affair with a log cabin-style clubhouse, but that’s not to say it’s “quaint” by any measure. The design comes from the same Dan Axland and Dave Proctor who had a hand in Wild Horse, Sand Hills GC and in the rebuild of Riviera CC in LA. Canyon carries, a bunker in a green, and lake views from nearly every hole are found here, along with a notoriously challenging back nine. No.11 is a case in point, a 625-yard challenge that demands solid ball striking, while the par-5 No.15 also punishes and rewards (with views, at least) in equal measure. Stay here and enjoy the golf, campfires on the beach and all of the recreational opportunities the lake provides; well worth a stop when you’re in the area.

Baysidegolf.com