How did you get into golfing?

My older brother Bernie, who is ten years older than me, was an avid golfer during the days when there weren't any driving ranges around where we grew up in South Dakota.  So, everyone had their own "shag bag" and you would go to a fairway and hit your own balls, pick them up and start over. I would "shag" for Bernie, and the deal was that every time I shagged a bag, he would let me hit a few balls on my own. I think what this instilled in me was that hitting golf balls was a great privilege, something to cherish, and to this day, I cherish my time on the range.

As I got older, at about age 13, I started playing in junior tournaments, and had some success, which just fueled my passion. My parents were members of a fairly quiet private club, The Minnehaha Country Club (still one of South Dakota’s finest courses) and I spent literally sun up to sun down out there from about age 12 to 18. There were several of us who played together, and this established golf as the foundation and one of the key relationships in my life, something that is still true today, and something I have tried to pass along to my children.

What attracts you to golfing?  Why are you passionate about it?

I feel it’s a game between you and the course, period.

An avid golfer establishes this amazing relationship between the course, his game, the ball, and the elements, while enjoying a walk in the great outdoors. I have always loved the outdoors.  I love to watch birds, listen to the wind, watch the sky, and with golf I get to do all of these things while also enjoying this amazing competition between myself and what I can do against the course on a given day.

Golf is ever changing, both with me and my skills, and the courses, which are each so different, and the elements, which are never quite the same. In many ways, each experience is like your first. It’s a game no one owns, you just get to borrow it for a little bit, and then it's gone. But you feel deep down those moments when you own it, and they keep you going -- trying to find that bliss again.

As you mature, it dawns on you what a simple, yet utterly complicated game golf is.  You realize what a gift a great golf shot is -- the satisfaction of pulling one off stirs you down deep. You learn that mistakes and bad breaks are just part of life, and you learn to overcome them, at least in your spirit, and then there are those times when you think you'll never find it again, and then all of a sudden you hit a screaming two iron into the wind that drops with cat's feet five feet from the hole, and you are back where you started, thinking that someday you'll master it for good.

Golfers don't let piles of defeat tear down their hope, there is almost always that one shot in a round that is struck as good as anyone can, and what sport offers this? I will never hang on the rim after a thundering dunk, but I can drain a 40-foot putt or stiff a wedge just as well as Tiger can, at least once in a while.

Golf builds relationships. I've established and developed many of my best friendships on the golf course, walking up a fairway with a friend talking about life.  There's something about the game and where it's played that draws one to the deeper issues of life, and for most golfers their favorite memories are those that are shared. But it's also about solitude, just me and my Maker.  Even when the course is busy, it's still a quiet place suited for reflection.

What have been your most memorable golfing experiences?

I have been playing competitive golf for about 40 years.  Last year, at age 51, I made it to the quarterfinals of our State Amateur Championship, and Tom Watson, at age 57, almost won the British Open -- what other sport offers this opportunity? Curling?  Over those years, I have lots of precious memories of famous defeats and a few famous victories.

My most favorite competitive memory is that of winning both of South Dakota's key amateur events at age 44, with my 13-year-old son, Kyle, caddying for me. He had been caddying for me since age 7, and we have had lots of ups and downs. Kyle shared my pain in that I was South Dakota's most accomplished player who had NOT won a state championship. And then with him on the bag, I broke through and won both the state stroke play and match play in the same year, something only three other golfers had done. I would not have been able to handle the pressure of all the close calls without Kyle's support and encouragement.

What are your favorite places to golf in the world?

I've been fortunate to play a lot of the great golf courses in America, and some of them in Scotland and Ireland, but my most favorite are those that are away from the busy pace of modern life. Probably my most favorite place to play golf is Sand Hills Golf Club. I love the prairie, and there is something incredibly special about the quiet of the prairie in western Nebraska. Each time I've been on a trip to the Sand Hills, or similar places like Sutton Bay or Bandon Dunes, I've been with people that I care about, and we have had the chance to share our lives in ways that just don't seem to happen in the day-to-day rush of modern existence.

What do you admire about golf course design?

I have an extensive background with the game of golf, and have been an amateur fan and student of golf course architecture for at least the 30 years. I’ve had the opportunity to play about half of the top 100 courses, and over time because a student of Alister Mackenzie, who designed Augusta. His book, “The Spirit of St. Andrews” is by far my favorite writing on the subject.  Over the years, I have paid a lot of attention to what I like and don’t like about golf course design.  I think the game is meant to be this amazing combination between fun and challenging, and I have developed very specific feelings about what type of design makes the game the most fun and challenging. Like MacKenzie, I believe the golf ball is round, and was meant to roll.  And, that what makes golf shots the most interesting is terrain that you can roll the ball along toward the target. The ground should be fast, with natural undulations that call for a low, run up shot that slows down, speeds up, turns the right or wrong way.

In your mind, what features make for excellent course design?

To me, the ideal golf hole allows you to find your ball almost no matter where you hit it, and play it toward the green. The further you are off the target, the harder it should be to recover, but the recovery shot is one of the greatest aspects of the game, and water hazards are hard to recover from. Fairways should be wide, greens should be big with natural and fun undulations, and bunkers should be mostly off to the side, not in the way of the run up shot. The course should be very walkable, and possibly one of the great delights of the game is the tee box that is almost adjacent to the previous hole. I don't mind walking a long hole, but I hate long walks between tees and greens, and so do most golfers.

And what don’t you like about more recent golf course design?

I believe golf is meant to be a walk in the park, not a walk through a housing development. These types of courses by their requirements cannot be as walkable, and cannot have the variety of shot values and scenic values that are so important to the experience for the golfer. Some of the problems with modern design are the fault of the architects. Water hazards everywhere and bunkers all over the place. The average golfer fears playing out of a bunker worse than the fear of death itself, and hitting a shot over water is a close second. It just isn't fun and causes embarrassment to plunk a bunch of balls in the water, or hit four shots out of a bunker before you get out of it.  This modern idea of forcing golfers to hit high, soft shots over water or other hazards puts unrealistic strain on the golfer, and asks him to hit shots that are extremely difficult to hit, with often the result of a lost ball, which should not be a big part of the game.

From a design perspective, what courses have most influenced you?

The courses that have inspired me the most are St Andrews, Sand Hills Golf Club, Ballyneal, Sutton Bay, and the Bandon courses. I love Pine Valley immensely, especially the fact that almost every hole is unique.  It’s in that regard that I have been most influenced in shaping the direction of The Prairie Club.

Which golf course architects do you most admire?

I love Alister MacKenzie's work. I very much admire Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw's work, and would probably call them my favorite modern architect team. I also admire Tom Doak's work, and of course I feel strongly about the work done by our architects at The Prairie Club or I wouldn't have picked them. In general, I think golfers in the United States have been under-served by most of the modern architects for a number of reasons, some of which aren't the fault of the architects. For example, so many of the courses built in the past few decades are part of real estate developments, and you have golf holes lined by houses, which is such a detriment in my view.

What do you consider the most critical factors of good golf course design?

One, is a great setting -- great land. I cannot think of a great golf course that didn't include these. Great setting means that you get to go for a walk in an incredible place, and great land (for golf) means that there is a lot of character, roll, shapes that make for a variety of interesting golf shots.

Second would best be called playability. It means different things to different people, but to me it means a wonderful combination of: interesting, variable golf shots; generous landing areas and large greens (fewer lost balls, more experience of the ball rolling over this and around that); and the opportunity to find your ball and play it (as opposed to lots of water hazards and out of bounds shots). Playability also implies walkability in my opinion. The game was meant to be walked.

What drew you to the land that would eventually become The Prairie Club?

There is something incredibly captivating about the Sandhills region generally, and this ranch specifically. The Sandhills region features land that has not been disturbed by development, ranching or agriculture in any way. The soil is too fragile to be farmed or over grazed, so it looks almost exactly like it did 500 years ago. Mile after mile of grass covered dunes -- sparse, natural and pure.

Then there’s the QUIET!  It’s almost deafening how quiet it is. And the dark – at night, it is one of the darkest places in the United States. Through the middle of our property runs the Snake River canyon.  It shocks you to see it for the first time because it is so surprising. Along the edge the 200- to 300-foot canyon walls are thousands of ponderosa pines opening up to a completely undisturbed world with its waterfalls, a world-class trout stream, eagles, osprey and turkey, and deer -- all in the middle of the prairie.  It’s offers such a stunning contrast.

There’s also the character of the people who live here.  Lots of third and fourth generation ranchers, who are very interesting, engaging folks.

Why do you love this land and why do you think it’s perfect for The Prairie Club?

The land is perfect for The Prairie Club because it's perfect for golf.  It has rolling terrain, lots of different shapes (natural, distinct blow-outs), and incredible variety of landforms and scenery.  It’s sand based, which makes for perfect playing conditions -- bouncy, firm, fast, great turf, no standing water or squishy parts, and it offers three different environments – prairie, forest and river canyon in the same place.  There’s nature everywhere: an incredible variety of birds, plants, flowers, big sky and great breezes.  It’s a sacred place with a legendary amount of history that’s a off the beaten path.  In a way, it’s a retreat, a place where the lid tends to come off and you can get back in touch with your real self.

How did you select Tom Lehman, Graham Marsh and Gil Hanse to design the courses at The Prairie Club?

As Grounds Committee Chairman at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls (one of South Dakota’s finest courses) I led a process of completing a new master plan and some major changes to our golf course, which included an extensive search and interview process with architects. I’m also one of the founding members of Sutton Bay and became very intimate with Graham Marsh, whom was selected to design Sutton Bay. Also, I spent about two years helping the former owner of much of the land that is now The Prairie Club, Cleve Trimble, with his plans for a golf project. It was alongside Cleve as he went through the architect selection process that culminated with the selection of Gil Hanse, and I became very intimate with Gil’s work.

From all of the golf I’ve played and all of the study I’ve done and the experience with architects, I knew pretty much what I wanted in an architect. I knew that Gil and Graham shared my vision, but Tom was sort of unknown. I had been a fan of his for a long time. Tom is from Minnesota and is active in many volunteer and church causes -- things that are important to me. I sent his design firm an email on December 1, 2006 and about ten days later he was on site at The Prairie Club. We hit it off on design philosophy and in many other ways and it was easy to invite him to join the team.

Why did you decide to go with three golf course designers rather than four?

The main reason is Gil Hanse (and his team, Geoff Shackelford and Jim Wagner). I became acquainted with Gil Hanse when he was working on a golf course project for neighboring landowner Cleve Trimble, and through that, got to know Gil quite well, and came to appreciate his work and approach to golf course architecture. For a variety of reasons (mostly because we chose to put our first two 18-hole courses on different land than the land on which Gil Hanse had been focusing) we chose Gil to design the Horse Course as a way of him and his team be a part of the project from the start and to give our guests a chance to see his work. For a designer, an 18-hole course is really what it’s about, so there wasn’t a question about who would do our third course.

When you were working with Lehman, Marsh and Hanse, were there some particular aspects or components that you insisted upon for The Prairie Club?

I started with this mantra: golf should first of all be fun. What makes golf the most fun? Well, in my mind, it is a ball, and it was meant to roll. At its best, golf requires shots that move along the ground, around and over natural features that challenge the golfer eye and skill, but do not require him (or her) to hit shots they aren’t capable of hitting, such as a 200-yard carry over water. So fairways should be undulating (in natural, wind-blown, dunesy ways), but wide and generous.  The main strategy should mean that a hole gives you the best chance for birdie if you challenge the trouble, but if you bail out, you still have a chance for recovery (as opposed to the ball being lost, out of bounds, or in the water). The recovery shot is one of the most fun aspects of the game. Lost balls should be a rarity.

Golfers love to putt, and hate to hit out of greenside bunkers, so greens should be big, and bunkers should mostly be off to the side. There must always be a run-up option, and lots of green grass around the greens to give folks the chance to hit shots that are fun (but challenging) around the greens, maybe putt from 30 yards away. These are the types of shots that are played on courses in Scotland and Ireland – they’re the type of shots that have been hit for many centuries, until modern designers changed the game to island greens and house-lined fairways.

The course must be walkable, green-to-tee throughout. There should be a variety of tee boxes to make sure all golfers can enjoy the course, and to account for variable wind conditions. The ground must be fast, so the ball can roll. The architect must use the natural landforms, the ones God made, because I think He is the best architect of all. Man-made shapes are usually obvious and annoying. There should be a variety of hole strategies, left to right, right to left, short fours, long fours, short fives, long fives, short and long threes.

As a serious golfer who has golfed all over the world, what kind of an experience did you want to create for members and visitors to The Prairie Club both on and off the greens?

On the course, I want our guests to have fun, no matter what their level of skill. I believe our courses will play very similarly to those in Scotland and Ireland, with fast ground, run-up shots; big fairways and greens; lots of grass around greens; and a number of tee boxes to accommodate different skill levels.  And they’ll be very walkable, because it is in walking that we enjoy the game and the fellowship the most.

Off the course, I want our guests to feel like they are at their second home, where they are loved and cared for by people who care about them, and who seek to give them a respite from the cares and busy-ness of modern life. In addition, we will offer great but unpretentious food and service, and a comfortable, relaxing retreat in the finest sense of the word. Our place out on the great prairie tends to change people for the better, and I want us mostly to enhance this experience, not get in its way.

Many of the greatest golf courses in the world are private courses — avid golfers will never have the chance to experience them.  Is that why you chose to make The Prairie Club accessible to the public?

Yes. I know what it is like to experience both ends of that spectrum. I have tried to get on courses and failed, and there is something not quite right about that, given that most of them could easily accommodate more players. Conversely, I’ve been able to have someone’s brother’s friend’s uncle get me on this or that great private course, and it is such a joy to play the great golf courses. So while The Prairie Club will be member oriented, we will always find a way to receive the avid golfer who just can’t afford to join or for whom joining just doesn’t make sense. They may have to come when it works for us, but they can come.

In designing The Prairie Club’s courses, did you base playability on the average player or professionals?  Would you characterize the playability of The Prairie Club’s courses as: easy bogey or tough par?

We designed The Prairie Club’s courses with every golfer in mind. The key is the number of tee boxes, which vary from a minimum of four to as many as six per hole. It is sometimes a challenge to get folks to play the right set of tees, but if they do, they can decide if they want to play a course that is relatively easy or really, really hard.  I remember a couple of years ago playing Sutton Bay with my 12-year-old son, and the wind was howling. We were both not playing very well, and were playing the tougher tees for our skill level. For fun, we decided to play the most forward tee, and we both had a great time. We will work with our guests to help them play the tee that fits their wish for a great golf experience.

Will the design of The Prairie Club’s courses allow a golfer to use all or nearly all of the clubs in his golf bag?

We have very purposefully designed great variety in our courses, and yes, we want each guest to have an amazing variety of shot types to encourage them to really think their way around the course. I think so many of us golfers are a tired of the 450-yard par four dog leg left with a bunker guarding the corner and three or four bunkers guarding the greens. It’s driver, then wedge to five iron on every hole. Not us – we’re going to mix it up.  It’s all about having fun.

Considering the lack of trees and the potential for above average wind on the prairies at The Prairie Club, do you think the design of The Prairie Club’s courses will favor those who are students of the American-style of golf (high trajectories) or the British/European links-style (keeping the trajectories of your shots closer to the greens)?

I think American-style golf (high trajectories) is a gift we’ve given to about 5 percent of the golfing public.  The reality is that 95 percent golfers can’t hit a four iron high and soft over a bunker to a tight pin or small green. We believe The Prairie Club will offer its guests a more fun game, but different type of game -- more akin to how it’s played on the courses in the British Isles. We plan to work with our guests and members both on and off the course on teaching them how easy and fun it is to hit a good run-up shot.

A lot of the newer courses that are built to challenge the longer hitters and their new equipment have plenty of room for a couple sets of forward tees yet it seems strategies and playability from there are barely considered. How much consideration do you put into how a course will play from the forward tees?

We have placed a tremendous amount of effort on how our courses play from all of our tees. We have done this for two very important reasons. One, we want to change up the course even for the average to pretty good golfer. One day we want to play a par four as a two shotter, but the next day as a driveable four. Our forward tees are not just a little push up fairway spot, they are well thought out golf holes. The second reason is the obvious one: to allow for folks who don’t hit the ball very far to still have fun. After all, we all get there eventually, that point that Gary Player described as “Now I hit it so short I can hear my ball land.”

What’s your biggest peeve about modern golf courses? Any peeves with the classics?

Modern: Narrow fairways, too much out of bounds and hazards, too many bunkers, too many houses, too far between holes (can’t walk it if you want to), too many trees (they’ve taken away the recovery shot), too many similar holes, and too much man-made structure.

Classic: Many have been allowed to remain too short in terms of the advancements with ball and equipment technology (which isn’t the courses’ fault obviously).  And, they’ve grown way too many trees and in some cases put in way too many bunkers. I admire the classic courses that are returning to their roots (i.e., taking out trees, removing bunkers, etc.).

What’s next after you open The Prairie Club?  Is there room to add another course at The Prairie Club?  Are exploring other courses in other parts of the country?

We’ve announced the pre-development of our fourth course at The Prairie Club, “Old School.” We hope to begin the design process later this year, and may begin construction as early as next year or the year after, depending upon our financial success. We believe our business model of providing great golf and service at a reasonable price is a sweet spot that isn’t being met enough in our country, so we have a long-term goal of being an organization that has sites throughout the country. We will be very picky though. Great land in a great setting isn’t easy to come by, but it’s what makes The Prairie Club so special.