Pelican Beach Golf Club

When Sand Hills Golf Club was being built in the mid-1990s, local rancher Chris Abbott sought out Dan Proctor to help build a course in the neighboring town of Hyannis, Nebraska. He asked Dan if he could shape the course if he got him a bulldozer the next day. Dan only had a week of time left in the region and was able to roughly build three golf holes in 1995, which are today’s second, third, and fourth holes. The locals then completed the finishing work and planted the turf grass. Quickly after, it became a playground for the town, and they would spend their afternoons running laps around these three holes. This stimulated the desire for a proper nine-hole course. Proctor returned years later and laid out the remaining six holes (Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 1) and guided local golf enthusiast Jack Dredla on where to place the bunkers and how to finish the course. Dredla borrowed a backhoe from Bayside Golf Club owner Jason Hiltibrand and built all 15 bunkers in a weekend, because that’s how long he had the backhoe for. Today, the course is better than ever, maintained with a very modest budget and a love for the game.

The history of the links in Hyannis is just as amusing as the golf course itself. Benched into the side of a large ridge, the routing plays down, up, along, and back down the ridge with a myriad of short par 4s, a couple of tantalizing par 3s, and a gettable par 5 closer. The course is simple yet strategic in many ways. Its lay of the land nature is charming and will without a doubt leave a lasting impression on you. This is one of the most exciting and authentic nine-holers in the U.S. that will run you $15 for all-day play. I urge you to make a detour if you are ever traveling cross-country on I-80 and support this wonderful golfing playground. 

Take Note...

Nebraskan Shootout. Hyannis hosts an annual shootout tournament that’s open to all, but this ain’t no typical golf shootout. For many, this is the only time they pick up golf clubs all year. The event consists of calf roping, trap shooting, and nine holes of golf. An aggregate score of the three events is totaled to decide the winner. 

‍Where’s The Ocean? How in the world do you get the name Pelican Beach in the middle of Nebraska? Well, during the first annual shootout tournament, a flock of pelicans from the nearby lake flew over the locals playing, thus creating the course's name. An unorthodox name for an unorthodox golf course.

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