Prairie Dunes Country Club
Hutchinson, KS • Private
Overview
Prairie Dunes was the top nine-hole course in America for 20 years. By the time the club found funds to expand it to 18, original architect Perry Maxwell had passed away, but his son Press was able to add nine more holes seamlessly in the 1950s, putting three on the front nine and six on the back. He also replicated his father’s great greens, which seem to break in three different directions. Prairie Dunes reflects all that is common in rural Kansas: sand dunes, prairie grasses, yucca plants, cottonwoods and constant wind.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked since 1969.
2023-'24 ranking: 23rd.
Previous ranking: 25th.
Highest ranking: No. 13, 1999-2000.
Best in State: Ranked first since 1985. Ranked inside the top 5 since 1977.
Current ranking: First.
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Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“A classic era, historic course with excellent par 3s, varied, difficult par 4s, and deep, thick native vegetation to focus your attention on every shot. Accuracy is rewarded; a good short game a must. Will try your patience, but highly rewarding if you succeed. Courses like Prairie Dunes are not built today."
Read More2024
Review
“Excellent and challenging golf course especially when the wind blows as it did on date played. Very good variety of holes moving in both directions and up and down hill - no two holes were similar. Interesting to note all the par 3's played up hill and because of the winds club proper club selection was extremely challenging. Greens were outstanding and no two greens were the same. All had some level of contours, ridges or tiers - no flat greens - and given the windy conditions putting was interesting. Very traumatic vistas throughout the course with tall cotton wood trees bordering some the greens and fairways and the ever present rough (the "grunch") coming into play on wayward shots. Overall, this was an outstanding course offering everything you would expect a top 25 course to offer in terms of shot options, variety and challenge."
Read More2024
Review
“Natural prairie setting on a course that has generous fairways to counterbalance the ever-present winds, but with green complexes that provide a stern test but fair test. Greens are exceptionally intricate but fair. Wide-variety of interesting and unique holes. Absolutely as good as it gets."
Read More2024
Review
“Great layout plays well in the wind."
Read More2023
Review
“Firm and windy. Greens slippery fast requiring strategic and controlled incoming shots. Beautiful flow and aesthetics"
Read More2022
Review
“World class golf"
Read More2022
Review
“Tremendous character hole to hole as all 18 seem to be very different from one another. Equal challenge for accuracy off the tee, iron game precision, and short game touch. Very firm playing conditions! Easy to see some similarities between the green complexes here and at Augusta National, Bobby Jones had Maxwell rebuild the greens at Augusta National in the late 1930's and its evident at this place from what I've seen from attending the Masters several times. Really fun course to play that varies greatly based on wind affecting how easy or difficult all shots are. Design Variety suffers a bit because all par 3's are somewhat similar in the club required based on wind, slope, and run out....and the par 5's are all very reachable in 2."
Read More2022
Review
“Firm course with run out. Green complexes near perfection with lightning quick pure rolls requiring incoming shot control. Similar uphill par 3 and similar downhill par 3. Course flow is solid given the prevailing winds."
Read More2022
Review
“Prairie Dunes is everything you’ve read and heard. This Maxwell layout is one-of-a-kind, and worth seeking out for anyone passionate about golf and golf course architecture. Pictures and print don’t do this place justice. It’s a remarkable site, with constantly moving terrain, a shockingly amount of elevation changes. Perry and Press created something that is very, very rarely seen in a golf course. One that is challenging, memorable, and fun. In many cases, the greats are difficult to the point of exhaustion… but not here. This is one where most everyone cannot wait to come back."
Read More2022
Review
“Prairie Dunes is a joy to play. The course provides enough width to find different angles to attack holes, and the prevailing wind combined with the firm and fast conditions provide an interesting challenge. The greens are contoured in a subtle way, adding to the interest, and are firm yet receptive. The holes are distinct, as the course moves through different parts of the property. The contrast and "layers" provided by the native areas is another enjoyable feature, and provides a lot of visual enjoyment."
Read More2022
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