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Courtesy of Lost Rail Golf Club
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Courtesy of Lost Rail Golf Club
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Courtesy of Lost Rail Golf Club
Lost Rail Golf Club
Gretna, NE • Private
Lost Rail Golf Club
23232 Cary St
Gretna, NE 68028-4292
United States
Overview
Building Lost Rail, just southwest of Omaha, was something of a homecoming for Scottsdale-based architect Scott Hoffman, who grew up in the city and went to school at Creighton. The key to the design, named after an abandoned trainline that ran through the northeast corner of the property, was decoding the routing for this relatively small parcel of land, around 150 acres, or just large enough for 18 holes, a practice facility, clubhouse, parking and maintenance. The matter was complicated by the deep, wooded ravines that cut through the site and further limited the areas where holes could be placed. It was an exercise perfectly suited to Hoffman’s skills, who specialized in laying out the holes on numerous Tom Fazio projects across the western U.S. throughout the early 2000s. The ravines serve as both strategic and penal hazards, flanking and bisecting holes and creating dramatic, intimidating scenery.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
Second 100 Greatest: Debut appearance.
2025-'26 ranking: 184th.
Best in State: Debut appearance.
2025-'26 ranking: 4th.
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
“Lost Rail is now the second wonderful course in Omaha, with Omaha CC being the other. It is a brawny course set many miles west of downtown. Starting with a good par 5 and then three very strong par 4's, the player knows he's in for a challenge. Distance off the tee is essential as there are several places on the course where a strong drive can get the player to a position where he's reached the apex of a fairway and has gained some yards on the "roll." Otherwise, a short wedge shot remains. The par 3's are all excellent, especially the 8th and 14th. The Greens have some slope to them but nothing crazy, just challenging. As a new course it lacks mature trees but that's okay. The course is there in front of you. You just have to be precise with your shots. Interestingly, the course has "sold out" in Omaha and only is accepting national memberships."
Read More2025
Review
“Hoffman's routing here on this small parcel of land is compact and utilizes the land properly."
Read More2025
Review
“Impressive golf course that is packed into only 150 acres. Not particularly long at 7000 yards from the back tees but the elevation (forget the notion that Nebraska is flat) and wind more than add enough distance where you might think you are staring at a relatively short hole. On the flipside for instance, the opening hole is a 588 Par-5 but if you catch the massive downslope off the tee, you could be looking at a 7-iron approach. Miss it and there is no way to get home. Lightning-fast greens with multiple levels and numerous undulations protect even the shortest holes. Plenty of birdie opportunities - especially 7 - 11. These are your best chances to go low. Two short iron approaches on 7 and 9, the drivable Par-4 10th and the reachable in two Par-5 11th. Really good work from first time designer, Scott Hoffman."
Read More2024
Review
“Another terrific Nebraska course. Not a Golf Digest Top 25 but certainly merits consideration in the 50 to 100 range and probably at least 75. A lot of thought went into every aspect of this design. The only thing perhaps lacking is a super tough par 5, but it's got everything else. Starts out 5-4-4-4, all strong holes with lots of shot options and all quite long. Then 5 is a longish downhill par 3 over an old railroad trestle. Surrounded by bunkers the one shot option is hit it on the green or hit a nice bunker shot. Six is a longish par 4 well bunkered and a very difficult green. Holes 7-10 comprise a memorable run of short holes that can be birdie or double. In a beautiful wooded setting along an old railroad track. Holes 11-15 take you back up on high ground and long views of valleys and ridges. Some really good par fours and a tricky short par 5 and a mid length well bunkered par 3 built in a hillside followed by an outstanding cape hole par 4 that finishes by the clubhouse and a large flagpole. But it's not the finish. Somewhat like Prestwick in Scotland, you don't go in for a pint, you head back out behind the clubhouse and finish 3-4-5, the fiendish short par three being all or nothing, hit the small green and maybe make 2 or 3 and miss and it's 4-6. Seventeen is a long visually deceptive par 4 with some aiming bunkers and stands of trees with a green perched up on a distant hill with green sloping severely left and greenside bunkers left to catch the putts and chips hit too firmly on the downslope. Finish with a par 5 that can be reached in two but sits in a valley leading back up to the clubhouse with some lovely vegetation on both sides and you have a memorable string of 3 finishing holes to match the string from 7-10. Excellent conditioning, lots of sets of tees for all classes of golfers, not too many forced carries from the appropriate tees, lovely vistas, and lots of fun."
Read More2024
Review
“Solid course with amazing green complexes. I loved the wide fairways with the addition of some scary fairway bunkering. Thought it was strange that more than half of the holes had approach shots that required hitting over ravine or chasm. It seemed somewhat repetitive. The 16th is one of the more beautiful par 3's you could ever play. The course could have been better without two back to back short par 4's that seemed "mickey mouse" to me."
Read More2024
Review
“WONDERFUI DESIGN ON A RELATIVELY SMALL, HILLY AND DIFFICULT SITE. GREAT VARIETY OF SHOT REQUIREMENTS TEE TO GREEN AS WELL AS ON AND AROUND THE GREENS. GENEROUS WIDTH ALLOWS FOR NEBRASKA WIND. BEAUTIFULLY DONE."
Read More2024
Review
“Amazing design variety with such varied green sizes, shapes and angles. Top 70 of the 1600 courses I have played ! So many holes required you to place your tee shot on the correct side of the fairway. Fabulous golf course!"
Read More2024
Review
“Beautiful aesthetics hole to hole w/ the bunkering and use of dramatic landsite as well as views for miles and miles from the 1st, 2nd, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th, and 17th holes. Designer Scott Hoffman provides great options for tee shots, approaches, as well as little shots around the greens throughout the round. Green complexes provide a lot of variety and challenge hole to hole. Several memorable holes from the opening par 5 first hole, the dramatic par 3 fifth hole that plays over a creek and abandoned rail line(lost rail), the short par 4 seventh hole w/ the double green, the boomerang par 4 fifteenth hole, and the short par 3 sixteenth hole that provides the most dramatic view of the day."
Read More2024
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