Third course planned for Dismal River in Nebraska

Dismal River Club in Mullen, Nebraska, is in the process of selecting a golf course architect for a third course. 

The new layout will join the White, a 2006 Jack Nicklaus design, and the Red, which was designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2013. 

The Omaha World Herald reports that “five of the top golf course architecture firms in the world” are being interviewed for the third course. The new layout will accommodate the increased membership, from 150 to 475, since the current ownership group – which includes CEO Joel Jacobs – took charge in 2017. 

That growth also prompted the appointment of KemperSports to manage the club. 

“Dismal River is an incredibly special destination in the Sandhills,” said KemperSports CEO Steve Skinner, when their management agreement was announced in January 2023. “The two courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak are very highly regarded and the club amenities are first class. We are excited to work with Joel Jacobs to carry out his vision and elevate the member and guest experience.” 

The Omaha World Herald says the new course is likely to be on Big Horseshoe Hill, which overlooks the back nine of the Doak course. 

“The issue we have today is quality control and consistency, from golf course maintenance to housekeeping to the front of the clubhouse,” said Jacobs to the Herald. “We’re just looking to make everything much more efficient. Kemper can come in and provide us resources of a size that can offset a lot of costs and essentially help us retain what we have so we can grow in the direction that we want to go.” 

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