New World-Class Golf Destination, The Prairie Club, Begins to take Reservations for Tee Times, Lodging

Imagine if you will, being among the very first to walk onto a new golf course that one of the nation's top golf magazines has already deemed "the next frontier in golfing" and taking a very deeply satisfying divot as you watch your golf ball cut through a crisp, blue sky as big and as wide as the eye can see. Well, look no further than The Prairie Club (http://www.theprairieclub.com ), a new, world-class, semi-private golf destination that will make its debut on May 31, 2010.

In anticipation of its May opening, The Prairie Club has begun to take reservations for the coming golf season at 888-402-1101. As The Prairie Club is a semi-private destination club, reservations for golf and lodging are now available for the first 60 days of the 2010 season. The Prairie Club was recently noted by GolfWeek magazine as "the next frontier in golfing" and by Links magazine as among the top new courses in the world for 2010.

Located near Valentine, Neb., in the heart of the Sandhills, a region about the size of Scotland that is known for its distinctive sand dunes topography, The Prairie Club will offer two, championship 18-hole golf courses and a 10-hole, par 3 golf course. The Prairie Club is situated on 1,260 acres, along the Snake River Canyon and is located within a day's drive from Denver, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines and Chicago.

Each day throughout the 2010 season, The Prairie Club will designate one of its 18-hole courses for avid golfers from the general public. Founding members will have priority access to all three courses, including a members-only course that will be designated each day during the season. In addition, founding members will receive priority reservations and discounts for lodging accommodations; discounted guest golf fees; and reduced membership fees in future clubs developed by the club's parent company, Destination Golf Ventures.

The Prairie Club's golf courses are anchored by The Prairie Club Lodge, which will offer authentic and relaxed dining and lodging accommodations. The Lodge is a 40,000-square-foot facility available to both members and avid golfers. It will feature 31 rooms, a gourmet restaurant, two bars, a library, a 20-person conference room, covered and outdoor patios, merchandise store and golf shop. In addition to the Lodge, The Prairie also will offer a four-room cabin located on the rim of the Snake River Canyon. Complementing the Lodge is an expansive practice facility, which will allow members and avid golfers to hone every aspect of their game.

The seed for the semi-private golf club was planted seven years ago when Paul Schock, an avid golfer and businessman from Sioux Falls, S.D., met Cleve Trimble, a Cherry County landowner, who had a vision of bringing world-class golf, accessible to the public, to north central Nebraska. Development began in earnest when Schock purchased land from Trimble three years later with the intent of developing a golf destination to take advantage of the breathtaking terrain of Nebraska's Sandhills region, an area the size of Scotland, which is known for its striking sand dunes landscape and as well as the world-famous annual migration route of the sandhill crane.

The Dunes Course is an 18-hole championship golf course designed by former Ryder Cup captain and golf course architect Tom Lehman, and golf course architect Chris Brands. Its' six sets of tees stretch from 5,842 to 8,073 yards, and its wide sweeping fairways (150 yards wide in many areas) are specifically designed to increase the playability of the course. Marked by dramatic elevation changes, endless views of the Sandhills in all directions, and immense blow-out bunkers, a player will face this wind-torn land and massive rolling seascape of prairie grass, searching for a bright, calm slick of green fairway. With a tip of the hat to natural, minimalistic links-style golf courses of Scotland and Ireland, the Dunes Course is a purely American prairie-links style experience that golfers of all stripes will find challenging.

The Pines Course, the other 18-hole championship golf course, takes advantage of the remnants of a nearby, ancient ponderosa forest situated along the banks of the Snake River Canyon. The course was designed by Graham Marsh, an internationally renowned touring golf professional, who also is recognized for his 25 years of worldwide golf course design experience. The Pines Course features five sets of tees ranging from 5,329 to 7,528 yards. The prevailing prairie winds are somewhat blocked by the western wall of the canyon and the trees, making the warming sun and the canyon views stunningly beautiful, creating a silent reverie for the golfer.

Uniquely set apart from the two championship 18 hole golf courses is the wickedly fun Horse Course. This 10 hole par 3 course takes the game of basketball's "h-o-r-s-e" to a new level. With no tee boxes, the player with the honors calls the spot from which you tee up your next shot. Set right on the rim of the Snake River Canyon, this golf course plays from 485 to 1,125 yards, depending upon where a player decides to call the tee shot, as the traditional game of "h-o-r-s-e" dictates. Designed by renowned golf course architect Gil Hanse, along with his partners Geoff Shackelford and Jim Wagner, the Horse Course is the perfect complement to the putting green complex named The Himalayas.

Founding Membership Passes 170

While The Prairie Club will not open for several months, it has already has attracted more than 170 founding members who are attracted to the unique golfing experience that the club intends to offer, as well as its unconventional commitment to avid golfers worldwide.

Only 200 Founding Memberships are available to those who join the club prior to May 31, 2010. Founding membership deposits begin at $15,000. The club will continue to sell memberships at an increased rate to be set after the first 200 founding memberships have been claimed with the goal of attracting up to 1,000 total members over time, according to Tyler Swedberg.

"Our membership philosophy is best summed up as: if you want to play The Prairie Club, you can; if you want to play regularly, become a member," said Swedberg. "It's a philosophy that allows The Prairie Club to offer a taste of the Club's world-class golfing experience to avid golfers while at the same time, creating a special atmosphere for its members through priority lodging reservations and tee times."

In addition to world-class golf, The Prairie Club also will assist its members and guests in accessing some of America's best outdoor recreational opportunities that are available in the Sandhills region of Nebraska. These include blue-ribbon trout fishing on the nearby Snake River; upland bird, turkey and big game (deer, elk, antelope) hunting; walleye, bass and muskie fishing on the nearby Merritt Reservoir; canoeing and kayaking on the Niobrara River, named one of the best paddling rivers in America by Backpacker magazine; bird watching, including the annual migrations of the sandhill crane.