GrayBull Initiated the 'Impeccable Equilibrium' Golf Contest in Nebraska's Sandhills
GrayBull Initiated the 'Impeccable Equilibrium' Golf Contest in Nebraska's Sandhills
In the expansive, ceaseless sand dunes of western Nebraska, David McLay Kidd - the architect who famously designed the initial golf course at Bandon Dunes - has crafted what may be his most distinct layout yet.
Kidd asserts that GrayBull, the newest venture in the Dormie Network’s national collection of exclusive private clubs, was “by a wide margin” the simplest construction his team has ever completed, nevertheless, the layout design was one of the greatest challenges. GreyBull was one of a limited number of 18-hole courses introduced in the U.S. in 2025, the majority of which were high-end, remote vacation properties.
“You're not shoving dirt around, you're not installing drainage, the primary focus for construction is the irrigation system,” McLay Kidd said regarding the course, which began accepting limited play in late 2024. “Designing the golf course, however, (was a) completely different story.
“You can head in any direction you want, and you'll discover a fantastic golf hole. The challenge lies in determining the optimal sequence of golf holes and optimal exploration of that landscape as a golfer. It's essential to move through it in a manner that makes sense for golf since you could establish 18 holes in any direction, and they'd be quite good. However, they wouldn't align well together. You're searching for that perfect balance of variety, par, distance, wind direction, all of those factors, and getting everything to fit together in a path that leads from the clubhouse and eventually returns 18 holes later.”
What McLay Kidd has accomplished at GrayBull is an astounding inland links-style layout on a vast canvas, offering angles and corridors that encourage golfers to strategize like a chess match.
Instead of blasting wedges and high-lofted irons into greens during their approach shots, Kidd is providing members and their guests with the opportunity to embrace a playing style that's more common in the U.K.
Shifting winds are a frequent issue in this stretch of the Nebraska sandhills, giving individual holes a completely different appearance and feel from one day to the next depending on wind direction and intensity.
“When golfers can experience the ground game and begin to comprehend the options it offers, it's as if you removed their blindfolds. It's an entirely new world,” Kidd remarked while standing on the back deck at GrayBull, the morning sun barely emerging over the silent sandhills beyond him. “That's true for GrayBull and all the courses in the Sandhills, but I hope GrayBull more than any other truly speaks to that.”
“There are numerous holes where attempting to reach the pin with a dart throw is not the ideal option a lot of the time. So, even for a skilled player, you're compelled to figure out, “Where should I position the ball to allow it to roll and bring me closer to the pin?” I believe that members and their guests will discover this on their initial visit. By their third or fourth round, they'll be aware of what they need to do to reach their goal. Instead of using pitching wedges, it could be little bump and run 7-irons quite often. There's a lot of subtlety.”
DORMIE NETWORK’S 7TH CLUB
GrayBull becomes the seventh club in the Dormie Network, the second in Nebraska, and the first to be developed from the ground up.
It is the most recent private golf addition in the rapidly growing Nebraska Sandhills region, which includes the Dismal River Club (with courses by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak), CapRock Ranch (Gil Hanse), and the heralded minimalist layout, Sand Hills Golf Club, from Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. Sand Hills, which opened in 1995, inspired Mike Keiser to apply a similar approach to the public recreational side of golf and create Bandon Dunes on a barren stretch of the Oregon coast.
“I understood when I got to build Bandon Dunes 30 years ago that golf is such a diverse sport that can adapt to different geographic locations and generate golf of varying themes,” said Kidd. “And for me, I've been searching that out my whole career – whether it's beside an ocean, a river in the mountains, or through a forest. The Nebraska Sandhills are this unbelievably unique, almost otherworldly thing. It's hundreds or perhaps thousands of square miles of treeless, rolling sandhills that are the remnants of sand that was blown out of the Rocky Mountains. It's 300 feet deep, and there's nothing else visible to the horizon in every direction.”
Additionally to the golf course, GrayBull features luxurious on-site lodging options.
There are 13 executive cottages and two owners' cottages, each of which features four master suites, as well as common areas for entertainment. This includes a massive man cave equipped with an indoor golf simulator, billiard table, Golden Tee video game, well-stocked bar, and more. Several of the cottages became accessible in 2024, with the remainder scheduled to be completed in early 2025 for Dormie Network members visiting Nebraska.
In the realm of up-and-coming golf destinations, certain areas have seen significant focus, as illustrated by 2024's events in various southern states. These included Kinsale, Soleta, and Apogee's West Course in Florida, Broomsedge and Crossroads 9 at Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina, The Fall Line and Richland at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Georgia, and Childress Hall and Darmor in Texas.
Established golf resorts also saw improvements: Shorty's at Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst No. 10 in North Carolina, and Sedge Valley at Sand Valley in Wisconsin.
However, when discussing remote premieres, it's hard to find a more secluded debut than Nebraska Sandhills. McLay Kidd was particularly eager to follow in the footsteps of his peers in the region, eventually creating what might be his most distinctive work yet, thereby bolstering the Dormie Network's impressive roster of member clubs.
As Kidd put it, "The crème de la crème have graced these grounds, and I aspire to be part of that exclusive club. Adding GrayBull to the esteemed collection of courses in the Sandhills is a remarkable achievement, and I hope it can compete on equal footing with the outstanding courses nearby that are all remarkable."
- David McLay Kidd, the architect behind Bandon Dunes' initial course, has joined forces with the Dormie Network to create GrayBull, their seventh club and their first to be developed from the ground up in Nebraska.
- GrayBull, a new addition to the Nebraska Sandhills region, is now part of the exclusive private clubs within the Dormie Network.
- The Dormie Network's GrayBull features luxurious on-site lodging options, with 13 executive cottages and two owners' cottages, each equipped with master suites and entertainment areas, including an indoor golf simulator.
- GrayBull's golf course, designed by David McLay Kidd, is a testament to the Nebraska Sandhills region, offering an inland links-style layout that encourages strategic play.
- GrayBull, located in the Nebraska Sandhills, is one of the most secluded premieres in the up-and-coming golf destinations, following in the footsteps of other renowned courses designed by architects in the area such as Jack Nicklaus, Tom Doak, Gil Hanse, and Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.