Prairie Dunes Country Club

Widely regarded as one of America’s finest courses, Prairie Dunes Country Club is a Perry Maxwell gem with nine additional holes added later by his son, Press.

Built among the sandy dunes created by a million years of winds blowing across the Arkansas River in the dry months of the year and native grasses of central Kansas, near Hutchinson, it is a course that feels more like Scotland than the Midwest.

Prairie Dunes is famed for its rolling fairways, punishing rough, and challenging greens. The par-4 8th hole, with its blind tee shot over a dune ridge, is a quintessential example of the course’s character: natural, quirky, and strategic.The photo above is of hole #2.

Host to multiple USGA championships, Prairie Dunes is celebrated worldwide for its authenticity and beauty.

I’ve only had one opportunity to photograph Prairie Dunes once, even though it is just a short three hour drive from my home.

As you can imagine the wind is almost always a factor. With the tall fescues swaying and the light painting patterns across the dunes, it’s a photographer’s dream. I’ve always felt that this course is golf’s greatest surprise — hidden away in Kansas, yet ranking among the best anywhere.