Firethorn Golf Club

Overview: Firethorn Golf Club is a private Pete Dye design in Lincoln, Nebraska, shaped as a prairie-style course across roughly 205 acres. Native rough, bentgrass fairways, groves of trees, water and Dye's characteristic angles give the 18 holes a strong strategic identity. The course plays to par 71 and 7,102 yards from the longest markers, with the closing stretch around the lake providing some of the property's most distinctive shots. The layout is not a purely open prairie course: its best holes combine natural contours with carefully framed landing areas and greens that demand a clear plan from the tee.

History: Firethorn's development began with land acquisitions in the 1970s, followed by the decision in 1982 to bring Pete Dye into the project. Construction began in 1983, with the design team choosing a prairie character built around natural contours, native rough and accuracy. Earthwork was largely completed in 1985, and the official opening took place in spring 1986; the clubhouse followed the next year. A third nine was added between 1998 and 2000, later becoming a short course, while the original Championship 18 remained the club's central layout. Firethorn also became the home course for the University of Nebraska golf teams.

Did You Know? Firethorn was the first Nebraska course to introduce bentgrass fairways to the Midlands, according to the Nebraska Golf Association. That choice, combined with bentgrass greens and native prairie vegetation, helped give the course a distinctive playing surface from its earliest years.