New Course Slated for 2015 Opening in Northeast Nebraska


Golf course architect Paul Albanese is putting the finishing touches on a new 18-hole course near the town of Niobrara in northeast Nebraska. The course, named Tatanka Golf Club after a Lakota word for buffalo, will be part of the Ohiya Casino Resort owned and operated the Santee Sioux Nation.

The site features rolling hills and ridges with views that stretch for more than 30 miles. Slated to open in 2015, the course was recently completely seeded. "This is easily one of the nicest pieces of property I have ever been involved with, and it has been incredibly interesting," said Albanese, a principal in the Plymouth, Mich.-based Albanese & Lutzke firm.

Ron Whitten, architecture editor for Golf Digest, included the course among the magazine's "sneak peaks" of Best New Courses in 2014. He described it as "Nebraska's Sandhills with trees."

During construction, Albanese researched the history and culture of the Sioux Nation in order to incorporate tribal lore into the design. His team would discuss ideas presented by the tribe before creating a fairway, green or bunker. "We took the history and the culture of the area and the Sioux Nation, and used it as a design inspiration in a subtle and respectful way.

"We looked at the land forms and designed something that might reflect local stories. For instance, how a certain mountain looked and got its name would be the kind of thing we tried to incorporate. I remember a story about a medicine woman we used as inspiration."

In his research Albanese found the Sioux have a great respect for nature. "I knew then we had to blend the golf course into the natural surroundings," he said. "In beginning our process, myself, shapers, construction people, we all learned the stories. Some of the bunkers, though they may not literally look like something from a story, they were made with that story in mind. We looked at the clouds. We looked at the rocks, trees, all the natural surroundings and made the golf course fit there as if it belonged.

"One hole, inspired by a spiritual story, has a 'spirit' bunker shaped after thinking about the story. It's all very subtle, but (important) I feel to those who live there."

In some fenced-in spaces close to the course golfers will spot buffalo roaming. "You can actually hit a tee shot and have buffalo 20 feet from you," Albanese said. "We were very careful on where and how we routed the golf holes close to the buffalo, but we felt it was important to have them within the course to be true to the culture of the area."

The resort decided adding a golf course at the casino-resort would give visitors another reason to extend their stay. Albanese expects there will be an economic impact in jobs and increased tourism. "This is a template used by other Native American tribes with casinos," he noted. "They use the golf to create a destination resort, more of a weekend trip instead of a simple visit to the casino. Take a break from gaming, and play golf, that kind of thing."

Each hole is named by a different story in the Sioux culture, something Albanese believes he does with any client. "We try to get into all the stories and backgrounds that reflect the owners of the courses we design and build. Then we try to reflect those in the design."

Ohiya Casino Resort was the first casino in Nebraska when it opened 17 years ago. It serves as a destination for visitors from across in northeast Nebraska, southwest Minnesota, southeast South Dakota, and northwest Iowa. For more information, visit www.ohiyacasino.com.