Sand Creek Station Golf Club, Kansas
Admiring my tee shot on the par three 17th at Sand Creek Station Golf Club in Newton, Kansas.
Every winter, I spend several weeks in Arizona to escape the blistering Minnesota cold. It is conducive to my family’s remote work schedules, and it is a great opportunity to spend with family members who live there half the year. All in all, a terrific experience every time. Being that my wife and I are now in parent mode, we understand it is difficult to spend that kind of time in the southwest with a little one who is adjusted to all that life entails back in Minnesota. The easy solution? I drive all our child’s things down and it is one less variable to manage.
I have made note of this on several occasions in this blog, but I love road trips. To me, two days in the car on a 1600-mile journey by myself is profoundly relaxing. I throw on a podcast, sip on some coffee, and enjoy the peace and quiet. What might be boring to someone else is my ability to recharge.
Obviously, I bring my golf clubs with me. I typically play one round a day on the trek down, oftentimes in a new state as it furthers the quest to play in all 50. So, when the opportunity arose to play in Kansas on this year’s trip, I leaped at the opportunity.
To my surprise, many golf courses in Kansas remain open through the winter (weather pending, of course). The day before I left, several tracks in the Wichita area had open tee times in the late morning. I hopped in the car early in the morning and sped off on my journey. I arrived around lunchtime at Sand Creek Station Golf Club in Newton, Kansas. The reason I picked Sand Creek Station is because my sister-in-law, who has played in several collegiate tournaments at the site, and my father-in-law recommended the 2006 design. Sand Creek Station is currently ranked the fourth-best public course in the state by GolfWeek and 12th overall in the Sunflower State by Top100GolfCourses.com. In 2014, SCS held the final rendition of the United States Public Links Championship. It also played host to the men’s and women’s Summit League Golf Championships from 2016 to 2022. Sand Creek’s course architect, Jeff Brauer, has built quite a resume in the Midwest. Among his other notable designs are the Legend and Quarry courses at Giants Ridge in Minnesota, two tremendous layouts; Champions Run in Nebraska; and Colbert Hills in Manhattan, Kansas, about 100 miles northeast of Newton.
I am not sure what I expected, but Sand Creek Station was in impeccable condition for a late January round. There was very little winter kill, the colors were only a bit off, and the turf was in solid shape. The course was a tremendous value for what I paid, just north of 30 dollars. I am convinced Sand Creek Station would command three times the greens fee if it were in Newton, Massachusetts, or Newton, New Jersey.
The train theme is quirky, but I like it. If you birdie the par five 10th hole, Sand Creek Station will give you a shirt that reads: “I conquered the beast”. I sighed as my birdie putt slipped three feet by the hole. I rammed home the comebacker for par. Side note: this round was the first with my brand-new Kirkland putter, and it was love at first putt. Aside from being the proclaimed longest golf hole in the state of Kansas, the 648-yard 10thhas two long water hazards that play the entire length, first on the left and then on the right. Another favorite hole of mine is the fourth, simply because of its funky, sweeping undulations. It’s a thrill to watch your golf ball bounce around the complex during your approach; it is at least twice the size of a typical Sand Creek Station green. The next hole is fun, too, as you can see the railroad tracks to your right. The ninth is a demanding short par four with a tough second shot in due to the two bunkers short and the perched green. It’s a pretty view though, with the tree skyline forming a wonderful parkland backdrop.
After the signature 10th, there are a few more solid offerings on the latter half. 14 is an unheralded par four that—between the hefty number of bunkers and yucca-filled scenery—might make you think you’re hitting your approach into a hole at Prairie Dunes. That’s the highest compliment I can give, that Sand Creek Station at its best reminds you of a hole at the world-class golf course 30 miles to the west. 17 is a fun little par three with a dangerous bunker in front leading to a horseshoe-shaped green. I am partial to this hole simply because I hit my best shot of the day, one that landed and stayed a foot from the pin.
I might be in the minority here, but I could not stand the par five second hole. Without having played it before, I striped a tee shot down the right side of the fairway. I figured I might have a go at the green from where my ball landed, but there was a massive tree in the way. It’s not that I’m upset the shot was obscured, I just wish I would have known beforehand. I would have aimed further left. SCS’ layout is mostly solid, but there are a few head-scratching shots.
Kansas public golf is unheralded. Buffalo Dunes, Firekeeper, Colbert Hills, and Sand Creek Station are the top four in some order, it seems. I’d be interested to know from Kansas readers which one of these I should stop at on this winter’s drive down to Arizona. I sure am glad I made Sand Creek Station the first course I played in the Sunflower State. It is way too good of a value to pass up, the staff is friendly, and the train concept is unique. Don’t go off the rails; stop at Sand Creek Station.
(Please note that there won’t be a blog post in two weeks, as we’re gearing up for the launch of my mystery novel, Losing Lee, on September 26th. Join us at the launch! Event details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/176972755414482/. Rest assured, the next golf post will be scheduled for October 11th.)