The Huskers aren’t the only ones after O’Leary, listed last year at 6-4 and 215 pounds. And they probably aren’t high on his list. One recruiting site has O’Leary with 12 offers. His grandfather went to hometown Ohio State and his father played football at Georgia.
After returning from a week in China, Nicklaus said he hadn’t heard the news that NU was officially accepted into the Big Ten Conference. He said while he knows Tom Osborne, he’s never attended a game at Memorial Stadium. But he’s dotted the “i” with the Buckeye marching band in Ohio Stadium.
— Stu Pospisil
MULLEN, Neb. — Dismal River Club brings out three sides of Jack Nicklaus.
As a golf architect, the Golden Bear has everything nearly the way he wants it on the private course 20 miles southwest of Mullen.
As one of the club’s new owners, he’s trying to sell the course to prospective members and re-sell it to those who were turned off by their first experience.
As a golfer, the 70-year-old legend fashioned a 4-under-par 68 this week, the first time he’d touched his clubs in about three weeks.
“I’ve shot my age or better only a half-dozen times in my life,’’ Nicklaus said this week, sitting at a table at “Jack’s Shack” overlooking Dismal River’s 18th hole. “And I did it with ease today. I didn’t even putt well. So this golf course can’t be too difficult anymore. I promise you, I can play a pretty easy golf course and not shoot 68.
“The golf course is so spectacular visually, it will change so much with wind and weather conditions. It’s so fun to play. It looks intimidating, but it’s user-friendly.’’
When Nicklaus and Chris Cochran of Nicklaus Design laid out the course, which opened four years ago, they chose not to move any dirt. That included the areas for the greens.
“The greens were planted on the terrain and the contours that were there, and the greens were difficult,’’ Nicklaus said. “I figured somebody who came from Omaha, Denver, Minneapolis, wherever, didn’t want to play the same golf course they had at home if they were coming from that distance.
“Why in the world wouldn’t you want to play something different? So I left it unique. Evidently, a lot of people came and got turned off by the greens. OK, they’re the ones actually paying the freight.’’
A few modifications were made soon after the course’s opening. Many more came in the past year after a return visit by Nicklaus, who counts Dismal River as his 250th “signature” course. Some “huge humps” were removed from the greens, he said, to improve playability while keeping the flavor of the land. Drainage issues on two holes have been remedied.
About $250,000 in turf work was done last summer. The course has a new superintendent, Jagger Mandrell from Teton Pines in Wyoming.
Still to come are changes to the 13th and 18th holes. The par-4 13th will have a new fairway and green open soon to the left of the existing hole.
The 18th is getting a new green because Nicklaus wants more golfers to experience the hole from a pair of elevated tees, the back one some 50 feet into a sand dune. He and Cochran spent nearly a half-hour discussing how to best relocate the green to incorporate the existing bunkers. The hole will remain a par 5.
“You have a situation here so unique, and to bring people here to see it and enjoy it, I have to bend a little from my standpoint to make that happen,’’ Nicklaus said. “That’s what I did and that’s fine, because I think we did a better job now. I wish we had done it the first time.’’
Nicklaus is part of the club’s third set of owners. Richard and Chris Johnston of Jackson Hole, Wyo., purchased the club last winter. Also in the ownership group is former LPGA Commissioner Charlie Meacham, a mutual friend of the Johnstons and Nicklaus.
The new owners brought in Greg Dennis, who had been Teton Pines’ teaching professional, to be the club’s PGA professional.
There has been talk of a second course, with Tom Watson mentioning in a press conference at the British Open last year that he has done a routing plan. Watson has been to Dismal River several times.
Nicklaus also has a routing plan. Each is the result of dealings with previous owners. Nicklaus said it’s very premature to consider 18 more holes.
“First of all, we have to get one course financially successful before we start talking about the second course,’’ Nicklaus said. “We have to get this one standing on its own two feet and do the right thing.’’
To that end, he said, Dismal River needs exposure.
“One guy today came in from Denver, who said he was about a 7 handicap, and shot 74 the first time he saw the course,’’ Nicklaus said. “It’s fun to see people enjoy your course while being able to maintain the flavor of the Sand Hills.’’
Contact the writer:
444-1041, stu.pospisil@owh.com
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