Forget about same game plan
every time through Highlands

Set atop some of the highest grounds in Lincoln, aptly named Highlands Golf Course could just as well be called High-winds.

But as the winds change their course and strength, the rules of how to play Lincoln’s public course change, for better and for worse.

To make matters worse (or more challenging, however you prefer) you’ll hit into seven of the eight possible directions just on the front nine.

This is typical for links-style courses, leaving Highlands with an atypical round of golf in Lincoln.

Sloping hills, some prairie grass and nearly 50 bunkers mean ball placement is key. Still the fairways are wide enough should you not handle the wind precisely.

From the back tees, Highlands Golf Club stretches out to a monstrous 7,200 yards. You’re better off tipping your cap as you go by the gold tees and try the silver or blue tee areas, cutting down distance by 500 yards each time.

For more on how this course plays, check out how some of the state’s best young golfers did at the Class A State Golf Tournament in May. The two-day event brought high winds for both days, but the golfers still managed great rounds, including a final round 66 by the champion.

For a bit of a British Open feel without the narrow landing areas and near impossible rough, take your game to the Highlands.

A closer look
The high winds attracted to Highlands Golf Club are most noticeable on the par fives. Some days you’ll take driver-three wood-short iron while other days require driver-long iron.

That means use strategy on the first hole, a par 5. Standing on the tee box at No. 2 gives you a clear view of the risk/reward scenarios, and it might hit you then that these greens are some of largest you’ll play on, and some of the most severe.

No. 5 takes a break from the traditional links-style play, but challenges you all the more. It’s the perfect place to play a draw down the fairway, but the golfers who lack that shot must correctly estimate the distance and line of attack to reach the fairway. There isn’t much work left after that.

No. 6 is a long, tight par five that can set you back if you can’t keep the ball in the fairway. The rough is not long or always filled in, meaning most shots are findable but hard to pick out cleanly on the next swing.

No. 7 features the largest sand trap in the state, according to one source, which requires attention because the hole doesn’t demand much length.

No. 9 is the first hole that features water, and it’s a terrific challenge. The choice is yours: play the ball short and to the right and leave yourself a longer second shot, or throw caution into the wind (pun intended) and steer directly over the water. The further back you play, the more noticeable the water.

The back nine is just as tough, but doesn’t have as many sand traps. No. 11 is a par five with a green tucked behind trees. You probably won’t notice the green until your second or even third shot, but at 500-plus yards, you won’t need to.

No. 14 is an extraordinarily long par 3, measuring 240 yards from the back tee.

A lot can happen on No. 17, the longest par five on the course. A safe tee shot still leaves you with a blind second, and with the bunker guarding the front right and heavier rough close by on the left, it’s imperative not to get greedy.

The final hole requires a lock picker’s touch. There isn’t any room for error between the overhanging tree on the left side and the large lake (same water as No. 9) on the right. Again, a draw works best, but the fairway really narrows in the landing area, requiring you to pull off some great shots to finish your round.