Toughest hole saved for
the end at Tara Hills

The holes at Tara Hills Golf Course are perfectly set to emphasize straightness off the tee and acuteness around the greens.

From the first hole to the last, long drives are rarely needed. If someone offers you a chance to shorten and straighten your tee shots, take them up on it for this public course.

The signature hole, No. 18, comprises a lot of issues that make this a challenging golf course, even though it tops out short of 6,200 yards.

At first play, the hole might seem trivial, even unfair. The tee shot requires some shaping or a straight-line shot played a little left of center. The slope of the fairway might run your ball to a perfect spot on the fairway, just before the (mostly dry) waterway.

Then again, it might bounce you into the rough.

The three bunkers surrounding the green are legit distractions, and the tiered green puts all-the-more emphasis on being direct with your approach.

The greens are fast and sometimes take a second look to get a good read on the line.

If 6,200 yards isn’t long enough for you, then just stay away. But you’ll be missing out on a mature course that doesn’t need all the whistles to make you want to rise up to the occasion.

A closer look
The best is saved for last at Tara Hills, with No. 18, a 373-yard par 4, the hardest hole on the course.

If you’re of average length, you need to shorten up your tee shot. Fairway woods work best, then
start praying for a kind roll. The landing zone slopes downward and to the left, and if you lay up
short, the approach to the two-tiered green is awfully demanding.

Tight tee shots add character to other holes, as well. No. 1 seems fairly short, but drift one way or the other of the tee and this hole will take longer than it should.

Many of the holes make you navigate around fairway sand traps, keeping you honest on the tee box. That holds true for No. 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 on the front side.

No. 4 is a reachable par 5, measuring 465 yards from the whites. But the little waterway offers some protection to the green and asks for a simple but firm decision: lay up or go at it.

No. 6 is a great golf hole. The dogleg carries you to the left and plays downhill all the way to the green, making that second shot a peculiar one. Two fairway bunkers and a large greenside one boost this hole’s attitude.

No. 7 gives you plenty of room to shorten the hole by driving over trees guarding the fairway that lays below your feet. On No. 8, you tee off downhill, then hit back up to a tight two-tiered green. It’ s imperative to land the ball in the center of the green on most holes, given the screamingly fast speed of the greens.

On the back side, No. 11 beckons to be played with an iron or short wood off the tee. Trees cut into the landing area, severely narrowing the fairway and widening the chance for mistakes.

For some reason, No. 14 stands out as a favorite. It’s a slight dogleg right to left with a narrow waterway cutting through near the landing area for your tee shot. It’s a simple hole, really, but it can be played successfully a variety of ways.

No. 17 is a great hole for long drivers, especially if the wind is at your back or out of the north. The tee box sits well above the rest of the golf course, giving you a great view, including a line of sight on the two bunkers on the right side of the fairway.

Some greens are large, while others are long and narrow. Once you get near the green, the work is barely half over.

Reader Feedback
1. Completely underrated as a course. Fun greens, tons of variety, not too long, but respectable. Among the best in Omaha for sure.
Frank <Aug. 21/7:08 p.m.>