Best Golf Courses Near Kearney, NE

Kearney, Nebraska, a lively university town in the south-central part of the state, boasts very good golf that should satisfy anyone looking for tee times. Awarii Dunes Golf Club is a Sandhills gem that flows naturally over endless grassy dunes–it’s most reminiscent of an Irish links. Awarii Dunes is in the conversation for top public course in Nebraska, as is Wild Horse Golf Course, which is 70 miles from Kearney but worth the drive. Wild Horse, called “the public Sand Hills,” provides a stern challenge with its prolific bunkering and rollicking greens. At Kearney’s muni, Meadowlark Hills Golf Course, water hazards and bunkers add bite to a layout that is a scenic treat on bluffs in the Platte River Valley. Buffalo Ridge Golf Course and the executive-style Elks Country Golf Course are both 9-hole options suitable for beginning players. Kearney should also keep you busy after golf. The University of Nebraska at Kearney is among the winningest Division II college football programs. UNK has a party school reputation that enlivens the city’s downtown core known as “The Bricks.” You’ll find lots going on day and night. For tourist attractions, the Archway museum right on I-80 showcases the town’s history as an overland trail spot in the pioneering days of the 1800s and also its place on the historic Lincoln Highway (US Route 30). The Classic Collection is a large antique car museum. Every spring Kearney is also a prime birdwatching destination when sandhill cranes flock to town on their annual migration route.