Best Golf Courses Near Valentine, NE

Valentine, a remote small town in north-central Nebraska’s Sandhills region, has long been known as an outdoor adventure lover’s paradise. The scenic, waterfall-laden Niobrara River is popular for camping, fly fishing, kayaking, canoeing, tubing and tanking—floating on large plastic tanks. With the opening of the 46-hole Prairie Club resort in 2010, Valentine has become a nationally renowned golf destination. Tom Lehman’s Dunes Course is an ode to the Sandhills’ grass-covered dunes featuring gargantuan fairways on up-and-down terrain, naturalistic bunkers and oversized greens. Graham Marsh’s Pines Course approaches a canyon rim and moves between grasslands and wooded areas. Gil Hanse’s 10-hole Horse Course is a more casual par 3 layout with free-form teeing areas. Each course is challenging. Valentine is also home to Frederick Peak Golf Course, a 10-hole, par-39 layout that Golf Advisor rated the #1 course in Nebraska in 2021. If you have any energy left after golf, floating on the Niobrara is an excellent way to relax. Fort Niobrara River National Wildlife Refuge provides river access and the excitement of herds of bison and elk. Niobrara Valley Winery offers tastings in an “ocean of grass.” Main Street in Downtown Valentine presents an array of small shops, galleries and restaurants. The post office is popular, too, for a Valentine postmark. Many people across the country receive a special Valentine postmark the easy way—through a special re-mailing program.