The 2020 Early Break Golf Tour kicked off over the weekend, and what better way to start than with a trip to Beemer, Nebraska to play scenic Indian Trails Country Club! I’ve had the privilege of playing Indian Trails a handful of times in my life, and the scenery and elevation blows me away every time.

When you get to the parking lot at the course, you are stunned by how far you can see into the distance to the north. The clubhouse sits on a bluff of the Elkhorn River, and everything feeds down toward the river. Only holes 1, 2 and 10 are on the upper level. Hole 1 is a par 5, and if you hit it left, you’re going to go a long way down, as the hole feeds down into the valley. If you keep it in the fairway, you’ll have a good chance at birdie, depending on the wind. Hole 2 is a challenging par 3 that plays 208 yards from the tips, but it feels longer than that—it played straight into the wind when I played. The green all feeds toward the front, and if you hit over the back on your tee shot, you’re in a world of hurt.

Hole 3 is a gorgeous downhill par 5 that feeds to the right from your teeshot, where you also drop (what feels like) a few hundred feet in elevation to the fairway. Hole 5 goes right by the road that leads you up from the village of Beemer to the golf course, and if you have any sort of fade or slice, you’re heading out of bounds. Keep it in play to the right and you should be able to walk away with a par.

Holes 6 and 7 are short par 4s that long-hitters can drive depending on where the wind is at–but you can also go out of bounds on 6 if you go right. A bunker to the front left of the green creates issues for long-bombers. Hole 7 is a straight-forward par 4 that if you’re feeling errant at all with your driver, you should take whatever you trust to get in the fairway and get your birdie or par (only 310 yards from tips).

Hole 8 is a brutal par 3 that is 220 from the tips and 160 from the tees up from the tips–it actually plays as a par 4 for women, as their tee box is just behind the tips. Hole 9 is a boomerang hole that goes almost 90 degrees to the left. Hit a long iron or hybrid on your teeshot and you’ll have a chance to score. However, the two-tiered green causes lots of problems for golfers, especially when the summer temps get high and the greens get even faster than they are in the spring. What feels like a birdie hole can often become a 3-putt bogey.

After you’ve rode the cart back up the big hill to the clubhouse (if you walk the hill, your legs will be burning), you’ll head to hole 10. It’s a par 4 with OB left for the driving range—and make sure not to hit your 2nd shot long, or you’ll end up in a cemetery!

Then comes one of the absolute coolest holes in the state. Hole 11 again drops hundreds of feet downhill, going back to the Elkhorn River. Your teeshot will hang in the air for what feels like forever, and it’s so fun to see how far it goes with the help of elevation. If you avoid the greenside bunker, you can get a birdie on this hole. Par is a good score. Hole 12 is a challenging dogleg right–for someone who draws the ball right to left like me, it’s difficult.

Holes 13 and 14 are the 3rd and 5th hardest handicap holes respectfully on the course per the scorecard, despite being par 4s that are less than 400 yards from the tips. 13 is a straightaway par 4, but has a difficult green that has so many bending putts. 14 goes straight up the hill and is a little intimidating on the tee shot, going through a tight opening on your drive.  Most shots will feed left to right on the hole with the landscape.

Hole 15 is a short but good-looking par 3, playing between 125-135 for all tees. You’ll have to carry a pond on your tee shot and avoid the bunker on the front right of the green. But,