Golf in Bellevue

The fairways on Table Creek Golf Course's 18 holes bound across the rolling hills of southeast Nebraska for a challenging 6,253-yard pin-hunting exhibition. A relatively short course even when played from the tips, the truncated layout has slick, bent--grass greens, deceptive elevation changes, and flagsticks that covertly shift as players approach the greens. Rippling waters pool and flow throughout the picturesque par 71 course, adding a sense of tranquility and threatening to absorb ill-struck shots. To augment their birdie-garnering form, clubbers can fine-tune their swing at the driving range, recruit the latest course fashions at the pro shop, or learn to cut tender steaks using a divot tool at the cozy clubhouse.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course

• Bent-grass greens

• Length of 6,253 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 71.3 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 122 from the farthest tees

• Three tee options

Perched atop hills that overlook the Platte and Missouri River valleys, Bay Hills Golf Club’s 18-hole course arches across 6,411 yards of undulating, tree-lined fairways. As carts crest the verdant banks, golfers can pause to take in views of the surrounding tree lines, which harbor wildlife such as deer, turkey, fox, and feral ball washers. An expansive driving range, putting green, and chipping area act as the diminutive sidekick to the par 72 course. The staff of PGA professionals roams the club's full-service pro shop, shoring up swings with individual and group lessons and mending clubs with repair services. To keep swing-weary muscles well nourished, Bay Hills Grill serves up a menu of savory, greenside fare.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,411 yards from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole

Picturesque prairie vistas welcome visitors to Elkhorn Valley Golf Club, which challenges golfers with a par-70 course designed by Duane Mines. Carts voyage past verdant fairways as golfers send balls soaring over grasping grass traps and pools of water with precise drives and well-practiced telekinesis. Players master their short-game skills upon the practice field's chipping and putting greens, and guests may equip themselves for the field with accessories, clubs, and apparel from the pro shop. After a long day of sending dimpled spheroids sailing toward the horizon, visitors share laughs over delicious meals at the clubhouse.

Open since 1967, Putting Plus is a beloved Omaha leisure facility that brings out the inner child of adults, the inner teen of adults, and the inner golf-baller of any-aged folks. In all, there are three family-friendly miniature-golf courses ($5–$6 per course), featuring 18 holes of challenging curves, drops, water hazards, and mysterious holes that, when you reach in to retrieve your ball, cause your hand to pop out of another hole 20 yards away.

The 18 wide fairways at Papio Greens Golf Center stretch toward smooth, par 3 greens designed to be manageable and challenging for both beginner and advanced players. Groundskeepers and staff have styled the complex as a place where families can take to the links together. Young golfers can be found preparing for their upcoming junior-league tournaments on the facility's water driving range, and adult players await their tee time by rehearsing bunker chips on the nearby practice green. Certified teaching pro Mike DeBoer teaches onsite clinics and private lessons that help beginners sharpen their swings and cut down on balls lost to the water hazards and intergalactic wormhole framing the course. Night or day, players can practice their putting beneath the lights that illuminate 36 holes of miniature golf.

With six sets of tees per hole, the course at Ashland Golf Club caters equally to new players and polished veterans. Opportunities for scores below par arrive early in the round: holes one and three are relatively short par 5s at 439 yards and 528 yards respectively. Both holes force long hitters to make a choice between accepting a dare to reach the green in two strokes, and telling a truth about an embarrassing date. The difficulty level ramps up from there and tops out at number 16, a 375-yard par 4 and the hardest hole on the course.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole par 71 course
• Total length of 6,242 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 70.3 from the back tees
• Course slope of 122 from the back tees
• Six sets of tees