"Nearly forty essays about the history, geography, geology, ecology, and conservation of the Nebraska Sandhills, supplemented by numerous remarkable photos of the region"--

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Globe-trotting golfer Tom Coyne has finally come home. And he’s ready to play all of it. After playing hundreds of courses overseas in the birthplace of golf,​ Coyne, the bestselling author of A Course Called Ireland and A Course Called Scotland, returns to his own birthplace and delivers a “heartfelt, rollicking ode to golf…[as he] describes playing golf in every state of the union, including Alaska: 295 courses, 5,182 holes, 1.7 million total yards” (The Wall Street Journal). In the span of one unforgettable year, Coyne crisscrosses the country in search of its greatest golf experience, playing every course to ever host a US Open, along with more than two hundred hidden gems and heavyweights, visiting all fifty states to find a better understanding of his home country and countrymen. Coyne’s journey begins where the US Open and US Amateur got their start, historic Newport Country Club in Rhode Island. As he travels from the oldest and most elite of links to the newest and most democratic, Coyne finagles his way onto coveted first tees (Shinnecock, Oakmont, Chicago GC) between rounds at off-the-map revelations, like ranch golf in Eastern Oregon and homemade golf in the Navajo Nation. He marvels at the golf miracle hidden in the sand hills of Nebraska and plays an unforgettable midnight game under bright sunshine on the summer solstice in Fairbanks, Alaska. More than just a tour of the best golf the United States has to offer, Coyne’s quest connects him with hundreds of American golfers, each from a different background but all with one thing in common: pride in welcoming Coyne to their course. Trading stories and swing tips with caddies, pros, and golf buddies for the day, Coyne adopts the wisdom of one of his hosts in Minnesota: the best courses are the ones you play with the best people. But, in the end, only one stop on Coyne’s journey can be ranked the Great American Golf Course. Throughout his travels, he invites golfers to debate and help shape his criteria for judging the quintessential American course. Should it be charmingly traditional or daringly experimental? An architectural showpiece or a natural wonder? Countless conversations and gut instinct lead him to seek out a course that feels bold and idealistic, welcoming yet imperfect, with a little revolutionary spirit and a damn good hot dog at the turn. He discovers his long-awaited answer in the most unlikely of places. Packed with fascinating tales from American golf history, comic road misadventures, illuminating insights into course design, and many a memorable round with local golfers and celebrity guests alike, A Course Called America is “a delightful, entertaining book even nongolfers can enjoy” (Kirkus Reviews).

"Nearly forty essays about the history, geography, geology, ecology, and conservation of the Nebraska Sandhills, supplemented by numerous remarkable photos of the region"--

The history of golf in the United States traces back, almost unbelievably, to a six-hole round in 1887 on a remote course in Nebraska. It took until 1895 for the sport to make its way to Omaha. Once it did, the game gained popularity on courses carved from pasture and timber land by some of the greatest names in U.S. golf. Legends like Johnny Goodman, the last amateur to win the U.S. Open, are part of Nebraska's golf legacy. But what changed the scope of golf in the state - and the country - was Sand Hills Golf Club in 1995. Omaha World-Herald sportswriter Stu Pospisil chronicles Sand Hills - and the state's other courses old and new - along with the people behind them who have made Nebraska a national-caliber destination for one of the greatest games on earth.

Some destinations claim colorful monikers like Big Sky Country, Sportsman's Paradise, the Sunshine State, Land of Enchantment, or the Last Frontier. The Nebraska Sandhills, which makes up about a quarter of the state of Nebraska, can honestly claim all of that-and a whole lot more. Paddle past more than 200 waterfalls while kayaking the Niobrara River or hop into a livestock water tank and float through the dunes on the Calamus, Cedar, Loup, and North Platte rivers. Tour the remnants of tunnels associated with Chicago gangster Al Capone in O'Neill, meet the locals at a volunteer fire department barbecue at Wood Lake, and sample the Sandhills' Finest craft brews in Ord. And don't forget to explore the ranching culture of this vast region where cowboys still ride horses, cattle outnumber people, rodeo is a lifestyle, Cornhusker football is tradition, and God and family mean more than anything else. Follow along page by page as writer, photographer, lifelong Nebraskan, and travel expert Alan J. Bartels takes readers on a tour of the region he's loved since childhood. Along the way, he points out well-known events and attractions, and off-the-beaten-path curiosities and small-town celebrations discovered through chance and dogged exploration. With 100 Things To Do In The Nebraska Sandhills Before You Die as your guide, you'll have all the insider information needed for memorable Sandhills adventures of your own.