2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

[jackmd]

Impressive field with some of the top programs in golf. I get a chance to play the Prairie Club once or twice a year and it is a fantastic experience. Great golf course and great accommodations is a part of the world that you wouldn't expect to be as beautiful as it is. There are fan packages available and I intend to try and make the trip. If you like golf you will love the Prairie Club.


http://www.gojacks.com/ViewArticle.d...CLID=209806207

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

This is probably the biggest development for SDSU Golf at the D1 level. To be able to host a premier golf tournament at a great venue like the Prairie Club will make this one of the best and most unique tournaments in the country. Being able to bring in top programs is a huge bonus. They will love the Prairie Club and the whole setting there. I can totally envision these kids making laps around the horse course.

Getting these top programs to come is the key and Coach Van Damme has those connections. When they come and play there and want to come back the next year (and trust me, they will beg to come back) then those teams will extend an invite to their tournaments. So, the Jacks will now in all likelihood get invites to play at Arizona State, Oregon, Central Florida, and many more. Putting together a great schedule is one of if not the biggest recruiting tool that a team can have. This is a quantum leap forward for the program!

Great job Coach Van Damme!

SUPERBUNNY

[2002jack]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

It looks like some donors stepped up and paid for this. 3 days at the Prairie Club can't be cheap.


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[Nidaros]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

It looks like some donors stepped up and paid for this. 3 days at the Prairie Club can't be cheap.


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Each sport I believe has certain fund raising expectations, this might it for golf or maybe the coach budgeted this event in favor of giving up something else. I don't know. I will give this new coach credit for it. He seems to be full of good ideas.

[2002jack]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

Each sport I believe has certain fund raising expectations, this might it for golf or maybe the coach budgeted this event in favor of giving up something else. I don't know. I will give this new coach credit for it. He seems to be full of good ideas.

If you read the article on GoJacks.com, it credits key donors Bob Miller and Tom Donohue. Nice work by coach on building on those relationships.


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[Nidaros]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

If you read the article on GoJacks.com, it credits key donors Bob Miller and Tom Donohue. Nice work by coach on building on those relationships.


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Ok thanks I will read.

[jackmd]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

It looks like some donors stepped up and paid for this. 3 days at the Prairie Club can't be cheap.


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Far from cheap that's for sure. Its not as exclusive or costly as Sutton Bay but its costly for sure. I have only played and stayed as a guest. 2 fantastic courses, I prefer the dunes course but the views from the pines course are amazing. You would never imagine that the Niobrara river valley would contain such deep gulches and fantastic landscape.

I'm definitely going to look into the fan package. Would love to bring 3 or 4 guys for the weekend to play on a great course and watch some fantastic golf.

[westernjack]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

Congrats to the Jacks on getting this great tournament set up. Kind of surprised they weren't able to work something out at Sutton Bay. I've played there a few times and had a few chats with the late Mark Amundson. The ties with SDSU and Sutton Bay are real strong. Matt Sutton, former owner of the property, played football at SDSU and I believe is a donor to the football program still. Amundson's golf history at SDSU is well known. I believe he even told me the golf course superintendent there is also an SDSU grad.
I know there is a lot more that goes into scheduling a big tournament like this than I know about, so I cant speculate as to why they weren't able to work something out in state. Heck, Sutton bay might not have been interested in hosting it for all I know

[Nidaros]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

Congrats to the Jacks on getting this great tournament set up. Kind of surprised they weren't able to work something out at Sutton Bay. I've played there a few times and had a few chats with the late Mark Amundson. The ties with SDSU and Sutton Bay are real strong. Matt Sutton, former owner of the property, played football at SDSU and I believe is a donor to the football program still. Amundson's golf history at SDSU is well known. I believe he even told me the golf course superintendent there is also an SDSU grad.
I know there is a lot more that goes into scheduling a big tournament like this than I know about, so I cant speculate as to why they weren't able to work something out in state. Heck, Sutton bay might not have been interested in hosting it for all I know

This new coach is not a SD native and may not realize how parochial we are in SD.

[Jacks-02]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

Congrats to the Jacks on getting this great tournament set up. Kind of surprised they weren't able to work something out at Sutton Bay. I've played there a few times and had a few chats with the late Mark Amundson. The ties with SDSU and Sutton Bay are real strong. Matt Sutton, former owner of the property, played football at SDSU and I believe is a donor to the football program still. Amundson's golf history at SDSU is well known. I believe he even told me the golf course superintendent there is also an SDSU grad.
I know there is a lot more that goes into scheduling a big tournament like this than I know about, so I cant speculate as to why they weren't able to work something out in state. Heck, Sutton bay might not have been interested in hosting it for all I know

Is it possible that transportation or hotel accommodations for all of the colleges was a bigger issue at Sutton Bay than it will be at Prairie Club in Valentine?

[westernjack]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

Is it possible that transportation or hotel accommodations for all of the colleges was a bigger issue at Sutton Bay than it will be at Prairie Club in Valentine?

Yes, it would definitely be a bigger issue at Sutton Bay vs the Prairie Club. Also, Prairie Club having two 18 hole courses would make it much easier to have the 14 team field, especially since they are going to offer packages where amateurs can play with the players. Sutton Bay would likely not be able to handle that volume of people with just the 18 hole course they have.

[mango4]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

Another thing, Sutton Bay will be starting to get ready for its busiest time of the year--hunting season. There's more to do at Sutton Bay (hunting, fishing) so I would think it would be more difficult to basically shut the place down for a couple days.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

Congrats to the Jacks on getting this great tournament set up. Kind of surprised they weren't able to work something out at Sutton Bay. I've played there a few times and had a few chats with the late Mark Amundson. The ties with SDSU and Sutton Bay are real strong. Matt Sutton, former owner of the property, played football at SDSU and I believe is a donor to the football program still. Amundson's golf history at SDSU is well known. I believe he even told me the golf course superintendent there is also an SDSU grad.
I know there is a lot more that goes into scheduling a big tournament like this than I know about, so I cant speculate as to why they weren't able to work something out in state. Heck, Sutton bay might not have been interested in hosting it for all I know

Sutton Bay has a world class lodge and is a beautiful place for sure. Many aren't aware that they had to abandon their original 18 holes that were located on the side of the bluff due to land movement. They were constantly having to deal with cracks in the ground and breaks in the irrigation system. It is really unfortunate as it was a championship test of golf. It has been replaced by a new 18 that sits on top of the bluff so those issues won't be a problem. The new course is more of a resort friendly course from what I've been told. I haven't had the chance to play it yet.

One of the big draws to The Prairie Club is that there are 36 holes there with another 18 being developed. That gives the tournament double or triple capacity to get players onto the courses. Also, I believe there are also more on site facilities to accommodate the teams and the fans. The courses at The Prairie Club have been generating a lot of buzz. The owner is a SD native and is also a Jacks fan.

This is a real plus for the program. I'm just glad that SDSU is getting to do it rather than Nebraska. It's an absolute game changer for them.

I have no idea what the financial arrangements are to put the tournament on. That is certainly a consideration.

SUPERBUNNY

SUPERBUNNY

[jackmd]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

Sutton Bay has a world class lodge and is a beautiful place for sure. Many aren't aware that they had to abandon their original 18 holes that were located on the side of the bluff due to land movement. They were constantly having to deal with cracks in the ground and breaks in the irrigation system. It is really unfortunate as it was a championship test of golf. It has been replaced by a new 18 that sits on top of the bluff so those issues won't be a problem. The new course is more of a resort friendly course from what I've been told. I haven't had the chance to play it yet.

One of the big draws to The Prairie Club is that there are 36 holes there with another 18 being developed. That gives the tournament double or triple capacity to get players onto the courses. Also, I believe there are also more on site facilities to accommodate the teams and the fans. The courses at The Prairie Club have been generating a lot of buzz. The owner is a SD native and is also a Jacks fan.

This is a real plus for the program. I'm just glad that SDSU is getting to do it rather than Nebraska. It's an absolute game changer for them.

I have no idea what the financial arrangements are to put the tournament on. That is certainly a consideration.

SUPERBUNNY

SUPERBUNNY

I've been fortunate to play at Sutton Bay and The Prairie Club and both are great. Really loved the original course at Sutton Bay. They have done a great job of building the new course. Both resorts are located off the beaten path, part of what makes them great. Golf teams are much smaller than other sports and I expect they can accommodate most of the players right on the resort. If not, Valentine is the nearest town and there isn't much there. I really hope I can pull this trip off. Can't wait to here the details. Its about a 4 hour drive from Yankton as there is no direct route. I have flown into Valentine as well, that is slick. May have to offer a spot to one of my colleagues that owns a plane.

[jackmd]

Re: 2015 Jackrabbit Invitational - Prairie Club Valentine, NE

Got an email from the golf coach and a packet in the mail regarding "The Jackrabbit". Quite an opportunity and experience. Here is a dropbox link. Have to subscribe to dropbox to open it. Dropbox is free.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e2jrr4sp84...29-15.pdf?dl=0

Basically 2 package options.

One for $10,000 per foursome includes unlimited golf, playing in the ProAm portion with some of the best collegiate golfers in the nation and I believe a 2 night stay.

The other $5000 and includes unlimited golf for 2 days, a 1 night stay and tournament passes allowing you to watch the golf.