The Origin Story of GrayBull Club
How Dormie Network’s Bespoke Golf Club Came to Be
“If it speaks to him, he’ll make the move,” said Dormie Network Chief Operating Officer Mark Ruhga in 2018 when describing President Zach Peed's approach to acquiring properties for the Network.
The Nebraska Sandhills didn't just speak; they called.
The Vision: A Refuge for Pure Golf in the Nebraska Sandhills
In 2021, Dormie Network’s next move in the golf travel industry solidified: an accessible yet secluded group golf trip destination. The question was where. With Dormie Network’s headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska, Dormie Network President Zach Peed looked west, toward a club built from the ground up.
As the largest sand dune formation in the Western Hemisphere, the Nebraska Sandhills are anything but ordinary. The region was formed during the last Ice Age when glacial meltwater washed sand and sediment out of the Rocky Mountains and into the plains. Relentless winds then whipped these deposits into massive dunes, which were eventually stabilized by prairie grasses. Today, this region is mostly used for ranching, but it could also be referred to as America’s holy land for golf.
The ground is sandy, bouncy, and dramatically undulating—a landscape that feels isolated in the most tranquil way possible. The Nebraska Sandhills region is home to four of the top 10 least populated counties in the U.S., while Nebraska itself is the thirteenth least populated state in the U.S., with most of the population living over 200 miles east.
For miles, all you see is rolling prairie, cattle, the occasional windmill, and cattle water tanks—the very ones Nebraskans are known to turn into river floats come summertime.
“Once you step foot on either ArborLinks or GrayBull, it's like you've entered a whole new realm,” said Peed. “You've got this sprawling landscape all around you, and it feels like you're the only golfer for miles. Even when you're not. It's that openness that really sets Nebraska apart.”
When deciding where to build, Peed said, "It was a delicate balance: we wanted the club to be accessible from the airport, but far enough away to feel like an escape. GrayBull Club is the gateway to the Nebraska Sandhills.”
David McLay Kidd Joins the Project
The Nebraska Sandhills are so extraordinary that they didn’t just call Dormie Network. They were also calling David McLay Kidd. Known for creating celebrated courses such as Bandon Dunes, Mammoth Dunes, and Gamble Sands, Kidd was eager to leave his mark in the Sandhills with GrayBull Club. “The best of the best have worked here, and I want to be in that group. Adding GrayBull Club to the great list of courses that are in the Sandhills is a huge honor, and I'm hoping that it can rub shoulder to shoulder with the other courses out here that are all phenomenal,” said Kidd.
“From our first round of golf together at Bandon Dunes in 2021, we clicked,” said Zach Peed, Dormie Network President, of his natural choice of course architect, David McLay Kidd.
In June of 2022, Dormie Network announced DMK as the course architect.
“David’s body of work speaks for itself,” said Dormie Network Chief Operating Officer Mark Ruhga. “Adding his work to our portfolio of clubs fits perfectly with the traditions of our network. Dormie Network facilities are created for business or leisure with the most immersive, highly curated experience in private destination golf and entertainment. David’s design philosophy and vision will bring that and more to GrayBull.”
Born and raised in Scotland as the son of a golf course superintendent, Kidd has lived and breathed golf his entire life. Kidd and his DMK Golf Design team’s minimalist philosophy is to unearth courses from the natural terrain rather than forcing artificial concepts onto the land.
“The knowledge DMK and his team bring to the table has been incredible and provides an impeccable backdrop for our team’s hospitality and focus on the experience of each member and guest,” said Peed.
Dormie Network started teasing out the exciting news in February of 2022.
Land Selection: Finding "Goldilocks"
Peed and Kidd worked together to select the land that would ultimately become Dormie Network’s seventh golf club and first bespoke build.
“Being a direct influence on land selection is rare in the industry, which makes it even more exciting to build,” said Kidd. “Golfers want to go to a place and actually experience the place, and golf is the excuse for doing so. This land is special—there’s nothing but you and Mother Nature in its rawest, simplest, most beautiful form.”
The search began south of the Platte River, but heavy soils, steep terrain, and dense vegetation proved unsuitable. Turning north across the river, the team evaluated prospective sites that didn’t tick all the boxes for months.
“I've seen every imaginable golf course site you could think of and many you couldn't think of, and the Sandhills of Nebraska are the best inland ground for golf. Bar none on planet Earth that I'm aware of.”
– David McLay Kidd
Then Kidd was pitched a parcel that was part of a ranch near a small village named Maxwell. He loved it from the moment the landscape loaded on his computer’s topo charts. The land was not ideal for ranching. Ranchers want flat land; golfers don’t. So, a fortuitous match was made. Dormie Network set about acquiring almost 2,000 acres from the rancher.
“This site, it’s like the Goldilocks thing: not too flat, not too steep. It’s kind of in a bowl that looks inwards, and there are no bad views. It’s wide open, no big roads, no visual contamination – ticks all the boxes,” said David McLay Kidd.
The region encounters all four seasons in full force, so Goldilocks is a fitting name as the native grasses burst into golden hues each fall.
Building From a Blank Canvas
In June 2022, the vision became a reality when GrayBull Club broke ground. Kidd approached the course with ultimate creative freedom: “I had my choice of land to route the holes. The only restriction, if you would call it that, was the clubhouse site because they decided on that early on. Everything else was up for grabs,” said Kidd.
Over the next two years, Dormie Network built more than a golf course. It built the team, hospitality infrastructure, and guest experience that would lead GrayBull Club to being a top Midwest golf trip destination for group stay-and-plays. Agronomy staff was announced in March 2023; the leadership team followed in November 2023.
“The site is extremely unique. It’s like nothing I have ever seen before. Because of that, the golf look, the golf feel, the golf design will be responding to the site,” said Kidd. “I don’t think anyone who plays Mammoth Dunes or Gamble Sands will show up and say this is an exact copy of those because the site is so different. But will my ethos change massively? No. I will be staying in my lane, creating golf of that ilk – broad fairways with tight aggressive scoring lanes with wide areas to recover.”
Mother Nature Strikes
Weather here swings to extremes: scorching summer heat, blizzard winters, whipping winds, and fire danger come spring. On February 26th, 2024, a massive wildfire named the Betty’s Way Fire scorched the region of western Nebraska. GrayBull Club was in its path, but thanks to preventative measures in place and swift actions of the GrayBull Club team, led by Director of Agronomy Michael Sheely, the course was unscathed, and construction remained on schedule.
Grateful for the community's swift action, Dormie Network honored the firefighters by launching a $100,000 matching fundraiser to upgrade emergency equipment and firefighting capabilities for the local volunteer fire department.
Course Design: Uninterrupted Links Golf
“What McLay Kidd has created at GrayBull Club is an incredible inland links-style layout on a massive canvas, with angles and avenues that encourage golfers to think their way through like a chess match,” said Erik Matuszewski, Forbes Contributor.
GrayBull Club’s course design strikes a perfect balance of playability, delivering an enjoyable round for players of all skill levels. Each hole has been meticulously crafted to offer both risk-reward shots for the skilled golfer and generous bailout areas.
Once you get to the first tee, you never leave the grass. Carts are available, but there are no cart paths. According to Fried Egg Golf, “This continuous flowing style creates a very different look and feel from the other Sandhills courses, as does the unique approach to the bunker style.” While Kidd describes it as “a really exciting golf exploration that allows players to immerse themselves in this incredible landscape.”
Kidd’s layout features an encore to settle the score after a round: the bonus golf loop from #4 through #9, circling the comfort station. “It’ll be perfect for golden hour,” hints Peed. “The experience and reveals from green to tee are going to be incredible. Wandering in and out of the hills, you’ll have moments where you’ll wonder where to go next, and the entire round will feel like an adventure.”
A Grand Opening Met with National Acclaim
The highly anticipated opening of GrayBull Club in August 2024 marked the realization of a dream driven by the principles of exceptional golf, anticipatory hospitality, and an unwavering commitment to group entertainment. GrayBull Club became the seventh property to join Dormie Network's national collection of stay-and-play golf destinations. Whether you’re planning a Nebraska Sandhills golf trip with friends or entertaining clients, GrayBull Club provides an all-inclusive golf getaway.
Course Reviews:
“It’s one of the purest links-style golf destinations in the U.S. thanks to its mix of sand, wind and weather.”
“The infinite variety of the land demands a variety of strategies and presentations to match it, and GrayBull Club ultimately delivers. It’s a confident and seductively designed course that delivers the dopamine hit the Sandhills promise while being just enough its own thing.”
“I had determined that GrayBull Club was one of the best layouts he has ever fashioned. I even went so far as to tell friends I called on my way back to the Omaha airport that it might be Kidd’s finest work ever.”
Accolades Include:
Best New Private Course Designed by a Future Hall of Fame Architect (Sports Illustrated, 2024)
#4 Best New Private Course (Golf Digest, 2024)
The Kingdom List under the ‘Golf Courses’ category (2024)
8 Best New Golf Courses (Robb Report, 2025)
#4 Best New Private Course (Golf Digest, 2025)
#5 Best Course in Nebraska (Golf Digest, 2025)
#187 Greatest Courses in America (Golf Digest, 2025)
#3 Best Private Course in Nebraska (Golfweek, 2026)
Accommodations Rooted in Ranch Country
Dormie Network engineered GrayBull Club specifically to set a new benchmark for golf destination entertainment.
The facilities draw from the land's ranching origins, resting harmoniously in the grasslands. The clubhouse facilities include a dining room and bar, a golf shop stocked with logoed merchandise, locker rooms, and an expansive patio.
“Sitting on top of the ridge by #1 tee and #18 green is one of the best views you will ever get in the Sandhills,” said Peed about the clubhouse. “Seeing hints of the course pop in and out of the rolling hills from the patio is going to be tough to beat.”
A signature element of GrayBull Club is the Party Barn, a gathering space for large groups. Its wooden walls and stone fireplace make you feel right at home on the ranch.
GrayBull Club is the first Network property to have two Owner’s Cottages in addition to 13 Executive Cottages.
The culinary program at GrayBull, led by Executive Chef Joey Falco, celebrates the rich agricultural traditions of the Great Plains. Menus rotate seasonally, featuring locally sourced produce and Certified Piedmontese Beef.
GrayBull Club’s comfort station located near the #3 and #9 green offers a respite from the sun and a refresh to your cart cooler. It’s stocked with a variety of fan-favorite snacks, beverages, and daily homemade Bierocks, a Nebraska specialty.
Another popular stop is the vintage yellow pickup accessible from hole #14, which hides a surprise: massive YETI coolers stocked with cold beverages, Uncrustables, pickles, and charcuterie to get you to the finish line.
Even a member-guest event at GrayBull Club carries regional inspiration. It was named the Canteen Member-Guest to celebrate the spirit of hospitality and kindness that the North Platte Canteen has represented for generations.
The New Standard for Midwest Stay-and-Play Destinations
GrayBull Club represents the culmination of Dormie Network's vision to create the ultimate private destination golf experience from the ground up. Designed for families, buddy trips, corporate retreats, and member events alike, every aspect of the club—from its course and onsite cottages to its all-inclusive hospitality and evening entertainment—was intentionally crafted to bring people together through golf.
As Dormie Network's first ground-up build, GrayBull Club has exceeded expectations from the moment it opened, earning national acclaim and establishing itself as one of America's top golf destinations. It has become a blueprint for what's possible when remarkable land, visionary architecture, and exceptional hospitality converge. As Dormie Network continues to grow, GrayBull Club stands as both a milestone and a glimpse into the future of the Network.
“It's just you, the course, and the elements. And honestly, if you're a golf purist, there's nothing better than that,” said Peed.
Frequently Asked Questions about GrayBull Club
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Access to GrayBull Club is exclusive to Dormie Network members and their accompanying guests.
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GrayBull Club is located at 10847 Dormie Road in the village of Maxwell, Nebraska, which is within the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills, a region renowned for links golf.
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GrayBull Club was the vision of Dormie Network President Zach Peed. The course architect is David McLay Kidd.
Not yet a member? Inquire to learn more about Dormie Network membership.
