In northeast Nebraska, Will Andersen and his crew are moving forward with unfinished business near the project that first brought him to the industry’s attention.
Andersen, a fourth-generation member of a Nebraska farming family of Danish extraction, is best known in the golf world as the owner and developer of Landmand, a maximalist course in a minimalist era designed by Rob Collins and Tad King on a large property that required Herculean earth moving. The freeways of Landmand are vast, its dangers are great, and the demand for access to it matches the scale of its appearance. When Tee Times opened earlier this year, they were almost immediately gone for the season.
The Old Dane sits about five miles away as the crow flies, and Andersen says it’s not so much a sequel as a release valve — a place to welcome golfers who haven’t been able to ride Landmand, or who just haven’t had enough.
“We have a lot of people who want to play 36 and that’s not always possible,” Andersen told GOLF.com. “We hope this will give them another chance. Maybe you sneak over to the Old Dane before or after your round at Landmand, even if it’s just for a few holes.”
The Andersens have owned the property for nearly two decades, once redeveloping it as a nine-hole layout. After Landmand’s first success, Andersen engaged architect Trevor Dormer, now part of the King-Collins team, to rethink the site from the ground up.
Commanding the surface from what was a practice range, Dormer widened the course to 12 holes and introduced drive where almost none existed before, adding roughly 30 feet of elevation change to what had been a nearly flat property. The 11th, a volcano hole, ranks among the most prominent on a newly reshaped set of greens.
“Entertainment” may be the industry’s favorite buzzword. But “flexibility” is also up there. Old Dan was conceived with both in mind. Its track is configured to allow for three-, six-, nine- or 12-hole loops, each returning to a soon-to-be-renovated clubhouse. Access is likely to be first-come, first-served, and there will be distractions if there is a waiting list, including a large putting course, and bocce and croquet courts. Preliminary play could begin in late 2026, depending on the growing season, with a full opening expected in 2027.
Andersen said he doesn’t expect the Old Dane to gain the same national profile as the Landmand. But that’s not what he’s looking for anyway.
“However things go,” he said, “I hope this will be a great place for the community.”
