Tiburon is green, green, green

The Nebraska weather normally doesn’t allow for courses as green as Tiburon Golf Club in Omaha.

But course groundskeepers don’t rely or wait for weather. The course is in absolutely fabulous shape, and that includes every inch of rough you could ever hit your ball in.

And not just green, but a thick, lush turf that can prop your ball up for a great lie, or suck it in for a difficult approach.

Fairways and greens are in tip-top shape to match, and it’s a great thing for your game they are well kept. The greens roll true, which means a good read and speed judgment can be your stroke-saver.

Slopes and valleys rule large parts of the fairway, yet leave you with a gentle lie for your next shot.

Besides its award-winning habits for maintenance, it boasts some challenging holes that require placement more than shark-sized strength.

Locals might boast about the necessity to hit shorter, straighter drives at the No. 3 holes on the red (Mako) and gold (Hammerhead) course.

When you get there, you’ll see why. But don’t think it’s a short-game course. Depending on the sets of nine and the tee boxes you play, the yardage can stretch from 6,400 to 7,005.

A closer look
Mako is the shortest of the three nines, but its delicate trickiness can force you into recover mode quickly.

No. 2 showcases water that comes into play off the tee and on your approach shot. The more left you place your tee shot, the less water you have to carry.

No. 3 can be daunting. First you see the familiar lake (same as No. 2), but clearing that hazard is generally not a problem. The tough test is the second shot that must line up with the green through the narrow window left between the trees.

No. 4 and 9 are two rather different par fives, but you can’t see the green on either hole for your second shot. On No. 4 it’s because the green is tucked behind the trees bordering the dogleg, and No. 9 because your ball lies well below the green.

Hammerhead requires some clutch shots, as well. No. 1 is a long par five that places importance on a safe tee shot. Three bunkers, water and strict out of bounds protect the landing area.

No. 3 is a great thinking-golfer’s hole, and it’s hard to play without some help from a local. A tee shot that cuts the corner too short results in an awkward lie for the second shot that must go over or around trees with water lurking near the green.

No. 7 is one of the tougher par threes because the green is very wide and the bunkers guard almost any pin placement.

After all that, some locals said the Great White (3,525 yards) remains the most challenging. It boasts water on three of its final five holes, including No. 9, where the water hazard streaks across the fairway at the perfect distance to swallow extra-aggressive tee shots.