The golf course at Ohiya Casino Resort in Niobrara, Neb., is being developed by Paul Albanese, with the design incorporating elements of Sioux culture and natural landforms.
Golf course designer Paul Albanese has designed and is developing the new Tatanka Golf Club at Ohiya Casino Resort in Niobrara, Neb., which is scheduled to open in 2015. Seeding of the course was recently completed.
“This is easily one of the nicest pieces of property I have ever been involved with, and it has been incredibly interesting,” Albanese said regarding the land that features bold movements of rolling hills and ridges with 40-mile views.
During the construction, Albanese researched the history and culture of the Sioux Nation in order to incorporate cultural stories into the design. “We took the history and the culture of the area and the Sioux Nation, and used it as a design inspiration in a subtle and respectful way.”
“We looked at the land forms and designed something that might reflect local stories. For instance, how a certain mountain looked and got its name would be the kind of thing we tried to incorporate. I remember a story about a medicine woman we used as inspiration,” Albanese said.
In his research of the culture, area and natural landforms, Albanese found the Sioux have a great respect for nature. Many of the stories include the great buffalo. In this, Albanese opted for literal interpretation. In some fenced in spaces very close to the golf course, great buffalo roam.
“You can actually hit a tee shot and have buffalo 20 feet from you,” Albanese said. “We were very careful on where and how we routed the golf holes close to the buffalo, but we felt it was important to have them within the course to be true to the culture of the area.”
The resort decided upon a golf course as part of an expansion to give visitors a reason to stay longer. Albanese expects there will be an economic impact on the area in jobs and increased tourism.
“This is a template used by other Native American tribes with casinos,” Albanese said. “They use the golf to create a destination resort, more of a weekend trip instead of a simple visit to the casino. Take a break from gaming, and play golf, that kind of thing.”
Ohiya Casino Resort was the first casino in Nebraska, and was developed almost 17 years ago. It offers multiple dining options, hotel rooms, events and entertainment, and now golf.
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