(DAKOTA CITY, Nebraska) — Architect Trevor Dormer will return to eastern Nebraska in early March to complete construction of the reimagined Old Dane golf course, owned by the Andersen family — the same family behind the acclaimed Landmand.
The Andersens have owned Old Dane since 2007. Originally built in 2002 as Ironhorse Golf Club, the course was reconstructed in 2010 under the direction of owner Will Andersen, transforming a tight 18-hole layout into a nine-hole loop across a pancake-flat prairie site with just five feet of elevation change.
After the opening of Landmand in 2022 — a course that quickly garnered national acclaim — Andersen began considering how to elevate Old Dane into a complementary destination experience for traveling golfers. He turned to Dormer, who became a partner in King Collins Dormer in 2024 after starting his career as a shaper and associate for Coore & Crenshaw. Dormer had previously shaped Landmand’s striking fourth green, impressing Andersen enough to earn his first lead architect role.
Construction on the new Old Dane began in late 2024. The redesigned course will expand to 12 holes, utilizing land that formerly served as the practice range. During the 2025 season, the property was fully shaped — a dramatic transformation that introduced nearly 30 feet of elevation change to land once considered featureless. Among the standout features is a volcano-style green at the par-3 11th hole.
Most of the course was grassed in 2025, though five holes remain without turf. That work is scheduled for completion this spring.
“I hope we will be entirely grassed by mid-June, though it obviously depends on the weather,” Dormer said. “I’m really pleased with how the course has turned out. There are a few greens still to finish, but all the shaping is done and irrigation is in. Only one hole doesn’t have greens mix installed. I may need to get back on the bulldozer if some of the sand has blown around.”
Dormer’s finish crew will arrive from a project in Nashville to complete the work. Beyond the course itself, the property will include an expansive putting course near the clubhouse, along with croquet and bocce ball courts — reinforcing the Andersens’ vision of Old Dane as a welcoming, community-centered golf destination.
While Old Dane may not match the scale or natural movement of Landmand, Andersen believes it will still surprise visitors.
“There are things out there that people will ask what we thought we were doing,” he said with a smile. “The opening hole is one of my favorites — a drivable par four with a subtle green and out of bounds all the way down the left.”
Preview play is tentatively planned for late in the 2026 season, with a formal grand opening expected in 2027.
About the Andersen Family and Landmand
Pronounced “Landman,” Landmand is the Danish word for “farmer.” Eighteen-year-old Karl Andersen emigrated from Denmark to the United States in the early 1920s, settling in eastern Nebraska. Over four generations, the Andersen family has grown into a major farming operation in the region.
The family developed Old Dane after acquiring the former Ironhorse course and later created Landmand as its second golf venture. Despite their expansion into golf, farming remains the backbone of the Andersen operation, and the family remains deeply committed to the eastern Nebraska community.
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