For some people a challenging course is one that has difficult holes, hazards and the like. For a group of people at Luray, Kansas the challenge was getting a golf course.

The nearest courses were 25 miles distant and that wasn't an acceptable solution. The Luray Golf Association was formed and land was purchased on what was the historic Markley Ranch (settled as the Church Ranch late in the 19th century, one of the first large land holdings in the area).

From the tract of land purchased and a small tract leased, a nine hole sand green course was built. The course sets astride Wolf Creek. Wolf Creek cuts its way through the Greenhorn limestone that pioneers quarried for fence posts, giving the region it's description of "PostRockCountry". Miles of stone posts form the borders for fields in the area. To the north, the Blue hills get their cast and name from the Graneros blue shale. Almost directly north of the golf course a break in the Blue Hills is known as Cheyenne Gap. In pre-settlement days it was the pathway for the native tribes on their way south. They cut through the hills at the "gap" and followed Four-Mile Creek to the point where it joined Wolf Creek a couple of miles downstream from the Golf Course.

The region is ultimately drained by the Smoky Hill river. The Smoky Hills region takes its name from the prevalence of a haze common to the region, particularly early in the day. Often the only change from in the otherwise blue sky filled with white cumulus clouds.

Enough geography.

The people of the community designed and built an attractive, challenging golf course. They planted trees, cleared timber, built the greens, built bridges and maintain the course. Greens fees for the course, open to the public, are very modest.

The first tee box is at the lower end of the course and has a dog leg left to the first green. Most of the fairway grass on the course is buffalo grass. All of the course except for the area of the first tee box and fairway is original prairie grass. The beginning of the course was at one time cropland, but now has a stand of the original cover, buffalo grass.

Landscaping has added some non-native plantings to the course. However iris or "flags" were once such a common sight on rural homesteads they might almost be considered to be native.

On the lower end of the course, there are beginnings of the outcroppings of Dakota sandstone. These reddish bluffs outline the edge of the eighth hole on the course. Playing the second nine on the course, the tee box sets near the edge of the bluff and the tee shot is about 150 yards across a bend in the stream. You either clear the canyon or spot another ball.

Stone fence posts line the edge of the course along the first green. Immediately behind the green at the edge of the light grass in the photograph above is a dropoff. Overdrive the green and you will be spotting another ball.

In the 1930's shelterbelts were planted across the Great Plains. The remaining trees of one such belt forms the north boundry of the first fairway and continues along the cart path to the second teebox. In late spring the locust provide a splash of white blossoms.
 
 
 

The bridge across Wolf Creek appears to be an adequate height above the normally placid stream. However, heavy rain upstream on occasion removes the structure. The green countryside and the rolling hills somehow do not fit the stereotype of flat dry western Kansas.

There is a tee box down there in the trees, part of the third hole on the course.

Third green on the course. A dog leg on this fairway cuts to the right, following the bluffs. Back in 1915 near this green, the remains of an individual dressed in what was determined to be a cavalry uniform was unearthed. This story is scheduled to appear at a future date under PostrockCountry Tales.

The fairway stretches toward the horizon when you reach the tee box for the fourth hole. The view is deceptive however, the green is out of sight to the right behind the first clump of trees. The rough along the right side of the fairway is for the most part not playable and drops off some 50-60 feet to the channel of Wolf Creek. Barely visible on the right is Luray.

From the alternate tee box on number eight, a clear open view of the valley and the practice driving range adjacent to number one can be seen. A new club building has been constructed to the left side of the parking lot since this photograph was taken.

The rough near the number nine tee box sports a lone stone post surrounded by blooming purple spiderwort. Wild flowers grace the rough areas of the course and wildlife ranging from rabbits and turtles to white-tail deer can be seen on occasion. Wolf Creek itself offers channel cat, bullheads and bass in addition to the sunfish and other fish.
All photograph taken by Virgil Siemers