Russell Golf Course

Bob Dole's hometown has a golf course, and that alone gives Russell, Kansas a certain pride of place. The small county seat sits in the High Plains of north-central Kansas, where the land opens wide under enormous skies and the wind — nearly constant across this part of the Wheat Belt — is as much a part of the game as any bunker or water hazard. Playing golf out here means reading the breeze as carefully as the green.

Russell Golf Course is a municipal layout serving a community of a few thousand people, the kind of course where locals have played their entire lives and visitors are welcomed without ceremony. These everyday public courses are the backbone of American golf — unpretentious, accessible, and often more interesting to walk than their modest reputations suggest. A flat High Plains setting rewards shot-making and course management over raw power.

At par 72 across 18 holes, the course offers a complete round without the resort premium. For anyone passing through on I-70 or exploring the Smoky Hills region, it's worth pulling off the highway and teeing it up.