ELKHORN, Neb. (KMTV) — The Korn Ferry Tour's Pinnacle Bank Championship is coming back to the Omaha area for the third year in a row.
Next week professional golfers from around the country will make a stop at The Club at Indian Creek, looking to take home the $600,000 prize.
"We're excited for the love of golf that actually comes to Nebraska, we have a very strong field," said Jessica Brabec, the Tournament Director of the Pinnacle Bank Championship. "It's been a lot of fun to see people's reaction on site, they say wow because the size of our structure is like a small PGA Tour event."
In its third year, the tournament directors feel they're getting their footing when it comes to putting on such a large-scale event.
"This year's different than year one and year two in that we know what to expect and so we don't necessarily stress the things we don't know," said Jim Nedrow, the Director of Agronomy at The Club at Indian Creek. "We don't worry about the unforeseen because we know what's going to happen."
With 30,000 square feet of temporary structures, the course has some new features for spectators, including at new two-story viewing pavillion on Hole 18.
"It's air conditioned on the first floor, glass all around for great views of Hole 9 and 18 and a second story open-air where you can see all the way to the tee box at 18," said Alexis Boulos, Director of Operations and Events for the Pinnacle Bank Championship.
One of the biggest undertakings every year for the Pinnacle Bank Championship is the driving tees. Since the professional golfers hit the ball so far, course organizers had to build new driving tees at further distances, extending the course by 300 yards.
"A lot of people don't realize how far back that tee box on 18 is, it's incredible," Brabec said.
"What impresses me more is not how far they can hit it but how accurately they can hit it," Nedrow said. "These guys hit it long and they hit it straight and it's really impressive to see what they can do."
Fans are allowed to sit at any hole, or follow athletes along the course. One of the more popular holes for fans to sit at is Hole 17, a Par 3 with a water feature by the green.
"It's a lot of fun to see the guys drive for the green and there's always the factor of water which always throws an extra component in there," Brabec said.
For golfers who play regularly at The Club at Indian Creek, the course designers believe that the tournament's course will offer different features and challenges than the ones they're used to, especially on the greens.
"It is different," Nedrow said. "If we managed greens at the speeds and firmness levels that we do for the tournament I think it would be a challenge for every day play. I think we've got the ability to make the golf course pretty challenging."
The 2019 Pinnacle Bank Championship runs from July 18 to July 21. Organizers said they're still in need for volunteers to help out during the tournament.
