Grandpa’s Woods History
Before there were fairways, there were campfires. Before there were greens, there was sand. Before there was a golf course, there was a creek, a silo full of ice, and a patch of Nebraska woods that would eventually become Grandpa’s Woods.
“a recreation oasis that offers solitude, strengthens family ties, and preserves a little bit of nature as it was meant to be.”
Originally built as public campgrounds and picnic area, Grandpa’s Woods was established in 1956 by Guy Clements, a local banker from Elmwood.
Clements named it for his pioneer grandfather who once owned this rare wooded area amongst the open prairie of the 1800’s.
In addition to camping, fishing, canoeing, and horseback riding, the golf course was added to the grounds in the 1960’s with nephew, Boyd Clements, who purchased the land after Guy’s death.
Boyd, his son Rex, and family, have since transformed the wooded countryside near Elmwood and Murdock into a golf course unlike anything else in the area.
The Silo
The landmark that became the logo.
The old silo standing off Hole 9 has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Grandpa’s Woods. It appears in the logo beside the large walnut tree and serves as a reminder of the property’s history long before golf arrived.
When the land was once an open prairie, the silo served to store both grain…and ice.
During the winter months, the nearby Weeping Water Creek would freeze over. Large blocks of ice were cut from the creek, hauled by horse to the silo, then packed in hay and would preserve for months. The structure essentially served as an old-fashioned refrigerator.
Today, the silo remains a quiet reminder of the hardworking, resourceful spirit that shaped this place.
Before the Golf Course
Campfires, canoes and adventure.
Before Grandpa’s Woods became a golf course, parts of the property served as a Boy and Girl Scout camp complete with campgrounds, trails, horseback riding and canoes along the creek.
The wooded landscape made it a natural place for exploration and outdoor recreation long before the first tee box was built.
ELMWOOD • MURDOCK
Two Towns. One Golf Course.
One of the things that makes Grandpa’s Woods unique is that it doesn't belong to just one town. While the mailing address is in Murdock, the clubhouse sits in Elmwood. In fact, the course itself stretches across multiple communities. Holes 1 through 6 are played in Elmwood, Holes 7 through 9 are in Murdock, and some say that the tee box on hole 8 even crosses into Wabash.
It's not every day you can play golf in three Nebraska towns without ever getting back in your car.
The Sand Green Days
Golf looked a little different back then.
In the early days of the course, Grandpas Woods originally featured sand greens — something many younger golfers today have never experienced.
Before modern turf maintenance became common, sand greens were a practical and affordable solution for rural golf courses. Players would smooth the surface after putting, and maintaining the greens required patience, effort, and constant upkeep.
Those early years helped shape the hardworking, no-frills character the course still carries today.
Golf here has never been about perfection.
It’s always been about the experience.
Grandpa’s Woods Today
Carrying the tradition forward.
In 2021, Jake Reinders- a great (x6) nephew of founder, Guy Clements, took over operations of Grandpa’s Woods and has continued the legacy of providing a “recreation oasis that offers solitude, strengthens family ties, and preserves a little bit of nature as it was meant to be.”
