Dan Bahensky

Dan Bahensky was the first three-time recipient of the Nebraska Golf Association’s amateur of the year award as one of the state’s dominant golfers of the 1970’s. Two state titles and 12 consecutive berths on the state’s amateur team for the Nebraska Cup pro-am matches reinforce Bahensky’s stature.

Bahensky was the 1972 Nebraska Amateur champion at Lochland Country Club, when he was the youngest champion (age 20) at the time, and the 1975 state match-play champion at Capehart (now Willow Lakes). He had top-10 finishes from 1971 to 1982 in the Nebraska Amateur, except for 1977 (did not play). He was in the match-play semifinals from 1973 to 1977. He was the state’s outstanding amateur in 1972, 1972, and 1975.

He qualified for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in 1975 and 1976, advancing to the quarterfinals and third round respectively. He lost to Ben Crenshaw 4&3 in the 1973 Trans-Mississippi and as a collegian he played for the 1970 NAIA nationals for Kearney State and in the 1973 NCAA nationals for the University of Nebraska.

An accomplished sand-greens player, he was a two-time high school sand greens runner-up and a three-time champion (1968 to 1970). His career best round was 14 under par 58 at St. Paul Country Club in a high school dual.

Dan is a past president of the Kearney Country Club and has served on the NGA board.