Once upon a time, it was the premier golf course in Grand Forks.
Now Lincoln Park Golf Course just might be the city's best-kept secret.
Tucked off Belmont Road behind flood dikes being constructed, the course is not in full view to motorists like it was in the past. Out of sight, out of mind.
But Nathan Olson, clubhouse manager at Lincoln Park Golf Course, said the word is getting out that the redesigned course is a gem waiting to be discovered.
"Some people say our fairways are in the best condition of any course in town," Olson said. "And being behind the dikes, it's really quite peaceful here. You don't hear the cars at all."
A renovated clubhouse and a shorter version of old Lincoln Park Golf Course make for a charming, mini-version now being presented by the current model.
Whereas the course once was an 18-hole course playing to nearly 3,000 yards per side, it's now a nine-hole executive course that plays at a distance of 2,300 yards.
All the holes are either par 3 or 4 and a round of golf can easily take less than two hours.
Olson said the business has been picking up steadily since the course opened June 26.
"The first week we were open was steady, and the second and third weeks have been quite busy," Olson said. "We're getting 130 to 160 golfers a day."
The new Lincoln Park course offers some of the holes from the old 18-hole course.
Olson said that old holes 10 and 11 remain intact, but they now are the first two holes. Old No. 1 is the eighth hole. Old hole No. 12 is the same, except for a new green. It's the third hole on the new course.
Old holes 6 and 13 remain basically the same but play to a shortened version because of the dike construction. They're now holes 5-6.
The cost is reasonable, too. Olson said the fee is $10 for nine holes and $18 if a golfer elects to go around the course twice. For youth ages 8-17, the cost is just $5. Monday through Friday, golfers can go around the course as many times as they want for $20.
The course remains a project in progress. Olson said once all holes are fully set, the length of the course will be increased by approximately 500 yards, making it close to the length of nine holes at the original Lincoln Park Golf Course.
Olson said with the dike construction and taking the low land out of the course, he doesn't expect the course to be impacted much by any future flooding.
"Every hole we have is elevated above normal flooding," Olson said. "We should suffer minimal damage in the future, if any."
Olson said he's heard many positive comments about the new course. "Golfers like it, because they can come out after work and get in nine holes with their buddies," Olson said. "We're seeing a lot of youngsters on the course and seniors as well in the mornings, and we're getting families turning out on weekends. We're geared more toward families and youth that seems to be our target group."
Valley Golf Course
Work continues on the new nine holes being built at Valley Golf Course in East Grand Forks. The new nine, being built on the dry side of a levee that will run through the course, could be finished by Sept. 1 and possibly open for play next season.
"They're doing fine-grading and shaping of holes 12-17 now," said Greg Boppre, spokesman for the course. "That includes the fairways, rough and bunkers, and fine-grading of the greens. And they've started to put in the irrigation system for the fairways and also the draining system for the greens."
When the levee is put through the course in 2006, only the nine holes currently under construction on the dry side of the dike will be available for play. In 2007, when the levee system is completed, Valley will be back to an 18-hole course. "It's very exciting to look ahead to that," Boppre said.
Source: Grand Forks Herald (North Dakota)
