The challenge of tree growth near the runway of a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, airport led to the renovation of Elmwood Golf Course from Kevin Norby, ASGCA (Herfort-Norby, Golf Course Architects). The project is complete and the 27-hole facility is open.
KSOO News reported on the course’s reopening and posted comments from Dakota Golf Management’s Tom Jansa:
“The East 9 is much different now,” Jansa said. “We have a tremendous layout and high-quality conditions. It’s a less expensive option with no tee time required and designed to function much like it was before the renovation (as a learning course). The quality is substantially better.
“Half of those holes were literally untouched from a design standpoint. The greens were reconstructed and reseeded. However, the crews did a detailed mapping of the green surface so when all the old material came out, they reconstructed those surfaces down to a tenth of an inch of the original. The biggest difference is at the end of the runway with holes 10, 11, 16 and 18 those areas don’t have as many large trees anymore to provide a different feel.”
The complete article can be seen here.