As the director of Golfweek's course rating program, Bradley Klein has inspected golf courses around the world.

Now he's setting his gaze on Souris Valley Golf Course.

Klein, the Golfweek Magazine architecture editor and director of the "Golfweek's Best" course rating program, has been hired by the Minot Park District to consult on the future of Souris Valley.

Klein toured the course Friday, and will submit recommendations including a written report and a map rendering.

"It gives a fresh perspective," Souris Valley head professional Steve Kottsick said. "We're trying to improve the golf course for everybody."

Klein is also consulting for the Minot Country Club, and says he does similar work for about five courses a year.

He has plenty of familiarity with North Dakota golf courses. In 2007, Klein and a group of Golfweek raters including local Mark Hildahl toured western North Dakota on the "Prairie Dog Tour."

The tour included Bismarck's Hawktree, Medora's Bully Pulpit, The Links of North Dakota and the MCC.

North Dakota golf, specifically Minot golf, is featured in Klein's most recent work in Golfweek. He wrote a piece based on his experience from the Minot State University George Mellem Scramble in July.

Klein said he considers Souris Valley a good public course and an outstanding value for local golfers.

He said the course's greatest asset is the use of the Souris River, which flows through the course and is crossed on seven different holes.

"What's really great about this course is how the river comes into play," he said.

Part of what Klein hopes to do is help the course with strategic use of trees. Klein said there are some unnecessary trees and some places where new trees may be needed.

"They've never had a tree management plan in place here," Klein said.

Klein said any proposed changes have to make sense for the course as a whole.

"Everyone in golf has an opinion, but most people don't know how a golf course functions as a system," he said. "A lot of things get affected by small changes."