CBS has a popular show called Survivor. If you have never seen the show, they take a bunch of folks from all different walks of life and drop them off in a remote and very harsh location. The winner is basically the last person standing. The champion is the one that can handle all of the stresses of the environment and the day to day living, just to try and get through without losing it!
Sound kind of familiar? Well it sure seems like this spring we are living an episode or two (or three) of Survivor. Not just for the golfers but all of the other folks in our area. North Dakotans are a tough bunch and very resilient and we will get through this! Sunshine would help all of us come out of this kind of blah mood we are in!
Now for a golf update. We currently have a makeshift nine holes open. That can change daily as the river comes up and goes down and comes up and goes down and comes up and.
With our temporary nine, we have two temporary greens and some shortened holes. When (if) the water starts to recede we will do work our get more holes open for our area golfers.
Our goal is to get a somewhat playable and decent nine holes for the rest of the summer and assess the damage when the water eventually gets back in the river banks.
The driving range is open daily and both practice putting greens are both open. So please bear with us in our struggle as this is a year when we really need your support!
We have lowered our
9-hole fee to $12 and 18 holes to $18. We encourage tee times but if you do not have one, come on out. We will get you on!
Some very positive news! The Jack Hoeven Wee Links is fully open and ready for business! Minot's kids golf course is open daily from 9 a.m. until dusk. Cost for kids is $1 to play and 50 cents to rent clubs. It's one of the best kept secrets in Minot. If you have a kid with you and want to try the Wee Links as an adult, you can play the course for $5. It is worth the $5 to play the course and it is priceless to see the joy in the youngsters' eyes as they play a grown up game with their favorite adult! So take 40 or so minutes out of your life to mentor a child at the Jack Hoeven Wee Links. The phone number at the Wee Links is 857-1570. Give the staff - Sandy, Brooklyn, Emma, Danielle or Laura a call at the Wee Links!
I have had a number of golfers ask about a volunteer clean up day. If that looks to be a workable scenario. We will give plenty of notice ahead of time. When the water drops there will be a lot of debris left on the course and our budget will be tight so if it can happen we will sure try and work out all of the details. There have been many questions on the future of Souris Valley as an 18-hole golf course. I think right now the intentions are to put it back to preflood conditions but with as much lower land protection as allowed by law. I am sure we will be communicating with the appropriate agencies to do all we can the try and minimize flood damage in future years. We will try and design it so no matter what the flood levels we can keep a very playable 9-hole golf course with nine real greens.
Tip of the Week: If you find you are short on a lot of your iron shots take one more club and swing smoothly. Most golfers have the tendency to underclub!
Rule of the Week: 18-1 If a ball is moved by an outside agency, there is not penalty and the ball must be replaced.
Etiquette Rule of the Week: Please remember to repair you ball mark and one more!
Quote of the week: "I have to do all of my thinking as I prepare to play. Once the swing is under way, the only thing I can think of is hitting the ball. To attempt to think of anything else is the most certain method of courting absolute ruin.
Good Golfing and keep it in the fairway.
(Steve Kottsick is the head golf professional at Souris Valley Golf Course. He writes a regular column during golf season. He can be reached via e-mail at sports@minotdailynews.com)