The high waters of the Souris River didn't play any favorites during the recent torrent that ravaged the city. Homes, businesses, automobiles and campers were all thrashed and trashed by a combination of the putrid Souris above ground and repulsive sewage from below.
At the Minot Country Club just west of Minot, the smell Monday was similar to what was evident in the air following the receding of waters from the historic flood of 1969. The damage, however, is much more extensive.
"Yes, the smell is familiar. I can still remember that from '69," said Todd Lee, Country Club professional. "It's just hard to see such a piece of property down here in the valley, that's always been so beautiful, just wiped out by flooding."
Lee could have been speaking about any neighborhood or residence in the Souris River Valley, but he was looking out over a dingy, soggy, muddy, colorless layout that used to be one of the most picturesque courses in North Dakota. Take away the green of some dying evergreen trees and the layout would perhaps pass for moonscape. Recovery seemed so very far away.
"We'll be back," said Lee. "It's going to take some time and strength from our members and our local community. Bruce Ruppert and his crew have been working around the clock, but it's like having a thousand acres of water and a five gallon bucket in your hand. It can be a helpless feeling but we've been working hard."
Minoters hit hard by flooding are beginning to realize the need for getting away from the daily grind of working on their homes and worrying about their futures. Mental health is important and, for an hour or two, golf can provide a necessary escape.
"It is an outlet for some folks," agreed Lee.
The driving range is open at the Country Club. Other than that, the best that can be hoped for is the possibility of playing a three or four hole course later this week.
"Possibly," said Lee, unwilling to make any promises. "Our goal is to get a nine-hole course open by September 1st. We want to get a little normalcy as fast as we possibly can and then shift our focus to our buildings, which have been hit fairly hard."
The clubhouse at the Country Club was blasted by the Souris River. The formal and elegant dining room looks as if it was the scene of a viscous brawl, and then sprayed with layers of mud. A shattered piano lies in the middle of the dining room, covered in muck.
Chairs, tables and tablecloths are strewn about, some on top of the bar at the end of the room. It's a ghastly scene compared to what one would normally encounter when attending a Sunday brunch where a chef clad in tall hat and kitchen whites could be seen carving a succulent roast beef, and diners could watch through huge windows while golfers walked lush, green fairways.
"A lot of this is out of our hands," explained Lee. "Number one, if we do build a new clubhouse, can we build it where the existing one is now? We may not be able to. Then there's the golf shop and maintainence buildings. My guess would be there'll be a building with the clubhouse and pro shop together someplace. We'll probably have to rework some holes just to accommodate space if buildings are shifted around."
Lee emphasized that no actual plan for the future has yet been determined for the Country Club, other than to get the course back to normal as soon as possible. The most optimistic guess calls for have 18 holes playable sometime next summer.
"We may have to work out of a pickup truck or trailer for a time," said Lee. "But we'll get it up and running."
