Association celebrates 25 years of junior golf
JILL SCHRAMM/MDN Chuck Kranz, left, presents Herman Meier with a certificate of excellence for his many years as a bus driver for the Minot Junior Golf Association and other youth sports in the community.
JILL SCHRAMM/MDN Hart Samson prepares to take one of the ceremonial swings made by individuals either involved in the creation of Jack Hoeven Wee Links or their family members. Hart is the great-grandson of Jack Hoeven.
JILL SCHRAMM/MDN Family members of Rudy Zupetz and Wes Plummer, along with Steve Kottsick, gather to be recognized during the 25th anniversary of Wee Links for the efforts of Zupetz, Plummer and Kottsick in raising funds and interest in building the youth golf course.
JILL SCHRAMM/MDN Chuck Kranz, left, presents Herman Meier with a certificate of excellence for his many years as a bus driver for the Minot Junior Golf Association and other youth sports in the community.
JILL SCHRAMM/MDN Hart Samson prepares to take one of the ceremonial swings made by individuals either involved in the creation of Jack Hoeven Wee Links or their family members. Hart is the great-grandson of Jack Hoeven.
JILL SCHRAMM/MDN Family members of Rudy Zupetz and Wes Plummer, along with Steve Kottsick, gather to be recognized during the 25th anniversary of Wee Links for the efforts of Zupetz, Plummer and Kottsick in raising funds and interest in building the youth golf course.
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The Minot's golf community's dream to see young people gravitate to and excel in the sport led to the creation of a first-class youth golf course in 2001.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, the Minot Junior Golf Association celebrated the 25th anniversary of Jack Hoeven Wee Links, announcing plans for more course updates ahead.
"The Wee Links golf course is like no other. I think you'd be hard pressed to find something of this caliber - people who are as committed to it as they are - anywhere in North Dakota for sure, but in the Midwest as well," said program emcee Chuck Kranz, former board member for Minot Junior Golf.
The celebration recalled Wee Links' history.
"We know it couldn't happen without some dreamers," Kranz said.
Those original dreamers were Steve Kottick, who attended the celebration, and the late Rudy Zupetz and Wes Plummer, represented by family members. Kranz said they came together with a plan, but they needed money.
Kottsick contacted Jack Hoeven, former president of First Western Bank & Trust, in Arizona and sold him on the idea for a youth course. Hoeven's $50,000 donation kicked off a fund drive that included $15,000 sponsorships for each of the course's nine holes.
"We're just so thankful for Jack and what he did to get things started, and he was certainly in the corner of kids and golf and knew the importance as well. He was also very instrumental in being part of the Minot Junior Golf Foundation," Kranz said.
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven was unable to attend Saturday, but his daughter, Marcela Samson, spoke on behalf of the family to relate the impact of Wee Links on the community.
"It's amazing to see what the junior golf kids have done from being able to utilize a course like this. We have state champions in Minot now, and I think it's largely due to the dedication of so many people here and the love of golf," she said. "My family is grateful. We love it. We'll continue to enjoy it."
Parker Bartels, director of programming for Minot Junior Golf, said about 3,300 rounds of general and tournament play occurred at Wee Links in 2024. This past year, nearly 6,000 rounds were played, and Wee Links hosted 19 youth tournaments. Minot Junior Golf acquired a trailer to haul equipment and brought junior golf to Kenmare, Rugby, Bottineau, Mohall and Garrison, Bartels said.
Wee Links' season ended Sunday, Sept. 20, and construction starts this week on a canopy shelter, northwest of the clubhouse, to provide additional shade and protection from the weather.
The Bunker, Minot Junior Golf's indoor golf facility, also will be expanded with a 2,500-square-foot addition, including three more simulator bays and an enlarged putting green. Bartels said, this past year, more than 100 youth participated in junior leagues indoors, and the expansion will enable that number to grow.
Kranz spoke about how Minot Junior Golf's entry into gaming has provided funds to sustain Wee Links and to benefit the community. However, there have been challenges, such as the 2011 Souris River flood. Wee Links was rebuilt, only to find itself in the path of a new dike as part of the enhanced flood protection project, which required more course rebuilding.
The celebration program recognized a number of people who have been key to Wee Link's success, including a moment of silence for those who have passed on. Among those present who were acknowledged included Roger Kluck, who had engineered the course; Zupetz's wife, Mary, still golfing at 95; and Herman Meier, long-time bus driver for Minot Junior Golf. Minot Mayor Mark Jantzer and Elly DesLauriers, Minot Parks executive director, also spoke.
"It's one of the most magical things in Minot," Jantzer said of Wee Links. "This is one of the things that makes Minot special, and it's important that it keep going."
Reed Argent, Minot Junior Golf board president, said the association continues the work in honor of its founders and their vision.
"We got the ball rolling," he said of the association, "and we're going to keep it rolling in the future."