Alright folks, today I gotta tell ya about hunting down golf courses right here in Minot, North Dakota. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. Gotta be honest, I figured Minot, up in North Dakota, maybe had one or two decent places to swing a club. Boy, was I in for a ride.
First thing Tuesday morning, I fired up the laptop, thinking “Google maps is my best bud.” Typed in “golf courses Minot nd” real quick. Got some pins dropped, mainly just one or two big names everyone kinda knows. Felt like scraping the bottom of the bucket. Needed more juice.
Time to Hit the Phones & Chat Up Locals:
- Phoned the Minot visitor center. Nice lady, gave me two names: Souris Valley and the one out by the base. “That’s it?” I asked, kinda shocked. “Well, mostly,” she says. Didn’t feel right.
- Drove down to the Souris Valley clubhouse itself, Wednesday afternoon. Figured they’d know. Asked the guy behind the counter, “Any hidden gems, or maybe smaller spots I’m missing?” He shrugged. “Most folks play here or at The Links.” Frustrating, man.
- Stopped for coffee Thursday morning at Krolls Diner – figured talk to real people living here. Got chatting with a regular named Earl, grey hair, overalls. He leans in: “You try the one south of town? Past the grain elevator? Heard it’s rough, but cheap.” Now we’re talkin’!
So Friday rolls around, I grab my clubs and just start driving south outta Minot, following Earl’s blurry directions. Fields everywhere, flat as can be. Finally saw a faded sign half-hidden by tall grass: “Valley View Fairways.” Place looked like it hadn’t seen a mower all season. Drove past a rusty gate onto this gravel patch they called a parking lot. Met old Bill at the “pro shop” (a shed with a cash box). Paid him ten bucks cash. He grunted, “Back nine’s better.” Uh huh.
Played nine holes. And wow. “Rough” didn’t cover it. Some greens were just patches of dirt. Gopher holes like landmines on the “fairways.” Felt like I was pioneering golf. Took a picture of a sign dangling off one chain-link fence, paint peeling like crazy.
Here’s the Real Picture I Uncovered:
- Souris Valley Golf Course: Public, kinda the main player. Greens were okayish that day, but the sand traps? Solid as cement. Real pain.
- The Links of North Dakota: Over by the Air Force base. Neatly kept, sure, but man, the wind out there! Felt like hitting into a wall half the time.
- Minot Country Club: Private. Drove past it. Gates looked fancy. Didn’t bother knocking.
- That sketchy Valley View spot: Still counts as a course, I guess? Survival golf. Bring extra balls.
Sunday afternoon, I sat down with my notes, spread out the crumpled scorecards. Thought I was just checking out local greens. Instead, found myself thinking about how this little adventure mirrored bigger things. Trying to find something decent, something reliable, you gotta dig. The polished fronts are nice, sure, but the real story’s out past the grain elevators, playing through the dirt patches. Finding anything that works, really works, takes legwork. Same as anything else worth doing.
The Takeaway for Next Time
Don’t trust the first page of search results, ever. For anything. Talking to Earl got me the most real info. Places look different when you show up versus when you see the photos on the website. And honestly? Sometimes the messy options are the ones you remember. Gotta appreciate people trying to keep things running, even if it’s just a shed with a cash box and mowed-down grass pretending to be a putting green.