The Country Club of Sioux Falls, South Dakota
The tee shot at my favorite par three, the sixth, at the Country Club of Sioux Falls.
When one pictures South Dakota, prairies and Mount Rushmore conjure up the first images that come to mind. The 40th state in America has plenty to offer—especially on the western half of the state—like the Badlands and Black Hills, which I touched on in the Wyoming post. As it relates to golf in the Keystone State, Sutton Bay—located in the absolute middle of nowhere on the Missouri River—reigns supreme. In fact, every list online of the best golf courses in South Dakota has the Graham Marsh giant listed first. The other states that can claim this distinction are California (Cypress Point), Florida (Seminole), Georgia (Augusta National), Kansas (Prairie Dunes), Massachusetts (The Country Club), Montana (Rock Creek Cattle Company), Nebraska (Sand Hills), New Jersey (Pine Valley), Oklahoma (Southern Hills), Pennsylvania (Oakmont), South Carolina (The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island), Tennessee (Honors Course), and Wyoming (Shooting Star). That’s amazing company to be in.
South Dakota is the place my wife spent all her teenage years. My in-laws still live in Sioux Falls. The state’s largest metro area is home now to nearly 300,000. Less than 25 years ago, the area was home to 187,000 folks. To say it’s a booming city is a massive understatement, and yet the tight-knit community doesn’t make it appear so. I always enjoy a visit.
My father-in-law is as avid a golfer as they come, and my sister-in-law is a highly accomplished amateur. The family belongs to The Country Club of Sioux Falls, a 7100-yard, 1959 design right in the middle of town. The clubhouse sits at the bottom of a hill; Sioux Falls’ other private golf club, Minnehaha, is situated at the top. Until 2015, when CCSF underwent a clubhouse demolition and rebuild, the club was called Westward Ho Country Club. The club hosted the 1996 U.S. Junior Girls Amateur Championship, which was won by eventual four-time LPGA tournament winner Dorothy Delasin. I’ve been lucky enough to play the course a few dozen times over the years.
We’ll start with the amenities. Boy, is this place huge. Aside from the 18-hole championship course, there is a 40,000 square foot clubhouse, a nine-hole par three course, a massive pool, and several dining halls big enough to comfortably host a wedding. I once had the remarkable experience of witnessing a unique event on the short course, a six-hole “playoff.” This playoff unfolded following a draw on the 18th hole of the main course, involving a pair of brother-in-laws who were determined not to settle for a tie. That’s the type of place you’d like to belong to. In fact, The Country Club of Sioux Falls encompasses everything you’d want in a “family club”.
The golf course is a little difficult to find if you don’t have directions; cross the bridge and you’ll know exactly where you are. Once you’ve made it, conditions on the golf course are always spectacular. The bentgrass greens roll true and don’t have too drastic of undulations. The layout runs smoothly, and the tall trees separating the holes provide the border. One of the best things about CCSF is that the golf is no frills; there are no blind shots on the course. You get exactly what you bargain for here.
My two favorite holes on the front nine are the fifth and sixth. I love a good short par four, and the fifth amplifies the challenge by adding several bunkers left and right—including one devilish pot bunker in the fairway—to prevent the bombers taking aim at the putting surface. The sixth is what purists might call the signature hole, simply because the amphitheater of cottonwood trees provide a shelter of sorts on the par three. There’s also a water hazard short, a duo of penal bunkers, and a back-to-front sloped green. It’s a challenging hole for how short it is. The ninth is another great high-risk, high-reward short par four with a water hazard swallowing all errant shots to the left. Also of note on the front nine is that the second and fifth share a putting surface, the former’s green being so long that you could have an 80-plus foot putt short. In fact, I have.
On the back nine, the 14th is far and away my favorite hole. It plays 373 yards from the member tees and is a dogleg left. There are many cottonwood trees on the left side that prevent the golfer from taking a line at the green. The second shot is uphill to a green with fun undulations if the pin is in the right place. Of the seven or so courses I’ve played in South Dakota, it’s one of my favorite holes.
My chief complaint about The Country Club of Sioux Falls is its lack of elevation changes. The majority of the holes are notably flat, and, personally, I find the ones that incorporate more elevation variation, such as holes five, seven, and 14, to be some of the most captivating. On a few occasions, I've noticed that a couple of holes—like numbers one and 13—tend to appear quite similar when viewed from the tee due to this uniformity in terrain (and in the case of one and 13, the fact that they lie literally next to another). This sometimes plagues parkland golf courses and cause them to suffer from that “memorability” factor. If you're ever in doubt, try recalling how many of the 18 holes you can remember, as it can be a test of a course's ability to leave a lasting impression. Part of this can be attributed to the one par three and five apiece on the front nine. Even though, in my opinion, it’s the better nine, I would prefer two of each. I’ve heard a member mention making the eighth a par three and the ninth a par five. I would sign off on this.
The Country Club of Sioux Falls is overall a nice, old fashioned, parkland layout from yesteryear. Straightforward golf and zero blind shots await you. It’s always a fun, laidback atmosphere at CCSF. If you can get an invitation, it’s very much worth a try.