Last Updated:
August 10, 2026
July/August Agronomy Updates
Course Maintenance Update Hole 11 Green Recovery Recent back-to-back rainfall events caused erosion to several cart paths and deposited silt and clay onto the Hole 11 putting green. The accumulation of fine sediment began to seal the surface, restricting water and air movement within the turf and negatively impacting the health of the green. The effects were evident within a short period of time.
To restore the playing surface, we first washed the green to remove as much sediment as possible before performing core aerification to a depth of 3 inches on 2.5-inch spacing. The green has responded very well to this process, and we are encouraged by its recovery.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to protect and improve the quality of our putting greens.
Summer Conditions & Upcoming Agronomic Practices
Despite an extended period of hot and dry weather, the golf course has performed well overall. Over the past eight weeks, turf conditions have continued to recover, and we are pleased with the progress across the property.
August through October is one of the most important periods of the year for establishing healthy turf before winter. Beginning August 3, we will begin aerifying fairways and approaches throughout the golf course.
We intentionally scheduled this work after the peak summer heat to provide newly seeded turf with the greatest opportunity to germinate and establish over the next four to six weeks before winter dormancy.
Our fairway program will include verticutting, core aerification, and overseeding with a bentgrass and fine fescue mix. These practices improve soil conditions, relieve compaction, enhance turf density, and promote stronger, healthier playing surfaces heading into next season.
As we transition into fall, weed management will also become a primary focus. The combination of persistent winds, hot temperatures, and dry conditions has resulted in higher-than-normal weed pressure throughout tees, fairways, and native areas. Our fall herbicide program is designed to significantly reduce weed populations while promoting healthier, more competitive turf. Every maintenance decision we make during the coming months is focused on improving turf health, maximizing winter survivability, and providing the best possible playing conditions for next season. In addition to our fairway maintenance program, we will be focusing on several projects aimed at enhancing the overall appearance of the golf course. Landscape areas with dead or declining shrubs will be cleaned up, and weeds that have become established over the past several seasons will be removed to restore these areas and improve the course’s presentation.
Our team will begin developing its skills in HDPE pipe fusion, allowing us to expand our irrigation system in-house. We are excited to begin the first stages of Kaz Corner, an important project of ours. The area has been mowed and will start designing the green and irrigation. John was instrumental in the success of The Links and truly second to none when it came to giving to just about any kid event in the Williston Basin. John was the best fundraiser the area has ever seen when it came to raising money for youth activities. If you were ever asked to donate to a charity by Kaz, you probably recall him sliding your check back while saying “that’s very generous BUT I think you can do better.”
Employment Opportunities As many of our seasonal employees return to school, we are currently seeking additional team members to join our golf course maintenance staff. If you know someone who is interested in working outdoors and helping maintain the golf course, please contact Gustavo Rodriguez at (701) 580-1933 for more information
Last Updated:
June 1, 2026
Golf Course Update – June Agronomy Updates
This spring has presented several challenges for our golf course and maintenance team. The season has been marked by significant temperature fluctuations, ranging from unseasonably cold conditions to periods of extreme heat. With our last frost occurring as late as May 19, turfgrass has experienced considerable stress, and the rapid transition into warmer temperatures has further complicated recovery efforts.
As a result, we have observed some winter injury and turf loss in fairways(14,15,16,18). Our team has been actively working to address these concerns through a variety of cultural practices designed to promote recovery and encourage healthy turf growth. We have been verticutting affected areas to improve seed-to-soil contact, and we will be applying seed throughout the week to begin rebuilding weakened and damaged sections of turf.
During this recovery period, fairways may appear rougher than normal and could play differently than golfers are accustomed to. Establishing new turf takes time, and while we expect steady improvement, patience will be required as new seedlings germinate and mature. Our goal is to restore consistent playing conditions as quickly as possible while ensuring long-term turf health.
Several greens have also been impacted by this spring’s weather extremes. In addition, a hydraulic leak caused damage, and some stress resulted from aerification being performed earlier than ideal given the challenging growing conditions. While these issues are certainly disappointing, we are confident in our recovery plan and expect these areas to improve as growing conditions stabilize and turf actively regenerates.
Despite these setbacks, we remain committed to enhancing the overall quality of the golf course. In addition to our recovery efforts, we will continue our ongoing projects aimed at expanding approaches and fairway areas to improve both playability and course presentation.
We appreciate the patience, understanding, and support of our members and guests as we work through these challenges. Our maintenance team is dedicated to providing the best possible playing conditions and is focused on restoring the course to the high standards that everyone expects and enjoys. We are optimistic that with favorable weather and continued effort, the course will make significant strides in the coming weeks.