After Flooding, Fisher Grove Has New Green

Frustration is about to turn into excitement at Fisher Grove State Park near Redfield.

Flooding has plagued its golf course in recent years, leaving the ninth hole underwater numerous times. But future flooding won't drop the course below nine holes anymore.

Not far off U.S. Highway 212 sits the newest green at Fisher Grove and golfers can't wait to play it.

"Yes, it's been oh three years since we've had a number nine hole," Galen Campbell said. "So yeah we're looking forward to it."

The existing ninth hole is open now but it wasn't at the beginning of the year. The James River swelled and covered it every year before this one going back to 2009.

"It was frustrating but at least we had eight holes to play on," Campbell said.

That frustration motivated the members to build an additional green so when flooding hits, they aren't short a hole. Work started last fall and it'll be open to golfers Saturday.

This is a very special milestone for golf course superintendent Chuck Halbert. Flooding welcomed him to South Dakota more than a year ago when he had to sandbag around his new home the day after he arrived.

"I'm pretty excited about it. This is my first build and design of any golf course hole," Halbert said.

Halbert says it'll be a ten hole course now and golfers can substitute the new green in for one of the other par three holes. And with this latest option up out of the floodplain, the course should never drop down to eight holes again.

"[It's a] very good addition for the course," Campbell said.

The golf course named the new hole after a member who paid for the materials to build it. Another member provided the equipment to do the work. Other members contributed to a fundraiser.