There are three golf courses, owned by the city of Sioux Falls, and managed by Dakota Golf Management that ought to be given some consideration when looking to play golf in the Sioux Falls area.  Elmwood Golf Course, centrally located in the community, and right near the Sioux Falls airport, is an extremely challenging championship golf course.  It is relatively flat with a variety of hazards including tree lined fairways, fairway bunkers, challenging bunkers around the greens with an enormous amount of sand to make shots very challenging and water hazards that frequently come into play.  From the black tees, the total yardage is nearly 7,200 yards.  The tee boxes are well groomed and nicely maintained.  The greens are championship quality with the golf ball rolling true, especially after the dew evaporates.  At each tee box is a sign for the hole which lists the total yardage from each tee box with the hole layout placed against a large boulder.  The course is relatively flat so it is walkable for those who prefer to walk rather than ride.

It was obvious that recent investments in Elmwood have been made as there were several areas that appeared to have been re-sodded, not an inexpensive endeavor.  The course offers a very nice driving range and practice facilities to warm up before the game and work on improving your game after a round. 

Customer service was outstanding with a very helpful staff.  The pro shop is large with a great deal of clothing, shoes and other golf accessories.  A number of items were being offered on sale including golf shoes, shirts, socks, etc.  There is a grill adjacent to the pro shop.

An observation about pace of play is that walking fivesomes should not be permitted, particularly on a Saturday morning when we were there.  There was a beverage cart on the course but that could be more active particularly on the weekend.

The course appears to get a lot of play and it is one that should be played again and again.  It is definitely worth visiting when in Sioux Falls!

Latest Update: 7/18/2011