GRAND FORKS — With the growing popularity of golf in Greater Grand Forks, it sometimes can be tough to get a same-day tee time.
The Grand Forks Herald previously reported that Grand Forks Country Club filled its memberships at the beginning of the season, while
Kings Walk and Lincoln Golf Course have seen big jumps in revenue post-COVID.
So on those days when courses are busy in Greater Grand Forks, where does one turn for a quick and casual round?
Following in the footsteps of Grand Forks, close-by regional courses like Northwood Golf Course and Larimore Golf Course have seen major boosts in attendance and revenue. While they have seen frequent participation from Grand Forks golfers in the past, course officials say there has been a noticeable uptick in recent years, primarily due to the availability, affordability and varying layouts and topography compared to city courses.
“One of the cool things I have noticed about the golf industry is people are excited to go play different places and have different experiences,” said Grand Forks Country Club member Ryan Opdahl.
Opdahl is a frequent player at Larimore and is more than willing to drive 20 to 30 minutes to have that “different experience.” He also served on the Goose River Golf Course board in Hillsboro and noticed the influx of golfers coming from out of the immediate area.
“Whether that was because they liked the course, or they liked the price or the availability or whatever, we’ve seen pretty consistent traffic coming (from out of town),” he said.
The Larimore Golf course is located east of Larimore, North Dakota.
Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald
Larimore Golf Course is situated just east of Turtle River State Park. The south branch of the river cuts through a more topographically diverse course that differs from most other area courses. There are elevated tee boxes, challenging short and long holes, and strategically placed trees playing defense down each dog-legged fairway.
This summer, Larimore Golf Course’s membership is 285. That includes approximately 125 Grand Forks residents. Both numbers have increased post-COVID and since the golf course in Manvel closed and became a full-time disc course.
Larimore Golf Course board member Ben Jacobson has found his course to be growing in popularity as more people come from Grand Forks and nearby small towns, like Thompson. Jacobson says it’s “hard to get on the course on weekends” and that can carry over into evenings during the week.
“You look around and you’re like ‘This is a Tuesday,’ ” Jacobson said.
Since 2018, Larimore has “more than doubled” its revenue, with 2025 on track to be better than ever. Larry Jacobson, grounds manager, attributes that to some price increases, but also to more golfers on the course.
“This is our all-time best year in revenue,” he said.
Younger and more casual golfers are another industry trend in 2025, which suits these rural courses. Tee times are not required, and in some cases, not accepted.
The casual nature has been a mainstay at Northwood, and course leaders would like it to continue that way. The course does not reserve tee times, a tradition that some say keeps the setting less intimidating and more inviting for casual players.
“Our goal is for the local population to be able to afford a membership,” said Northwood Park Board member Sharee Haar. “We also don’t want people to get turned away. It’s been super positive and great for the community.”
Pete Houdek putts out at the Larimore Golf Course on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025.
Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald
With the increased revenue, Northwood and Larimore now have the ability to strongly consider projects or improvements for which they haven’t previously had the funds. They may be simple changes like cart path and asphalt paving, but there are still cosmetic changes that may be on the horizon.
Northwood is looking into making improvements to women’s tee boxes after re-siding the clubhouse. Larimore has bridges that course officials are looking to replace, and now can reasonably pay off any loans needed for the projects.
“We can look at trying to do a whole year overall improvement now that we actually have revenue coming in,” Haar said.
That revenue has been steadily increasing for Northwood, too. Halfway through this summer, the course met its entire 2023 gross. It has seen a year-to-year increase from $43,035 in 2022 to $82,614 in 2024. By the time late June rolled around, the course had made $66,974. Memberships have generally hovered around 110 to 115, but this year, they are at 150 and counting.
Minakwa Golf Course in Crookston also caters to the Grand Forks market. Tee times are often available online, and the course hosts various tournaments throughout the summer.
Grand Forks Red River High School senior golfer Kolby Koerner has played in Crookston casually and competitively, noting that it is “not bad for a nine-hole small-town course.”
“They’re not as challenging as a King’s Walk (in Grand Forks), but they definitely present a good challenge,” he said. “The greens are a lot smaller, which can help with accuracy. So there are some benefits to going to those courses.”
At a national level, the question of whether golf has gotten too popular has arisen. Some may be starting to get priced out, while lifelong golfers may grow impatient with newbies and more casual golfers slowing the pace of play. Koerner, a passionate young golfer, sees the benefits and drawbacks to the ongoing growth of the game.
“The courses are full and the growth is a great thing, but Grand Forks is running out of golf courses,” he said, referencing plans. “Other courses like Larimore and Mayville are only going to get busier from here. … It’s not as bad as Fargo yet, but it’s definitely going to be that way in a few years (if this keeps up).”
Golfers (L-R) Hunter Frederick, Teddy Peterick, Dylan Matthews and Hunter Twete putt out on Hole No. 9 at Northwood Golf Course on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025.
Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald
