Since I got done quickly at the Falls, I found another course to play. Willow Run is on the east side of town, in-between the Falls and where we were staying. The proshop got me out right away, behind another single and a twosome. The pace moved great and I got done in about three hours. That made for two three hour rounds the same day, awesome.

The setting at Willow Run is one of the course’s strengths. Lots of the golf holes look good thanks to the rolling terrain. Oddly, the clubhouse is attached to an apartment complex, but don’t let that scare you. I actually think the residents and golfers park in the same lot. So, that certainly is a bit unusual. I know I wouldn’t mind having a golf course within walking distance of my apartment in Charlottesville!

Much of the course lies in a small valley, between a road and some homes. The homes are set back so some road noise is likely to be the only distraction. Trees and a creek come into play on probably half of the holes. The perimeter holes have natural vegetation off to the side and all that leads to a very secluded setting. Off to the right of the 7th hole there’s an old train bridge, adding to the charm.

I don’t think there is any one signature hole, just a collection of solid ones. I also don’t think there is a bad hole either. The 18th is the only hole that is quirky because the fairway has fingers, guarded by lost ball trouble to the left. You really can pick any number of lines and clubs off that tee. I fanned a drive to the right and was just fine.

I played the tips (golds), which are 72.6/135/6670. The course is a par-71 and from those tees I found it to be challenging, but also fair. It is a course where you can play to your strength, whatever that may be. If you drive the ball well, you will get some birdie looks. Or you can slash it around like me and let your iron play or chipping or putting shine.

Considering the high slope, I found the course to be very playable. In fact, there were times I was expecting to lose my ball and I ended up surprised to find it! Mounding around the greens can yield favorable bounces too. For my Mid-Atlantic friends, Willow Run struck me as an Ed Ault creation. In case you are curious, Joel Goldstrand designed the course.

The conditions at Willow Run were good. It looks like the course gets a bit of play from the locals. The course was very green, but on the firmer side. I struggled to judge the large first bounces on the greens. The fairways were full, with just a few patchy spots. The greens rolled well and were speedy, much quicker than they looked. And, the rough was thick. I couldn’t get any elevation from it and looked silly playing from it.

There were a couple things I didn’t care for about Willow Run. First, most of the par-3’s are long irons (blah). There are five par-3’s here and four of them are between 185 and 205 yards. Second, the course felt overpriced – $60 riding during the week. Every other course I looked at was in the $40 range.

Overall, I’d call Willow Run a good Midwest/Plains course and would recommend a round here for the right price. The setting was more in line with what I expected for a course in this part of the country and the course has plenty of character. But, for the price I paid, Grand Falls is the clear winner if comparing the two. Based on what I’ve seen online and in person while in town, I’m impressed with Sioux Falls golf.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):