I am visiting family in South Dakota this week and managed to play four new courses. While I didn’t play great, I did enjoy getting to be outside before winter arrives.

The first course I played on this trip was Fox Run Golf Course. Fox Run is in Yankton, which is about 30 minutes west of I-29. Even though the course is public, I’ve had some trouble getting out here on past South Dakota visits. The course doesn’t take tee times for singles and I’ve just never wanted to make the drive without a guaranteed tee time.

The story for the round today was the weather. It was cool, gloomy, and very windy. So, I used the less than ideal weather as my chance to check out Fox Run. I called the proshop to see about getting out and they said they were wide open. I ended up walking the course in about three hours and only saw a couple other groups. Nice.

Fox Run is municipal course that is owned by the city, but managed by GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness. The course is located on the northwest side of town and has a bit of an urban feel to it. Homes and roads line the perimeter holes, but shouldn’t come into play – except for a terrible shot. I’d say the course has a mix of parkland, prairie, and wetlands style holes.

Patrick Wyss is the designer and he put together an enjoyable, playable design. I played the black tees which are 73.7/126/6997. The course is long and that length is the main challenge. However, there is plenty of space to find a wayward shot. Eight par-4’s play 389 yards or longer. The 15th is a 470 yard par-4 that plays uphill. Dang! The shortest par-3 is 186 yards.

The design is fairly basic – for example, minimal mounding and light bunkering. Overall, not too much spice. The greens have an adequate amount of undulation – enough to keep things interesting. The 9th and 18th holes are tough par-4’s that play across a wetlands area. The 9th is 453 yards and sharply doglegs left. The 18th needs an accurate tee shot and an elevated approach to carry the water. Railroad ties line the hazard to give it a neat look.

The green fee was $40 to walk and I thought that was a good deal. The tees and fairways were lush, even this late in the season. The rough was cut down and playable. The greens had a light layer of sand, but rolled smooth and at a medium pace.

Overall, I think Fox Run is a good course for the locals. I enjoy a playable course and had a good time here. That said, I’d like to see a set of combo tees – there is an 800 yard gap between the blue and black tees. I’d also like to see a short par-3. If you are in Sioux Falls or Sioux City and are looking for another course, I think Fox Run is worth the occasional drive.

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