Reborn as 18-hole executive course

Old Course redesigned to provide easier recreational opportunities, experiences

By Jim Palmer

Late last year, The Old Course in Sauk Centre unveiled its new executive 18-hole course, starting a new chapter in the course’s 105-year history. The golf course is now open for its first full season, which will include some new features, new improvements and a new general manager.

“We’ve had positive feedback on the course which was great to hear,” said Steve Klick, who has owned The Old Course (formerly known as the Sauk Centre Country Club) since 2013. “The golf course is in good shape. And it will be as fun as it was last year. We have taken what we had last fall and improved it.”

Steve Klick (right), owner of The Old Course in Sauk Centre, stands next to Joe Maleska (left), grounds superintendent, a few days before The Old Course opened for the season. The course was recently changed from a 9-hole course to an 18-hole executive course, opening late last year. This is its first full season using the new layout.  Photo by Jim Palmer

Golfers coming to play The Old Course for the first time in a few years will see some changes when they arrive to play. The clubhouse is now open only for special events, so golfers will check in at a smaller renovated cart shed building near the clubhouse. The building has food, drinks, bathrooms, and a pro shop. A window was recently installed in the building so golfers can drive their golf cart right up to the building to grab a drink.

When they are checking in, golfers will likely meet The Old Course’s new general manager, Ashley Amelung.

“I am excited for the season and for the opportunity to get to know people coming to play,” said Amelung, who is a Sauk Centre graduate who moved back to Sauk Centre about eight years ago to raise her family.

Other improved amenities at The Old Course include an updated Challenge Putt course, a lighted short game area and practice range, and expanded games area with a pickleball/shuffleboard/cornhole area.

The Old Course is an executive course, which is different than a traditional 18-hole regulation golf course. It is a shorter, lower-par version of a regulation golf course intended for play without par 5s.

“What we did is carefully carve up our nine-hole course to make an 18-hole executive course.” said Klick.

Executive courses are designed for faster, more accessible play. Most executive courses like The Old Course are made up of par 3s and par 4s. A typical round at The Old Course will take two-three hours, while a traditional course takes around four-five hours. Faster rounds help make golf easier for people’s schedules, also making it easier for beginners to get started and high handicap golfers to develop a feel for the game.

“Giving people who don’t play golf the opportunity – women, minorities, kids – interested in the game of golf is something that has always been part of the reason why I bought this course,” said Klick. “This golf course can provide easier recreational opportunities and experiences. Ninety nine percent of all golfers can’t break 95 on an 18-hole course, so this gives them an opportunity to do that. People do about 10 shots better out here. I wanted to provide a facility that encourages family and friends to spend time together playing golf without pressure and give them space to have fun and improve their game.”

The process of designing and constructing the new course took a couple of years and involved building new greens, tee boxes, and shaping the holes so they looked and felt natural. A big part of that process involved converting the three par 5s of the old course into multiple par 4s on the new course; all the while, preserving all of the traditional greens and tee boxes.

Ashley Amelung, new general manager, behind the counter in the snack shack area at The Old Course in Sauk Centre. Contributed photo

“One person said to me last year, ‘You’ll ruin the course without par 5s. But we don’t have them anymore,’” said Klick. “Actually that is not true. They are still there. We haven’t destroyed anything. We have just moved things forward and around with a new layout of the course. If someone wanted to play the par 5s, they still could but it would require remowing the fairways, changing the signage, and buying all the tee times for three weeks. They are still out there. The tee boxes and the greens are still there for all the holes.” Preserving all the holes and greens is something that Klick didn’t need to do, but it was very important to him. People grew up on this golf course, and created many meaningful relationships and memories there.  He also is a strong believer in the importance of both rural America and how golf courses like this  helped shape rural communities.

“This was a piece of bare farmland in 1921,” said Klick. “The minute the golf course opened here 105 years ago people wanted to live by it. So housing development started taking place in that area. This neighborhood was important and it was unique. People came to the golf course to congregate and for recreation. And the people became involved with the golf course, supported it through its ups and downs so it could be retained for future generations. There were some difficult times over the last 105 years, but somehow the golf course always survived. It was always a place where people gathered for family, business, and community functions with golf always being an integral part of it. All those things are still important today and the game of golf remains the basis of our operation.” 

The preservation of important places like this golf course also fits in with Klick’s strong belief that we should do our best to reinvest and protect rural America.

“This whole project isn’t about golf,” he said. “When I think about this property I focus on what is important. Economic development and tourism, in addition to having fun. We are looking into providing facilities for business activities, meetings, and philanthropic projects. We want kids to want to live in this area. I grew up in Long Prairie, have lived in both Sauk Centre and Glenwood, and have been enjoying all of these communities. Over the years, we as a nation have shifted much of our population to the metropolitan areas. In the process, we have destroyed small towns and a lot of the good things that were out here. I want to help make this a better place. I’m very driven by the idea of rural America. It is a big deal to me. That’s why I’m doing this.”

The Old Course is located at 606 Lake Shore Drive in Sauk Centre and its phone number is 320-238-8001. For more information on the course, visit www.saukgolf.com, or visit its Facebook page.