Riverwood Golf Course Opens Back Nine - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Riverwood Golf Course Opens Back Nine

While many homeowners continue to rebuild from last summer's Missouri river flooding, a once-flooded property in South Bismarck has blossomed.

"This has been our home, our home course forever it seems like."

This group of ladies has been golfing together for around 15 years.

"It's our first day here we've been looking forward to this for months, when he said they were opening on the 2nd, we tried to be the first ones out, looks like we're the third." says Bev Cross.

"The groundskeepers and the people at Riverwood did a wonderful job to get this ready, it's exciting, phenomenal, I couldn't sleep last night I was so excited." says Deb Steffeck.

That's because the back nine holes at Riverwood are now open for business.

"We're one of the first ones out this year and one of the last out last year." says Steffeck.

"It was devastating to be around fish swimming around and the stink and the stench." says Dan Waldoch, golf operations manager.

"We saw devastation and said it'll be years before this opens again, and now here we are, it's a great day." says Deb Steffeck/Bismarck.

"I walked down here a month ago and didn't think it would happen." says Cross.

"We thought it would be piecemeal it was surprising to hear the whole back 9, you can still see some trees it's affected." says Pam Ihmels.

"It's amazing we've recovered as fast as we have, I thought it was going to be next spring, we're opening much earlier than we thought." says Dan Waldoch.

"Riverwood is an icon, we're the diehards." says Ihmels.

"It's the atmosphere, the setting, the calmness the beauty." says Steffeck.

"The past year has been amazing listening to people and how they miss the golf course, their anticipation of getting it open, it's like part of their life, very important to them." says Waldoch.

Riverwood workers say the front nine will be open hopefully next spring.

For a list of prices or to set up a tee time, check out www.bisparks.org or call Riverwood, 222-6462.