Ray Richards Golf Course

[SiouxForever]

4 hours ago, UNDBIZ said:

UND doesn't want to be responsible for the ongoing cost of more empty buildings in Grand Forks.  The goal was to sell the land, cash up front.

You don't say? How'd that goal work out.....

[UNDBIZ]

6 minutes ago, SiouxForever said:

You don't say? How'd that goal work out.....

Obviously not well, but that doesn't make the goal wrong though.  It makes sense that the people of Grand Forks like having a golf course in town that doesn't increase their property taxes for Parks and Rec.  That and a couple of the men's golf team members having well-connected families spelled doom for the project.  Ray Richard's family was ok with a sale and scholarship program until Traynor and a couple others got in their ears.

[ChadR]

Check out the prices for memberships. Too high in my opinion, specifically the 'individual' rate.

https://und.edu/ray-richards/course-fees-and-memberships.html

[tnt]

It says disc golf in the membership info.  Are they planning on having both running simultaneously?  If so, heads up!

[northernraider]

I am still surprised it did not sell to some developer or land speculator for future use.

It is a prime, basically undeveloped location, being near campus, Alerus Center, and interstate ramps. 

[Blackheart]

2 hours ago, tnt said:

It says disc golf in the membership info.  Are they planning on having both running simultaneously?  If so, heads up!

Disc golf?  The profit that concessions would make on weed alone would be enough to fund the course indefinitely. 

[nodak651]

Wow.  Props to UND for being creative here...  looks like they are investigating the potential for a project that could pretty much account for the ideas, thoughts, and concerns that were posted by everyone in this thread.  Hopefully UND gets some worthwhile proposals - the idea of a Top Golf-like facility on the driving range is exciting to think about (although probably unlikely).

UND’s Ray Richards Golf Course Development RFIUND seeks to enter into a Public Private Partnership (“P3”) with a developer to design, finance, construct, own, and manage a development on University land under a long-term ground lease on RRGC.

Some relevant excerpts below:

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but if I were going to develop a year-round golf attraction a la Top Golf in Grand Forks, I would 100% not have the range face N/W/NNW/WNW, which is the most likely orientation using the existing RR range.  The prevailing winds - especially coupled with cool temps from October to April - would make the site almost unbearable.  Fargo's appears to be oriented downrange east (i.e., away from I-29), which (along with due south) is probably ideal in this neck of the woods.  Although only time will tell if you can really sustain a viable 12-month golf operation in this climate.

Has anyone played Top Golf in MSP during the offseason?  I know theirs is oriented to the north, and I have to believe that if their prevailing winds are anything like ours, it would tend to be somewhat unpleasant.

I think a pitch/putt bubble/dome would be far more useful.

[Hammersmith]

1 hour ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but if I were going to develop a year-round golf attraction a la Top Golf in Grand Forks, I would 100% not have the range face N/W/NNW/WNW, which is the most likely orientation using the existing RR range.  The prevailing winds - especially coupled with cool temps from October to April - would make the site almost unbearable.  Fargo's appears to be oriented downrange east (i.e., away from I-29), which (along with due south) is probably ideal in this neck of the woods.  Although only time will tell if you can really sustain a viable 12-month golf operation in this climate.

Has anyone played Top Golf in MSP during the offseason?  I know theirs is oriented to the north, and I have to believe that if their prevailing winds are anything like ours, it would tend to be somewhat unpleasant.

I think a pitch/putt bubble/dome would be far more useful.

I'm just guessing, but I suspect the winds aren't as bad as you'd expect at a Top Golf. At first glance, it would be easy to assume that the netting would be negligible as a wind shelter, but I wonder if that's the case. The netting needs to be tight enough to stop a golf ball so I wonder if it might not stop most of the wind. What could happen is that the wind getting hung up at the string could start to swirl, creating vortices. Those vortices would be much larger than the string itself and be what actually stops the wind. And the stronger the wind, the stronger the vortices. But that's just a guess. Could totally be wrong.

[The Sicatoka]

On the east end of the Ray Richards property is a right triangle (roughly 1000 N/S x 900 E/W x 1300 SW/NE). It is the parking lot, current club house and greenskeeper shed, and driving range. I'd say a range where you'd drive either S or SW would fit in. 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Grand+Forks,+ND/@47.9162299,-97.0797702,548m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x52c681355bbc5e25:0xb6b94d87c5f3d5a!8m2!3d47.9252568!4d-97.0328547

The facility in Sioux Falls is on a lot roughly 1200 x 700. 
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Great+Shots/@43.5850905,-96.7590454,704m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x166177a21816cb70!8m2!3d43.5863182!4d-96.7599114 

 

[UND1983]

Does not having the sun in your eyes factor in at all?  Facing east seems ideal

[The Sicatoka]

34 minutes ago, UND1983 said:

Does not having the sun in your eyes factor in at all?  Facing east seems ideal

Have you heard of this thing I call ... morning? 

Downrange in Sioux Falls is SSE. 

[bincitysioux]

That would be a great addition to the GF area to have a Top Golf style facility, and kudos to UND for looking into something like that.  I feel like the if the hitting bays were situated where the chipping green and maintence shed are now, that shouldn't be a major problem as far as the orientation of the driving range and the prevailing winds. 

As someone who plays the course often, it will be really nice to have an actual clubhouse/pro shop operating again instead of the portable office and porta potties they've been using for the last two summers.  

The proposal also mentions simulators.  Since GF already has a solid simulator business, I hope that isn't the route they go.

Alas, my guess is the final concept will probably be MORE apartments with some sort of tiny pro shop on the ground level where you can pay greens fees.  And I suppose a city wide vote will be required before anything can happen.  NIMBY.  

[SIOUXFAN97]

3 hours ago, bincitysioux said:

That would be a great addition to the GF area to have a Top Golf style facility, and kudos to UND for looking into something like that.  I feel like the if the hitting bays were situated where the chipping green and maintence shed are now, that shouldn't be a major problem as far as the orientation of the driving range and the prevailing winds. 

As someone who plays the course often, it will be really nice to have an actual clubhouse/pro shop operating again instead of the portable office and porta potties they've been using for the last two summers.  

The proposal also mentions simulators.  Since GF already has a solid simulator business, I hope that isn't the route they go.

Alas, my guess is the final concept will probably be MORE apartments with some sort of tiny pro shop on the ground level where you can pay greens fees.  And I suppose a city wide vote will be required before anything can happen.  NIMBY.  

i'm old enough to remember the ole farmhouse proshop!  is the current proshop building a teardown at this point?

[bincitysioux]

Anybody hear of any movement on the development of the Ray Richards driving range property?