PIERRE, S.D. – Thanks to a new irrigation system at Hillsview Golf Course, water hazards are a guarantee.
City staff recently completed the $18,000 upgrade that pumps deep water from the Missouri River into a pump house pond that feeds the water hazards at holes 4 and 8.
“Usually when you hear ‘water hazard’, it’s not a good thing,” said Dean Heymans, City Golf Superintendent. “But having water in these water hazards will greatly enhance the appearance of the City’s golf course and the overall experience for those playing the course.”
Prior to installation of the new irrigation system, the hazards were dependent on Missouri River groundwater. Groundwater levels significantly reduce during the fall, causing the water hazards to dry up.
Pierre Mayor Laurie Gill says that the groundwater issue became very apparent after the 2011 Missouri River flood.
“The flood really shifted a lot of sand and sediment making it very difficult for the old irrigation system to recharge our pump house pond,” said Gill. “The city commission was committed to returning the golf course to pre-disaster condition. In this case, we not only returned the golf course to pre-disaster condition –we improved it!”
Hillsview Golf Course, owned and operated by the City of Pierre, is 175-acre, 18-hole, par-72 championship course. In 2015, more than 30,370 rounds of golf were recorded on the course during the 234 day season.
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