The improvements on the northern half of the course were part of a larger joint effort among the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, the city of Minneapolis, and the Park Board (MPRB) to better handle water drainage and keep pollutants out of the Mississippi River. “People love it … It’s a 103-year-old course with a 2021 facelift,” says Marc Rymer, Columbia’s general manger. Renovation will later happen on the southern half of the course.
Columbia Golf Club in Northeast Minneapolis now has all 18 holes back open again after wrapping up a $7.4 million drainage project that started about two years ago, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported.
The project focused on the northern half of the course, which is owned and operated by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s golf system. The improvements were part of a larger joint effort among the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, the city of Minneapolis, and the Park Board (MPRB) to better handle water drainage and keep pollutants out of the Mississippi River, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported.
The course took nine of its 18 holes out of play early on and slowly opened holes as work was completed.
During early construction, golfers played a makeshift nine holes consisting of both the front and back nine, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported. Then in late summer 2021, the course opened another three holes. In early May of this year, Columbia opened up holes 2, 5, 6, 14, 15 and 16 for a full 18,
The course was a par 71 and is now a par 70.
“For today, we are booked solid until 7:04 p.m.,” Marc Rymer, Columbia’s general manger, said May 19. “People love it … It’s a 103-year-old course with a 2021 facelift.”
Rymer added the course hosted about 250 golfers on May 14.
Other notable changes golfers will see, per the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, are: The pond between holes 2 and 16 is now about five times larger than it was previously; hole No. 16 is now a longer par 4 at about 470 yards; hole No. 14 is now a par 3 (previously it was a par 4); and the course has combo tees for older players.
The southern half of the course will undergo similar demolition and renovation at some point, too, although the timeline for that is still being worked out, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported.
“Soil testing is still being done,” Rymer said.
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