Brookings Country Club was established in 1921 with an Earl Bartling and Ward Waltz design updated by Kevin Norby, featuring 6,770 yards on par 72 with bentgrass surfaces in rolling South Dakota prairie terrain. The semi-private club serves both members and the wider community near South Dakota State University.
History
Brookings Country Club was established in 1921 through the collective effort of local Brookings residents who leased fifty acres of land from A.J. Kendall and transformed it into a golf course. The founders — working without the budget for a professional golf architect — designed the original nine-hole layout themselves, with Earl Bartling and Ward Waltz credited for the course plan. Constructed with oiled-sand greens typical of the era, the original layout placed Brookings among the communities in eastern South Dakota that embraced golf in the decade following World War I. Brookings, home to South Dakota State University, has long served as the intellectual and agricultural hub of the state's northeastern region. The Jackrabbits of SDSU have maintained a historical connection to the club, using its facilities for collegiate competition. The combination of a university town setting and a century-old private club created the conditions for a golf facility that is both well-supported and deeply embedded in community life.The rating of 70.2 and slope of 127 reflect a layout that rewards consistent ball-striking over raw power, with the design's characteristic small, rounded, sharply undulating greens providing the primary challenge for golfers who reach the putting surface. Kevin Norby, a Minnesota-based designer with extensive experience in upper Midwest golf, has contributed to master planning updates in recent decades, ensuring the course has evolved thoughtfully while preserving the character of the original routing. The course's most distinctive setting is its position adjacent to Lake Campbell, approximately fifteen minutes southwest of Brookings. Holes 1 and 2 run along the lake shoreline, bringing water into immediate play from the opening tee shot, while holes 17 and 18 also play within view of the lake as the round concludes. The clubhouse overlooks Lake Campbell, providing one of the more scenic dining and gathering settings available at a private club in eastern South Dakota. The mature trees that line the parkland layout reflect a century of growth since the original planting, creating enclosed fairway corridors that give the course an intimate feel despite its relatively open setting. A short course called The Rabbit Patch is available for beginners and junior golfers, reflecting the club's commitment to growing the game and welcoming newer players into the club environment. This accessible supplement to the main course ensures that members of all abilities and experience levels can find appropriate challenge and enjoyment within the Brookings Country Club grounds. The club has served as a host venue for South Dakota Golf Association events over the years, providing a competitive platform for the state's amateur golf community. Its location in Brookings makes it a destination for golfers from across eastern South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota who seek a private club experience without traveling to the major population centers. More than a century after its founding, Brookings Country Club remains the respected private golf facility in its region, its centennial history making it one of the oldest continuously operating golf clubs in South Dakota.