For local golfers anxious to get their Big Berthas out, there is going to be a bit of a wait before South Ridge Golf Course in South Sioux City is ready to go.
The end of a five-year lease of the course and clubhouse by Rick Ferrell came to an end over the winter without a renewal, which has put the city in a situation where new leadership will be taking on the day-to-day operations of the course.
Last week, the Community Development Authority approved the hiring of a new course superintendent and will decide later this month on a manager of the course’s clubhouse. With some needed work to be done on the course, the course is not expected to be open for play until early June.
“The course needs a lot of attention on it with an upgrade of the irrigation system, seeding and fertilizing and getting the greens back into playable condition,” Oscar Gomez, the city’s economic development director, told the Dakota County Star earlier this week. “The goal is to leave the facility as a golf course because it’s really a quality-of-life thing for some people and green space like that is hard to replace.”
The CDA hired Adam Sprakel to serve as the course superintendent for 2026 and 2027. Sprakel has 25 years of experience in golf course management and will be working to address the course’s needs heading into the traditional summer season of play, Gomez said.
As for the clubhouse, Gomez said that anyone interested in running the clubhouse has until Tuesday, April 14 to submit a proposal to the CDA for consideration. The proposal will be a two-year deal with an option to extend operations beyond that.
“We’re hoping by mid-April, the CDA will make a decision on who will run the clubhouse,” Gomez said. “It would be a two-year deal with the CDA being able to make tweaks to the process or keep it as it is if everything is running smoothly.”
The large indoor driving range bubble, which was purchased several years ago by Briar Cliff University, remains in place for the time being.
“There has been some talk about (Briar Cliff) selling it, but they’ll continue to use it until they decide to do something else,” Gomez said, adding that he feels the dome is past its life expectancy.
Gomez said that the city is looking to create an advisory board for the course to help create a budget and make sure the course’s operations stay within the budget. The course is also for sale if someone is willing to keep it as a golf course.
“People living near South Ridge really love having the course nearby, so a lot of neighbors are curious about its current status,” Gomez said. “I’m glad to say that it will continue to be a golf course for the time being.”
