The Dakota Trails Golf Course Renovates and Expands Its Clubhouse With a $200,000 REED Loan

Golfers near Armour, South Dakota, can enjoy a modern clubhouse experience and relax on an outdoor, newly covered deck after recent renovations to the Dakota Trails Golf Course. This nine-hole course is open to the public in the Douglas County Recreational Area on Corsica Lake. Renovations to the clubhouse were made possible by a $200,000 loan from the Rural Electric Economic Development (REED) Fund, which covered half of the $400,000 project.  

“I just love the golf course,” says Jay Spaans, a Board Member for the Dakota Trails Golf Course and Manager of the Douglas Electric Cooperative. “I love to golf, but I also enjoy working at the clubhouse and taking steps to improve the facilities.”

Quality of life improvements are an important part of economic development. Learn more about the project supported by the REED fund and how it supports growth in Armour and the surrounding areas. 

The Course Renovations Support the Entire Community

Residents of Armour, Corsica, and other nearby communities can enjoy the course and improve their golf game over the nine-hole campus. However, the clubhouse is open to the public and can serve as a meeting place for events and groups. The board of directors wanted to make the clubhouse a welcoming place where families can relax before and after they play their rounds.

“Golf is a family thing,” says Spaans. “You can do it from a young age to an old age. We see families playing together with parents, kids, and grandparents navigating the course. It’s a great way for multiple generations to spend time outdoors together.”

Spaans says the hardest parts of the renovation project were the manual improvements the board of directors took on themselves to stay within the budget.

“As a board, we spent several evenings at the clubhouse assembling chairs, installing speakers, and completing other essential tasks,” he says. “It was fun working together, but also got to be a little grueling.” 

The Dakota Trails Golf Course is a Staple of Armour

Spaans has played on the Dakota Trails Golf Course his whole life and has seen the Douglas County Recreational Area invest in it over the years. When he was a kid, he played on sand greens. Then the course was upgraded to artificial turf. Now there are grass greens that provide a quality golf experience and improve playability.

“This is one of the top 10 nine-hole courses in South Dakota, for sure,” says Spaans. “We’re surrounded by four other golf courses in the region, but ours seems to thrive. The course is built along a lake, and golfers can relax with a lake view once they finish their round.” 

Armour Has Outdoor Activities to Support Various Hobbies

Armour has a population of 700 residents, and Douglas County has a population of 2,800. However, Spaans is passionate about the region and eager to share everything there is to do there. Families can spend their days fishing on the lake, cooling off in the community swimming pool, or visiting the local volunteer-run movie theatre. There aren’t a lot of places left in America where you can watch a movie for $2 and add popcorn and a soda to the experience for $5. There are plenty of opportunities to get outside and away from TVs and smartphones.

Investing in clubhouse renovations at the Dakota Trails Golf Course gives Douglas County residents a place to go where they can make friends and spend time with their neighbors. They can enjoy a sense of community over a shared hobby. This makes Armour a great place to live. 

Douglas Electric Cooperative Enjoys Working With REED 

Spaans also has positive things to say about working with the REED Fund. As part of his role at the Douglas Electric Cooperative, he helps organizations apply for funding for various projects and ideas. From industrial parks to ambulance services and community theatres, many projects wouldn’t move forward without REED Fund loans. Spaans gets to recommend REED to potential companies and groups that could benefit from its financing. 

“I love the electric co-op world,” he says. “We get to work every day to offer low-cost, high-quality utilities. Contributing to the REED Fund is another way to give back to our community while investing in its future.” 

Explore Other REED Fund Projects

The REED Fund is accepting applications for projects to support economic development across its participating electric cooperatives. Contact the REED Fund or your local eclectic cooperative if you are interested in applying for a loan. You can also explore some of the recent loans approved by REED to learn about the types of projects it funds. You can improve your community with the help of REED and your local electric cooperative.