Elmwood Park Golf Club

Elmwood Park Golf Club operates as a municipal facility in Sioux Falls, serving the city's golfing community since the mid-twentieth century. The East 9 represents one portion of the club's multi-course layout, designed by Larry Packard, a regional architect who worked extensively across the upper Midwest during the 1960s and 1970s. Packard's work typically emphasized playability for public golfers while incorporating the natural terrain features common to the northern Great Plains. The East 9 plays across relatively modest terrain characteristic of eastern South Dakota, where gentle elevation changes and open landscapes define the golf experience. The routing likely follows traditional out-and-back or looping patterns suited to municipal operations, with fairways framed by native grasses and mature trees planted over decades of course maturation. Water features, when present, tend to be modest ponds or drainage areas rather than dramatic hazards. As a municipal nine-hole course in South Dakota's largest city, Elmwood Park serves a broad cross-section of local golfers, from beginners to experienced players seeking convenient practice rounds. The facility functions as an accessible entry point to the game and a regular venue for casual play. The course reflects the straightforward design principles of its era, prioritizing functionality and maintenance efficiency over dramatic architectural statements, which remains appropriate for its role in the community's recreational infrastructure.