Clark Fork receives $20,000 grant for golf course

CLARK FORK — A handful of locals have been putting in steady work to help build a new nine-hole, par 3 golf course in Clark Fork.

The effort recently received a $20,000 grant from the Wadsworth Golf Charities, an infusion of cash that will go a long way toward the course being open for play in the near future.

Clark Fork athletic director Brenda Haase was the driving force behind securing the grant, teaming up with her students last year in search of grants for golf courses.

“I emailed them in October, and the president called me back in November,” described Haase. “My students were dumbfounded. They thought their teacher was crazy.”

Haase says the money will be overseen, and much of it will go toward helping build the greens, the most expensive, time consuming and important part of building any golf course.

The course sits behind the high school, wending its way through tree-lined fairways. Right now the track has a few defined holes, mostly due to the volunteer efforts of community members, especially locals Lewis and Doug Speelmon.

“They’ve been working out there like crazy, pulling stumps, cutting brush, doing some Cat work,” said Haase, noting the course is being built without any money from the school. “It’s all been done by volunteers, who have donated equipment and time.”

When completed, the course will have nine holes ranging anywhere between 100-200 yards per hole. The golf grant money should help hasten the process, and Haase hopes the course could be ready to start playing on a limited basis by as early as late next summer.

“It’s terribly exciting,” she said. “Once we get a few greens in, people can come out and start playing.”