KPTH FOX 44: Local News and Entertainment for Sioux City and Siouxland | Rebuilding the Back Nine at the Dakota Dunes Golf Course

Rebuilding and fixing is the goal at the Dakota Dunes Golf Course, one of many places nearly destroyed when the Missouri River flooded this summer.

As the Dunes tries to get the course back, it's a balancing act between golf and flood protection.

When the Dakota Dunes Country Club opened back up in September, there were a few things missing on that Arnold Palmer designed course, like holes 17 and 18.

"This isn't something you see every day and it is a bit of a unique challenge," says Brandon Johnson, a Senior Design Architect with the Arnold Palmer Design Company.

After a summer of flooding the Dakota Dunes Golf Course is a barren land. A levee runs right through holes 17 and 18, but now the community's working to get those holes back.

"From a flood protection standpoint, this is a starting point," says Jeff Dooley, Manager of the Dakota Dunes Community Improvement District.

The work needs a balance between flood protection and golf course, as the Arnold Palmer Design Company works to rebuild what was almost lost.

"It's unfortunate that the communities had to endure that but I think we'll come out on the other side a heck of a lot better, heck of a lot stronger, and with a golf course that everybody's going to be proud of," says Johnson.

The course is a symbol for the community's fight against the Missouri River, and that community is getting back on its feet.

"The main thing is our community is back living in their homes, functioning as a community, and probably even a closer community than we were before the flood," says Dooley.

All as the Dunes Golf Course inches closer to making that barren land of this just a bad memory.

Ground work on those holes won't start until next spring, the Country Club is hoping work will be wrapped up by next fall.

As far as the town of Dakota Dunes, most of its infrastructure is back in place now.

Around half of the southern levee has been removed so far, and a lot of the dirt from that levee is being stockpiled just in case something bad happens next year.