When many people think of the Karlstad Golf Club, they picture a beautiful place to spend an afternoon golfing.
But during the Karlstad Chamber of Commerce’s August Business Spotlight, Chamber members discovered something much bigger than nine holes of golf.
Behind every perfectly manicured green, every smooth fairway, every community tournament, and every visitor who chooses to spend a day in Karlstad is an extraordinary group of volunteers dedicated to building something our entire community can be proud of.
The Karlstad Golf Club isn’t owned by a corporation or managed by paid executives. It is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization, led by community members and 20 seasonal staff members who generously donate their time, talents, and expertise to continually improve the course and strengthen Karlstad.
The Golf Club is guided by an incredible volunteer Board of Directors:
Each member brings something unique to the table. Whether it’s agriculture, business, construction, mechanics, finance, event planning, coaching, technology, or simply a willingness to lend a helping hand, this team shares one common goal:
Making the Karlstad Golf Club one of the finest public golf courses in Northern Minnesota.
Every successful project begins with someone willing to dream a little bigger.
For the Karlstad Golf Club, that visionary has been Ryan Anderson, who has grown into the role of club superintendent through years of hands-on experience, dedication, agricultural knowledge, and self-taught course management.
Ryan’s connection to the course stretches back decades. He began working at the Karlstad Golf Club when he was just 16 years old, giving him a firsthand understanding of nearly every aspect of the operation—from mowing fairways and maintaining greens to operating equipment and caring for the course day after day. Over the years, that experience evolved into a passion for continually improving the course and ensuring it remains one of Karlstad’s greatest community assets.
Ryan has always believed that if Karlstad wanted to compete with larger regional courses, it needed to invest in quality—not just for today, but for decades to come. And, as Ryan joked during the Chamber visit, he, Brett, Nick, and Tyler all simply wanted a really nice course to play themselves!
As a local farmer, Ryan brought expertise that many golf courses pay large sums of money to outside consultants to provide. His knowledge of soil health, irrigation systems, crop production, turf management, mechanics, and equipment maintenance became one of the club’s greatest assets.
But the irrigation project wasn’t Ryan’s idea alone.
Ryan credits Board President Brett Spilde with first challenging the group to think bigger about the future of the course. Brett introduced the idea of replacing the aging irrigation system, recognizing that if the Golf Club wanted to continue improving, patching leaks year after year would no longer be enough.
Together, Ryan and Brett developed the concept, brought it before the Board of Directors, and assembled a small team of dedicated volunteers who were willing to tackle one of the largest projects in the club’s history.
But the vision wasn’t born overnight.
Ryan shared that the course’s original irrigation system dated back to 1994. It had served the club well for decades, thanks in large part to dedicated volunteers who continually repaired leaks and kept the aging system operating long after most courses would have replaced it. As the years passed, however, repairs became more frequent, and it became clear the system had reached the end of its useful life.
Then came the turning point.
While a contractor was aerating the greens, irrigation lines that had been installed too close to the surface were accidentally punctured. Nearly every green was affected, forcing volunteers to hand-water portions of the course for weeks just to keep the grass alive.
Rather than viewing it as a setback, Ryan, Brett, and the Board saw it as confirmation that the time had come to invest in the future.
What followed became one of the most ambitious volunteer-led projects Karlstad has ever seen.
The Board committed to replacing the entire irrigation system—and thanks to incredible timing, they were able to purchase materials before COVID-era price increases dramatically increased costs. Volunteers completed nearly all of the installation themselves, saving the Golf Club an estimated $300,000 in labor costs while creating a modern irrigation system that has completely transformed the course.
Today, Ryan oversees responsibilities that many golf courses divide among multiple paid professionals. Throughout the season he’s monitoring moisture levels, adjusting irrigation from his phone, maintaining equipment, planning fertilizer and treatment schedules, diagnosing turf issues, and continually searching for ways to improve playing conditions.
Even more special, Anderson Farms donates locally grown rye grass seed, meaning golfers are literally playing on grass grown right here in Karlstad.
Ryan is also quick to point out that none of this would have happened without the support of the volunteer board and countless community members who trusted the vision, dug trenches, installed pipe, repaired equipment, and spent evenings and weekends helping bring the project to life.
Today, when golfers compliment the lush fairways and exceptional greens, they’re seeing the result of thousands of volunteer hours, a bold vision, and a community that believed Karlstad deserved something exceptional.
What was once considered a hidden gem has become one of Northern Minnesota’s premier nine-hole golf destinations.
Players regularly travel from Grand Forks, Fargo, Grafton, Park River, Bemidji, lake country, and beyond to experience the course.
Demand became so strong over the past year that the Golf Club invested in additional rental carts to accommodate the growing number of visitors.
Word of mouth has become the course’s greatest advertisement.
Visitors consistently compliment the exceptional greens, immaculate fairways, and overall course conditions.
Simply put…
People are talking about Karlstad.
One of the Chamber’s biggest takeaways was realizing just how much science goes into maintaining a high-quality golf course.
Maintaining greens isn’t simply mowing grass.
It requires constant attention to:
Many golf courses hire outside agronomists and specialists for these services.
Karlstad’s volunteers perform much of this work almost entirely on their own, saving the club tens of thousands of dollars each year while producing exceptional playing conditions.
Although the course continues to grow in popularity, it remains a non-profit organization.
Every dollar generated through:
is reinvested directly back into the golf course, seasonal payroll, equipment, maintenance, and future improvements.
Running a golf course is expensive.
Large projects like the irrigation system, maintenance equipment, golf carts, and clubhouse improvements simply wouldn’t be possible without community support.
One of the club’s biggest annual fundraisers is its $10,000 Raffle Drawing.
While one lucky winner takes home the $10,000 grand prize, the Golf Club awards nearly $20,000 in total prizes each year. The fundraiser has become one of the club’s most important sources of funding and has helped make major improvements possible.
The Golf Club also appreciates support from:
Every raffle ticket purchased, sponsorship secured, and round of golf played helps preserve one of Karlstad’s greatest community assets.
The Karlstad Golf Club is much more than a place to play golf.
It hosts:
The course also serves as a venue for community fundraising tournaments including:
Organizations interested in hosting a golf scramble are encouraged to contact the Golf Club.
Every tournament brings visitors to Karlstad who also purchase fuel, groceries, meals, lodging, and other services throughout town—creating an economic impact that extends well beyond the clubhouse.
While volunteers maintain the course, Clubhouse Manager Erica keeps everything running behind the scenes.
Throughout the golf season, Erica manages the clubhouse staff, coordinates tournaments, schedules tee times, books facility rentals, and serves as the day-to-day contact for golfers and event organizers.
She’s also known for going above and beyond—preparing meals for golf scrambles, welcoming guests with a smile, and ensuring the clubhouse is spotless for every event.
Her work plays a tremendous role in creating the welcoming atmosphere that visitors remember long after they’ve finished their round.
Today’s golfers expect convenience—and thanks to Tyler Soltvedt, the Karlstad Golf Club has embraced technology that rivals many larger courses.
Tyler has volunteered countless hours implementing and maintaining systems that help the club operate more efficiently and provide a better experience for golfers. From the course’s website and online information to the Square point-of-sale system, self-pay station, security camera system, and fingerprint access system, Tyler has helped modernize day-to-day operations while making life easier for both golfers and volunteers.
His contributions don’t stop with technology.
During the busiest parts of the farming season, Tyler has also stepped in to assist Ryan with course treatments and maintenance, helping ensure the quality of the course never slips when time is limited. And, like many board members, he keeps a watchful eye on the course throughout the season, often checking conditions as he drives by and lending a hand whenever it’s needed.
It’s another example of the countless volunteer hours that often go unnoticed—but make an enormous difference in the success of the Karlstad Golf Club.
Every Tuesday during June, Golf Club volunteers host a free youth golf clinic for local children.
Kids learn:
It’s another example of volunteers investing not only in the course—but in Karlstad’s future.
The Golf Club also believes in supporting fellow Karlstad businesses.
New this season:
🥪 Karlstad Korner supplies fresh sandwiches and wraps that golfers can conveniently take onto the course.
🍕 Karlstad Eagles provides homemade pizzas stocked in the clubhouse freezer—a favorite during league nights and tournaments.
These partnerships help keep more dollars circulating within the Karlstad community.
The Golf Club hopes to bring back its Women’s Golf League beginning in Summer 2027.
The league will be organized as a handicap league, making it welcoming for golfers of every experience level—from beginners to seasoned players.
Women who can’t commit every Wednesday are encouraged to substitute throughout the season, and the club is looking for volunteers interested in helping organize and grow the league.
Whether you’ve golfed your entire life or have never picked up a club, this is a wonderful opportunity to get involved.
What impressed the Karlstad Chamber most wasn’t simply the condition of the course.
It was the people behind it.
People who volunteer because they care.
People who believe Karlstad deserves something exceptional.
People who have dedicated thousands of hours so our small community can offer an experience that rivals courses many times our size.
Because of their vision, their generosity, and their commitment to excellence, the Karlstad Golf Club has become far more than a golf course.
It is a destination.
A gathering place.
An economic driver.
A source of hometown pride.
And one more reason people leave Karlstad saying,
“You’ve got to come play Karlstad.”
