North Dakota
Year-round golf and community gathering space being built in Killdeer
KILLDEER, N.D. — A former fire hall in the heart of Killdeer is being transformed into something entirely new for western North Dakota: an upscale golf simulator facility designed to serve youth athletes, recreational players and the broader community.
Known simply as The Foundation, the new facility is scheduled to open May 1 and will feature multiple state-of-the-art golf simulators, lounge seating, food and beverage options and space for community events. The project is led by the Cowboy Golf Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding opportunities for young golfers in
Killdeer
and surrounding communities.
While the organization has spent more than a decade supporting youth golf programs, the new facility represents its most ambitious project yet — one that leaders hope will benefit residents of all ages.
Contributed / Clayton Johnsen
“This ultimately comes down to supporting the youth,” said Clayton Johnsen, president of the Cowboy Golf Foundation and sixth-grade math teacher and varsity golf coach at
Killdeer Public School
. “The youth ultimately support the community and the businesses around it. We’re trying to keep people here rather than have them go outside the community.”
A vision more than a decade in the making
For Johnsen, the idea behind The Foundation has been ten years in the making.
As a golf coach, he said one of the biggest challenges student athletes face in western North Dakota is the long winter season and lack of indoor practice facilities. In many cases, teams must share limited gym space with other sports, making meaningful golf practice difficult.
“One thing we struggled with as a golf coach is when the weather is inclement — and the winters are long here,” Johnsen said. “We struggle trying to find space, so we pretty much share the gyms at Killdeer Public School. Hitting indoors like that just isn’t conducive to real-life golf.”
Kelly Harju / The Dickinson Press
For years, the team had few options for indoor training besides traveling to Dickinson. The need for a dedicated space for golf practice remained a constant topic of conversation among local supporters of the sport.
The opportunity to make that vision a reality came when city officials approached the foundation about an unused building in town — the former Killdeer
fire hall
.
“The city reached out and said the building was available and asked if we wanted to take a look at it,” Johnsen said. “The board met and everyone loved it. It’s got good bones, tall ceilings, big doors and a great location in the middle of the city.”
Rather than allowing the structure to sit idle, the foundation saw an opportunity to repurpose the space into a modern recreation facility.
Repurposing a community building
The former fire hall offered the ideal footprint for a simulator facility, according to project organizers.
Because the building already includes open floor space and high ceilings, the renovation process has focused primarily on upgrades such as lighting, flooring, technology installation and interior finishes.
Kelly Harju / The Dickinson Press
“The building has strong bones and solid infrastructure,” Johnsen mentioned in a city commission meeting. “Rather than letting it sit idle or drain resources, we have an opportunity to reimagine it into a space that brings people in and supports local activity.”
Renovating an existing structure has also proven to be significantly more cost-effective than constructing a new recreation center.
Upgrades including LED lighting, modern sound systems and epoxy flooring are helping transform the space into a premium facility without the price tag of a full rebuild.
Johnsen said the visual impact will be noticeable the moment visitors walk through the doors.
Kelly Harju / The Dickinson Press
“They’re going to epoxy the whole floor, so that’ll be a big wow factor,” he said. “There will be LED lighting inside and out, and almost 20 TVs throughout the building.”
The facility will also include sliding barn doors and private areas that can be used for corporate gatherings, holiday parties or community events.
A new kind of recreation in western North Dakota
Once completed, The Foundation will feature four golf simulator bays and multiple large projection screens capable of creating immersive golf experiences.
Two of the simulator screens will measure approximately 25 feet wide and curve around the hitting area, creating a 180-degree field of view. Two additional simulators will measure about 18 feet wide.
Kelly Harju / The Dickinson Press
But golf will only be part of the experience.
The simulator technology will also allow visitors to play virtual versions of other sports and games, including football, soccer, trapshooting and kickball.
The goal, according to facility manager Billie-Jo Stahl, is to create a welcoming space where people of all ages want to spend time.
“We want to wow people,” Stahl said. “And we want it to become a place for kids to come and hang out.”
In addition to simulator bays, the facility will include lounge seating areas where visitors can relax, socialize and watch television while others play.
Food and beverages will also be available, adding to the social atmosphere.
Contributed / Clayton Johnsen
“Food and drink will be here, and we have sitting areas,” Stahl said. “We also have plans for an outdoor patio where people can relax and enjoy events,” Johansen added.
Community partners are also helping bring unique touches to the facility. For example, Cowboy Golf Foundation board member Jeremy Bird plans to provide smoked meats that can be served during events or gatherings.
Supporting student athletes
Although The Foundation is designed to serve the entire community, youth athletes remain at the heart of the project.
The Cowboy Golf Foundation has spent more than a decade supporting local students who participate in golf.
According to Johnsen, the organization pays for golf course memberships for every student golfer at Killdeer Public School and provides equipment such as clubs and push carts when needed.
“We started this over 10 years ago to give youth opportunities they normally wouldn’t have,” Johnsen said. “We pay for their memberships at Medicine Hole Golf Course, and we provide anything they need on or off the golf course.”
The foundation also awards scholarships to graduating seniors who participate in the golf program.
The new facility will take that support a step further by providing year-round training opportunities.
Kelly Harju / The Dickinson Press
With advanced simulator technology, players will be able to analyze swing data, ball flight, club speed and accuracy — tools typically available only at high-end training facilities.
This kind of data-driven practice environment can help student athletes refine their technique and remain competitive even during the winter months.
The facility is also expected to attract visiting teams from across the region.
Because the building is large enough to accommodate an entire team at once, organizers say it could become a training destination for school programs within a 100-mile radius.
“No other town within 100 miles of Killdeer can do the same,” Johnsen said in a commission meeting. “We want this to be the premier golf facility in western North Dakota.”
A gathering place for the community
Beyond athletics, The Foundation is also designed to become a social hub for Killdeer residents.
Organizers envision the facility hosting birthday parties, leagues, tournaments and corporate gatherings throughout the year.
The building’s flexible layout will allow groups to rent space for events ranging from holiday parties to community celebrations.
Kelly Harju / The Dickinson Press
Plans also include an outdoor patio area where seasonal events and gatherings can take place.
For many residents, the facility will offer a new form of recreation that isn’t dependent on weather conditions — a particularly valuable feature in North Dakota.
Weather and daylight hours often limit outdoor activities for much of the year. Indoor simulators allow people to enjoy golf and other sports regardless of the season.
Families, students, seniors and visitors will all be able to participate.
A nonprofit mission focused on community
Despite the scale of the project, Johnsen emphasizes that the foundation itself is nonprofit and community-driven.
“Our foundation is nonprofit, so everything we do comes back to the kids and the community,” he said. “We’re not benefiting off this. It’s about giving people opportunities.”
Looking ahead, the foundation hopes the success of the facility could lead to future expansion.
Contributed / Clayton Johnsen
One long-term vision is the possibility of adding additional space dedicated specifically to youth programming.
If that happens, the public portion of the facility could eventually operate around the clock through a membership system that allows users to reserve simulator time online and access the building through secure entry.
“It’s all about building something that the community can be proud of,” Johnsen said. “We want people from Dunn County and beyond to see this and feel like it’s something special.”
As the finishing touches are completed — from flooring and paint to lighting and sound systems — anticipation continues to build for the facility’s grand opening.
For many in Killdeer, The Foundation represents more than just a golf simulator.
It is a project rooted in community pride, youth development and the belief that even a small town can create something truly unique.
And if organizers have their way, the former fire hall will soon become one of the most popular gathering places in western North Dakota.
Why North Dakota?
District Game Warden Noah Raitz
I admit that when I was first thinking about getting into conservation enforcement, I was not thinking about moving to North Dakota. Not because I didn’t like the state or had a reason not to move here. It was the opposite. I lacked the knowledge of what North Dakota had to offer. I was also in high school, so I had no idea what my plan was other than going to college.
I was just talking about this with another warden and the recruitment of candidates for our game warden positions. Sure, we hire wardens born and raised in North Dakota, but that’s not a requirement for the job. As proof of that, I grew up 30 minutes from the North Dakota border but didn’t start to think of it as an option until college.
I attended the University of North Dakota and one summer I worked for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department as a fisheries seasonal in Devils Lake. I enjoyed the work, but it also showed me the fishing opportunities the state offered that I had never explored before.
I also helped with sharp-tailed grouse surveys in college, which showed me the upland hunting opportunities that, again, I had never explored.
I grew up hunting waterfowl, but not in North Dakota until college, when I was introduced to field hunting. As you can guess, this showed me the prized waterfowl hunting so many people are passionate about in North Dakota.
I say all that because North Dakota’s habitat and natural resources are worth appreciating. It might not be flashy mountains or cabin-packed lakes, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a lot to offer. We have the prairie, badlands, the Missouri River system, and many other unique landscapes throughout the state.
What do those have in common? They are made up of large areas of undeveloped landscapes for anyone to enjoy. Or in my case, to work in. That’s my office, the habitat for our fisheries and wildlife resources. I may not have a fast-food restaurant or big shopping mall down the road, but I do have various hunting and fishing opportunities within 5 minutes of my house.
I was asked recently what the favorite part of my job is, and it wasn’t very difficult to answer. It’s the interactions I get to have with the public. Getting to listen to a young angler tell me about the big fish they caught, or a new hunter showing off their first duck. It’s also the older generation telling me about hunting or fishing stories from before I was born.
To circle back to where I started, I did not expect to end up in North Dakota, but I am sure glad I did. Enforcing game and fish regulations is easy when the majority of our interactions don’t end in a citation, but instead a hunter or anglers’ story about that day’s success or defeat.
BISMARCK — The North Dakota Attorney General’s Office is cautioning homeowners to be on the lookout for asphalt-paving scams.
Homeowners may be approached by unannounced illegitimate contractors claiming to be “working in the area” with “excess material” for purchase at a discounted price, with same-day decisions encouraged, a news release stated. Contractors may demand a large upfront payment, in which case they may simply leave town or begin working immediately, insisting on payment as soon as work is completed.
The work will be low-quality and easily identifiable as a scam, the release said. False contractors may even use intimidation or threats for quick payment before work can be inspected.
Homeowners should be cautious of anyone offering unsolicited paving work, especially if they claim to have leftover material at a discounted price.
The office provided the following tips to avoid falling victim to a scam:
- Research any contractor before hiring
- Ask detailed questions about the business
- Get all estimates and terms in writing
- Avoid making full payment up front
- Avoid using cash and mobile payment apps
“Pay attention if your intuition tells you that an offer appears too good to be true, because it likely is,” North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in the release.
Consumers with questions or who suspect they may have been targeted by an asphalt-paving scam should contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at (701) 328-3404.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
FARGO — As North Dakota voters cast their ballots for the June primary election, choosing candidates won’t be the only decision they’ll face.
Voters will also decide whether future ballot measures must be composed of just a single subject.
The Legislature placed the matter on the ballot in 2025, when it passed
Senate Concurrent Resolution 4007.
Some lawmakers argue the measure, if passed, will work in favor of voters by making future amendments more digestible and less jumbled for voter comprehension.
Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, one of the lawmakers in favor of the measure, said it would prevent any “bait and switch” tactics to pass unpopular amendments against the wishes of unassuming voters. Hogue sponsored the legislative resolution that placed the measure on the ballot.
The Seante passed the resolution with outspoken support, only one lawmaker voted no. However, the resolution faced more resistance in the House, passing in a vote of 57-36.
If passed, the resolution would require the Secretary of State’s office to verify that future amendments meet the single-subject requirement.
One outspoken voice in opposition of the resolution is House Minority Leader Zac Ista, D-Grand Forks, who said he voted against the resolution fearing it would introduce a “layer of bureaucratic review” to the ruling process. Ista also added there is not clear criteria for determining what meets the requirement.
“I think in North Dakota, if we entrust the secretary of state and attorney general of being the sole arbiters of what is and is not a single subject, that’s really going to handcuff voter initiatives in the state,” Ista said.
Contrary to this, Hogue feels the resolution would not require any complex review to determine whether or not future amendments meet the single rule requirement.
“I don’t think it’s a legal judgment. I think if you’re trying to pass two different measures in one, that’s a common-sense judgment.” Hogue said.
Measure 1 is the first of four constitutional amendments on the North Dakota ballot for this upcoming election cycle, three of which won’t be voted on until this November.
Early voting in some counties begins Tuesday, June 2. Election Day is Tuesday, June 9.
How Measure 1 will appear on the ballot
“This constitutional measure would amend and reenact section 9 of article III and section 16 of article IV of the Constitution of North Dakota, relating to requiring each resolution adopted by the legislative assembly proposing a constitutional amendment and each initiative petition and measure proposing a constitutional amendment be comprised of a single subject. The proposed amendment is summarized as follows: constitutional amendments would be limited to one subject. The Secretary of State shall not approve an initiative petition for circulation if the Secretary determines that the proposed amendment comprises more than one subject. Additionally, the legislative assembly is required to limit proposed amendments to the constitution to one subject.
“The estimated fiscal impact of this measure is none.”
Text via the North Dakota Secretary of State’s office.
Brennan Collins is a reporting intern who started at The Forum in May 2026.
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