FORE! The Valley Golf Course has been serving golfers in Mondovi since the 1960s. (Submitted Photos)

Tucked away in Mondovi – about 20 miles south of Eau Claire – sits an 18-hole golf course with stunning views and rolling hills: The Valley Golf Course. Owners Brad and Erin Amundson inherited the course – and several other surrounding plots of land – in 2019, and have been slowly making changes to bring it to its fullest potential.

The couple, who were originally living in Minnesota, inherited the land from Brad’s father, Roger, who became a partial owner along with nine other people in 2000. Roger had big plans for the course and was part of the group that expanded the course from nine to 18 holes. After several years, the ownership group dwindled to only four people, but Roger ended up buying out the rest of the business in 2017 and passed away shortly after in 2018, leaving the course and surrounding land to Brad.

“I moved down here to sell it,” Brad answered honestly. “And then I fell in love with the place, and my wife loves the place. Then, all of a sudden, we’re fixtures.”

It’s not hard to see why he fell in love with the course. With sprawling, luscious greens and a relaxing and secluded feel, even non-golfers are blown away by its beauty. The course is also well-loved by golf fanatics, like the course’s Club Manager, Zac Psak, who had nothing but high praises.

“This course is a lot different from most courses,” Psak said. “There is so much elevation change and it’s pretty slanted. You’re not really hitting (the ball) off of flat ground, so that’s what makes this course pretty hard. It’s a great course to learn (to golf) on as well, because you really have to think about your swing. If you can play a good round of golf here, you can play a good round of golf anywhere.”

Now in their fifth season with the course, the Amundsons are making new changes to create the course Roger always dreamed it would be. This year, they’re adding in a new putting green and working on building a new campsite that will be ready next year. The course also has a large, 10,000-square-foot banquet space that can hold up to 400 people and will be the location of a new golf simulator.

“My dad had a dream,” Brad said with emotion. “He put a lot of time and money into (the course). So to have all these people coming in and just loving the place, for me, it’s like the dream that my dad had is starting to really happen.”

Some regulars at The Valley Golf Course have been playing there since the original nine-hole course opened in the 1960s. The Amundsons say that visitors – whether they come with stories of the course from years ago or are stepping on the grounds for the first time – all have the same thing to say.

“What people always talk about when they come out here is the beauty of the place,” Brad said. “Everybody has grass, everybody has trees, but nobody has the views we do.”

With golf leagues, tournaments, lessons, and much more, a relaxing and beautiful day on the Mondovi course's greens is only a short drive away.

Learn more about The Valley Golf Course (S. 80 Golf Road, Mondovi) at thevalleygc.com.