Gene Reiter

Gene Reiter joined Lorne Bartling of Brookings in the SDGA Hall of Fame Class of 1985, bringing the number of honorees enshrined into 16. Gene spent 38 years on the maintenance crew at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls, the last 32 as course superintendent before retiring in 1988. He was well-respected statewide because of his knowledge of golf course maintenance practices. Gene was a major contributor to the enjoyment of the game in South Dakota because of his technical knowledge of growing grass. He was consulted on the construction of many layouts in South Dakota. In 1963, along with former MCC golf professional and SDGA Hall of Fame member Ed Livingston, Gene constructed Par Mar Valley GC in Parker. Gene was also involved in a variety of ways with the construction of golf courses in Dell Rapids, Lennox, Hartford, Colman, Tyndall, Platte, and Parkston as well as the second nine holes at Madison CC. In 1975, he helped enlarge Brookings Country Club from 9 to 18 holes. Five years after completion, Brookings CC hosted the Men’s Stroke Play Championship and a year later the club hosted the Match Play Championship. Gene was a longtime member of the USGA Greens Section and along with Dave Edison of Watertown CC and Tedd Evans of Brookings CC helped form the South Dakota Golf Course Superintendents Association. Gene served as that group’s first president.