BISON — Bison, a quiet farming and ranching community in northwest South Dakota, has a booming girls golf program on the rise. 

Last season, the Cardinals almost rose to the top of Class B, finishing two strokes behind state champion Estelline/Hendricks. It was the best finish in school history for Bison, which has around 40 students in its high school. 

The finish, which was bolstered by two Bison golfers in the top four, fueled this year’s fire as the Cardinals eye a state championship June 6-7 at Rapid City’s Hart Ranch Golf Course. 

“They kind of have some unfinished business they want to take care of,” Bison/Hettinger/Scranton coach Jeffrey Johnson said. “They want to get to the top. Their work ethic is just unreal. They come to practice and they are always ready to improve and they are ready to golf. That’s transpired into how we got back here today with a chance to win it.”

The Cardinals’ four juniors — Allison Kahler, Greta Anderson, Ella Anderson and Mary Carmichael — have been regulars since junior high and instrumental in the team’s success. They’ve also set the tone for the younger golfers on the team, which despite co-oping with Hettinger and Scranton, just consists of Bison student-athletes.     

“It’s just been a fun ride and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it with these four,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t trade it for nothing. It’s been awesome. They are highly competitive and they are very coachable and they are a good young group of girls.”

Last season, they all shot personal bests at the state meet. Kahler’s second-place finish matched Amanda Johnson for the best finish in school history. Kahler shot a 161, while Greta Anderson was six shots behind in fourth place. Ella Anderson, Greta’s sister, tied for 83rd place and Carmichael tied for 88th place. 

Johnson, who has coached golf at Bison since 2010, said it was a pleasant surprise to see the team post low scores at Edgebrook Golf Course in Brookings. 

“I knew we had a pretty good chance to place,” Johnson said. “But all four of them shot their personal best. It was quite an effort and a surprise. They did surprise me last year at that state tournament because they all shot personal bests. It was unreal.”

From left to right, Bison’s Ella Anderson, Allison Kahler, Greta Anderson and Mary Carmichael pose for a team picture after winning the Philip Invitational this season. (Courtesy Photo)

They carried the momentum into this season. Bison/Hettinger/Scranton has won every team title this season, including the Philip Invitational, Little Moreau Conference meet, Black Hills Classic and repeated as Region 6B champs at Hart Ranch. Individually, Kahler has also won every meet.

The four core juniors have been dedicated to their craft during the offseason, too. Kahler has played in college prep tournaments and Greta Anderson has played on a junior golf tour, said Johnson. 

They’ve also traveled long distances to play. Bison, which has around 300 people, is roughly 40 miles from the North Dakota border and is surrounded by a sea of wide-open prairie in every direction.

The team will travel regularly and play at courses in Lemmon (45 miles), Hettinger, North Dakota (45 miles) and Mott, North Dakota (75 miles). 

“They are very dedicated,” Johnson said. “They don’t complain. They don’t even squabble about nothing and they are ready to go. When we decide we are going to practice at a different course, they are ready to go and they are excited.”

They do have their own course at their disposal, too. The Bison Golf Course, a nine-hole course, had sand greens until 2014 and is now equipped with artificial turf greens. 

That’s also helped in their development. 

“It’s helped with the short game a lot, getting away from that sand and something a little more faster,” Johnson said. “The surface is a little harder and it’s taught them to work on their short game more and be more finesse or have some soft touch when it comes to chipping and putting.”

They’ve also made regular trips to Hart Ranch Golf Course (140 miles) for competitions and regular play. At the Region 6B meet, Bison/Hettinger/Scranton won the team title with an 88-over-par 304. Kahler shot an 11-over-par 83, while Greta Anderson (107), Carmichael (114) and Ella Anderson (114) all finished in the top 20. 

So they’ll be well prepared and familiar with their surroundings at the state meet. 

“It helps having it here and I like their chances quite a bit,” Johnson said. “You still have to come out and give it your all. It’s the state tournament. So everybody is trying to win it and there’s a lot of good competition they are going to have.”