By Gord Montgomery
It may be a work in progress at the Carstairs Community Golf Club but the progress there is easy to notice. After taking over the course a few years ago, the Town of Carstairs has implemented some needed finances and along with that improvements which are already beginning to show, said General Manager Dean McBride.
“Around 2019, 2020, and I don’t want this to sound negative but the club was having financial trouble and the Town bought it. That was basically the first step. It went from a non-profit society to the Town actually purchasing the golf course. That was such a positive thing for the community – for the Town to save their local golf course. It’s nice to see how the attitude toward the golf course has changed. It’s so positive now,” in regard to the pride the golfing community has in its course. As well, the improvements there have started to bring golfers back from areas outside of the town limits. “The course has its name back,” said McBride.
Under the caring hand of Superintendent Curtis Playfair, those taking on the challenges here now find conditions vastly different from what they had been a while back. “He’s done a fantastic job,” the GM enthused.
Without a doubt the biggest capital improvement thus far has been the course’s new access to water. “Water was an issue. Like a lot of courses we didn’t have a natural water supply, like a river supply or from a city or town.” Now though, with a new residential area going up nearby, the course is able to draw water from their underground piping infrastructure when needed in order to keep the grass green.
While things are turning around at the Carstairs Community Golf Club, McBride was careful to mention that things don’t happen overnight, especially major improvements to a golf course. “We’re not a hundred per cent there yet but we are definitely trending in the right way.”
With that water supply no longer an issue, other items on a checklist can start to be addressed. “Now we have the water there are projects we can do. Like sodded areas that weren’t going to come back. We’ll have the Town’s backing when it comes to capital projects. We’re starting a bunker reno this year, sort of a three-year plan. Things that weren’t even thought of back in the day.”
The GM was fully in agreement that municipal golf courses must stay in step with the game as the game changes. While they don’t have to be expanded to huge, lengthy layouts or offer magnificent clubhouses, they must be presented to the paying public in a way that show them they are getting their money’s worth.
“When it comes to our property I think we’re in a situation where we can always improve, upgrade,” the GM replaced in response to continued work. “We know what our market is so we price ourselves accordingly. We can’t pretend we’re something that we’re not,” so capital improvements will de done to keep the local feel in place.
Of the ongoing work, McBride explained that the access to that water supply has been critical in bringing this layout back up to par. As well, attention is paid to green speed, the height and condition of the fairways where aeration is now no longer overlooked, as well as the condition of the rough. These factors, important to anyone playing the game are addressed on a consistent basis so players know they’re going to get the same playing conditions today as they had yesterday.
Now, things are headed in the right direction at the Carstairs Community Golf Club and the outlook is bright for this municipally-owned track. “I look at the course now and it puts a smile on my face,” McBride ended. “It’s amazing the turnaround here,” since the Town teed up the financial aid in order to keep the course operating with the conditions needed to be relevant in today’s golfing world.