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Funding Avenues

Melfort Golf and Country Club soon needing $1 million+ irrigation replacement

Jun 4, 2025 | 11:17 AM

The Melfort Golf and Country Club (MGCC) has some major upgrades on the way, which they won’t be able to hold out on for much longer.

The irrigation system, a critical part of a successful golf course and something that a club can’t really live without, is at the end of its lifespan.

The system was redone back in 1995 and was originally only supposed to last 20-25 years, but it is now on year 30, with time running short.

“We’re pushing 30 years in the system, and it’s starting to show its age. We’re starting to see that probably within the next three years, we’re gonna have a major failure if we don’t do something,” explained MGCC President Chris Corbett.

“When it comes to golf courses, they cannot exist without water. You’d liken it to the ice plant in a curling club or in a hockey rink. Without that plant running, there’s no ice, and in golf, there’s no game without water. On the golf course, we don’t have greens, we don’t have fairways, we don’t have a game without water, so the irrigation system is the lifeblood of that golf course.”

The entire system at the MGCC will need replacing from the pumphouse across the entirety of the 18 holes.

Research indicates replacing the system could be a roughly $1.5 million endeavour, and while the course has been doing well, it’s a bit out of their price range, to say the least.

“We’ve had some good years, and the golf course has done well. COVID was really quite beneficial to golf courses all across Canada and North America, as people were forced to stay home, and golf was one of those things that they could actually still do, so we have some money put away, but we can not come close to that type of investment,” Corbett added.

“We’re going to be looking to our partners in the City of Melfort, the surrounding RMS, and our partners in First Nations communities, and all our users of the golf course. We’re going to be working on campaigns to talk to them and work with them to hopefully garner some additional revenue sources to be able to support these much-needed infrastructure upgrades.”

The course recently had a meeting with the City of Melfort to ask for help in helping fund for these upgrades and possibly adding it to the capital budget, as a major contributor to the ‘Play Melfort’ brand.

According to the city, an official request for funds wasn’t entirely made and that all they can likely do is help them in obtaining grants and building fundraisers, rather than doling out the money directly.

“There is currently no defined financial contribution from the city, and no formal request has been made. At this stage, the city’s role is one of support and collaboration, with a focus on staying informed, encouraging good stewardship, and helping facilitate potential external funding if and when opportunities arise,” the city stated.

“The Melfort Golf and Country Club is an important recreational and tourism amenity in our community. It plays a key role in the “Play Melfort” brand by attracting both residents and visitors for recreation, events, and tournaments. The course contributes to the vibrancy of Melfort and supports our collective goal of being an active, welcoming community… we commend the Golf Club for its responsible management and for coming forward early to start this dialogue.”

The replacement of the system is likely to be a campaign which runs over the next three to five years, and according to Corbett, may even need to begin before the money is fully in place.

Also, in all likelihood, the replacement would be done in two different stages, so the course doesn’t have to shut down entirely. One nine would be done at a time, limiting the course to just nine holes open, however, that’s better than none.

Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8

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