The city has approved plans for a makeover to the Wee Links Pitch & Putt golf course at South Bear Creek. The existing grass on the course is to be dug out and replaced with artificial turf.
Parks Manager Lindsay Juniper says Council decided against natural turf in order to get the course re-open as early as next summer.
“It’s been shut down all summer this year and the last couple of years so they want this facility to be up and running. One of the only ways we could guarantee that could happen is to put in the artificial greens. It just takes too long for natural turf greens to get established.”
The city has approved a tender of $410,000 for the purchase of artificial turf. Juniper says installing it will cost more than natural turf would, but it also allows for savings in other ways.
“We would have had to get a new greens mower and those are in around $35,000 to $40,000. Then a heavy amount of water is inherent with grass green, along with the chemical that need to be applied seasonally. So yes, this is a better option for us.”
The city had initially budgeted $340,000 dollars for refurbishment of Wee Links but between the cost of purchasing and laying artificial turf, Juniper says the initial cost will be at least a hundred thousand dollars higher.