Next step for former Calgary golf course on hold until 2021

COVID-19 has put plans on hold for a new game to be played at a former city golf course.

The city closed the Richmond Green golf course in September 2019 as a cost-cutting measure.

It was hoped that the 20-acre site would reopen in the spring of 2020 as a disc golf course while longer-term redevelopment plans are worked on.

A city official said it's possible the disc golf plan may go ahead in spring 2021 if council gives its approval to the plan.

The city's acting golf lead, John Faber, said they have been working with the disc golf community and the conversion of the site is possible to do with minimal costs.

"The work involved is not monumental to turn it into a disc golf facility," said Faber.

"The golf baskets and some signage for the hole numbers. They would help us out with a course architect to come out and lay out their fairways and from there, it just becomes mowing the defined fairways on a two to three week rotation and trash and litter pick-up."

Big picture still unclear

Long term redevelopment of the site remains an open question.

About half of the former nine hole golf course cannot be built on. There are two large underground water cisterns at the site as well as other utilities which limit the possibilities for redevelopment.

The fenced land has been padlocked this year. Weeds and long grass were seen at the site, now known as the Currie reservoir, over the summer months.

Beyond the occasional grass mowing, Faber said the site will remain off limits to the public until a new purpose for the land is determined.

That means it won't be open for disc golf, walking or cross-country skiing this winter.

"It was just deemed that it was probably just for the best interest of all of our parties to keep those gates closed," Faber said.

"Maintain it to some level until future use is determined because there are some encumbrances within that property, such as the water reservoirs."

The city is saving about $150,000 annually as a result of the permanent closure of the golf course.

City council is expected to discuss the plan for Richmond Green's future at a meeting in November.