The key message and the greatest benefits of community golf course are the Social, Health and Environmental impact on the community.
Community golf courses are designed with inclusion in mind and are perfect for including members of the entire family, from the young junior golfer to the retired family members, both ladies and gentlemen. They are first and foremost community centered, eco friendly, and provide many environmental enhancement and enjoyment.
The key focus and greatest benefits of community golf are their Social, Health and Environmental impacts on the community.
Golf teaches essential life skills and sportsmanship to all who play the game; such as respect, integrity, honesty and self-control. Golf provides the opportunity to meet new people, increase social interaction and learn essential life skills. This is ideal and beneficial to all families within the communities and the growth experience of our youth.
Keys Points for Future Success of Lakeside Golf Course – Owner/ Management “To Do’s”
- Avoiding unnecessary conflicts with the City of Chestermere and the valued communities by ensuring they are well informed about Lakeside management goals and activities. How can we work together to further enhance the Chestermere and Lakeside Golf experience?
- Communicating how you are striving to be a responsible and sustainable land user
- Demonstrating an awareness of the issues surrounding pesticides, fertilizer, water, energy and waste and the measures being taken to address any concerns of the City
- Promoting the less appreciated benefits of living close to a golf course, such as increasing property values, and any contribution to flood defences, prevention of soil erosion, cleaner air, carbon sequestration, ambient temperature control and enhancement of wildlife, environment improvement and potential issues
- Involving the City of Chestermere and associated communities whenever possible. Consulting with them on future upgrades or new capital projects and any other programs that might prove contentious. Improved clubhouse or additions, training rooms, exercise facilities, outdoor features.
- Continually working with the City of Chestermere and communities on environmental concerns associated with water control, pond repair, upgrading and maintenance projects.
- Seeking to offer expanded employment opportunities to local people
- Engaging volunteers from the local communities, local businesses and coordinated input with the City of Chestermere for an ongoing habitat restoration through out the golf course.
- Landscaping improvements throughout the golf course to involve trees, bushes, flower beds new sand in the bunkers with an annual review on contents.
- Become an integral employer and educator in the City of Chestermere and communities. Golf facilities incorporate a massive range of disciplines, such as business management, nature conservation, land management, machinery upkeep, and many seeking learning (of all ages) can benefit from your experience. Forge relations with local education providers to reduce the logistical burden such as role playing using local businesses where possible to source services and materials.
- Providing recreational green space for a range of public activities that can attract the non-golfing community, for example walking, jogging, and cycling.
- Ensuring that all your staff are fully aware of your commitment to sustainability so they may become good ambassadors for your business (Lakeside Golf Course).
- Ensure the golfing experience at Lakeside is reflective of the green fees and services charged.
- Promote organized activities and special events such as weddings, family reunions, community events, specialized group events, company events, and promote families in a group setting or even outdoors shows.
- Maintain the restaurant and meeting rooms so they are open year-round, another great venue for the family and groups.
- Reacting quickly and positively to issues such as balls being hit into neighbouring properties
- Communicate how you are addressing the noise from machinery operation at inappropriate hours of the day, and how it may affect the homes or businesses along the golf course
Golf has been providing environmental and social value… protection of water sources, urban green space, air and water quality, employment, and a healthy, inter-generational sport set in an ecological-rich living landscape for many years.
As sustainability concerns and expectations rise across all aspects of life, the golf community is well positioned to contribute more, for the welfare of the environment, neighbourhoods, and local businesses.
Golf can be a leader in sustainable sport and business, universally valued for its positive role on environment initiatives and people living in the community.
There are companies which are designed to assess, evaluate then assist golf courses in becoming self sustaining, dare we say profitable and become an integral part to any community or municipality. This would be a valuable resource for the new ownership group to consult with during the up-grading of Lakeside Golf Course.
Fantastic points! Our golf course is an asset to our community. Current ownership has failed to maximize its benefit to our community and their business isn’t successful as a result. Our Chestermere community is incredible and the golf course is a landmark worth fighting for, just like the lake.
Do you call it “our golf course” on purpose? You only own the land your own house sits on, and the course is a private property belonging to the owners only. I find the direction of this anti-development campaign offputting as it appears to be based on everybody feeling entitled to the course as their own. People seem to have little to no sympathy for the struggling business owners. Owning a golf course is no different from owning any other business and you’d be crazy to be bullying a different business owner this way.
Excellent artiyfull of common sense
The 9 March 2021 web meeting was definitely not one that instilled “Confidence” within those who attended. We were fed a continuous diet of “Golf Course is not a viable business” within every statement Slokker Management made. It also presented a fairy tale vision of sidewalk cafes where you could walk or cycle to enjoy your latte and Cinnamon buns – while very discreetly in the background outlying a “Low Density” development of 1200 units!! Slokker homes is trying to beat the market value commercial development land fees by buying a golf course and ploughing it under – under the guise of “it’s good for Chestermere”. The mention of Community fees also undermines the statement that current homeowners will see a benefit – how can that be if they as well will be subject to these “Community Fees or Tax levies. Definitely a non interactive commentary!!
Golf is a dying sport. Decline of the industry and golf course financial being in the reds is a result of a global trend. Just because you see more people golfing during the pandemic does not mean the sport is coming back. You are competing against travelling and cycling in the 30-40s demographic and video games and team sports in the youth population. You cannot blame the owners and their management style as they ran a successful business for over 2 decades now, and they looking to exit. If you think you can do a better job and make if a profitable business, go knock yourself out and go buy the golf course. People keep mentioning the golf course is not for sale, but many businesses are actually bought and sold through unsolicited offers so please go try first at least. Community definitely benefits from the course, but the entitlement I see in some people are very disturbing. The course itself is a private property and the owners have every right to realize max value on exit from the business. The focus should be on ensuring the new development replacing the failed business is desirable for the community and filled with amenities that will sustain the housing values of near by house. I used to be very anti-development until I got sick of the dialogur of vilifying the owners and developer.
He has captured so much in this article. Unlike a recent short article in the Anchor which was more like a developer’s advertising, Ken has hit the nail on-the-head. Its laughable that a developer has represented himself as an authority on golf course management. If you want to operate a profitable golf course, read the above letter three times in a row!