Riverside Golf Club is embarking on a fundraising program with the objective of raising $50,000.
“We’d like to see at least half of that amount raised before the end of the season, Darryl Binkley, club president, said last week.
Last year the club spent $110,000 installing the automated water system, Ken Cymbalisty, clubhouse manager, explained. “We raised Riverside Golf Club begins fundraising for course enhancements $94,000 and have about $16,000 left to pay for that.
“In addition, last month we had a flooding accident which resulted in the need to replace a pump, and that cost $10,000 to replace,” Cymbalisty said.
Cymbalisty was eager to show off the controls of the new automated watering system. He explained how one can sit at the computer and with a few keystrokes can turn on or off any one or more of the more than 100 individual sprinklers that are located on the course.
The water is raw and untreated, which is pumped directly from the adjacent Assiniboine River.
The system replaces the former system which had required workers to go from spigot to spigot turning them on or off, he explained.
Once the new watering system and the new pump are paid, club members would like to improve another green, he said, adding that plans are to makeimprovements to hole No. 4.
“I want to stress that the club is not in any financial distress,” Cymbalisty said. "We’re having a good season, but we just want to be out of debt and be able to make improvements.
“We’ve seen this course come a long way, from being something resembling a pasture, to the current situation where it is now one of the nicer nine-hole courses in the province,” he said.
We’re one of only two courses in the province that has an island green,” Binkley said. “We have one of the longest holes at 666 yards, which is hole No. 3, a par 5.”
Riverside Golf Course is a great course to play, he said. As a non-profit organization, the club operates on a break-even basis, being able to pay its expenses.
“At one time we had the Celebrity Golf Tournaments which raised the extra funds for improvements, but since we’re not doing that anymore, we still have to raise funds,” Cymbalisty added.
Embarking on this current fundraising project, Cymbalisty said that a “thermometer” to follow the fundraising progress will be set up in the clubhouse.
“We’ve already got commitments for about $7,000 and we’re going to be asking for additional donations,” Binkley said. “We’ll be contacting former residents requesting donations and, as a non-profit organization, the club will be issuing receipts for the donations.
“This is a community golf course and we’re asking for community involvement,” he said, adding that the senior golfers have agreed to hold a fundraiser. Cymbalisty will be holding a steak supper to raise money and other events are being planned for the autumn.
The club has a membership of 125.
Persons wishing to make donations to the course may do so at the clubhouse, which is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, or may contact Karen Berezowski, the club secretary.
