New golf carts arrived Tuesday at Salmon Run Golf Course in Brookings just as work to rehabilitate the clubhouse in nearing completion.
The City of Brookings has financed the purchase of 52 new golf carts for Salmon Run at a cost of $225,000. The golf course management company, Early Management Team (EMT), will pay the City an amount equal to the monthly lease/purchase payment on the financing.
EMT has also purchased 20 golf carts, bringing the total available fleet to 72.
Meanwhile, work continued on a $90,797 project to rehabilitate the golf course clubhouse. Work includes removal and replacement of the siding, dry rot repair, completion of a roof project started by the former operator last November and installation of large roof vents for the kitchen and deck work.
“We did not know what to expect when we removed the siding to address problems with the windows and leaking, and it turned out to be worse…much worse…than we had anticipated,” Milliman said. “It seemed like dry rot was everywhere, and it was deep.”
Palm Industries of Brookings was retained to do the clubhouse repair work.
Repairs to the Salmon Run entrance road are scheduled to begin the week of July 4, Milliman said. “There are a number of slip-outs and rough areas on the road that are becoming safety hazards,” Milliman said. “It’s more than just cosmetic.”
Tidewater Contractors of Brookings has been retained to do the road repair work at a cost of $15,000.
“The next projects we will be tackling are repairs to the cart roads and rehabilitation of the potable water well,” Milliman said. “We are still working on plans and securing proposals for that work.”
The City has ordered a replacement event tent that will be located adjacent to the clubhouse. “The event tent that was there was severely weather damaged and unusable,” Milliman said, noting that the event tent is an important aspect of Salmon Run for use in conjunction with tournaments and other events.
“Salmon Run is not exclusively for golfers,” Milliman said. “We hope to make it a venue for non-golf events, such as weddings and other large gatherings. It’s a beautiful place.” Disc golf is currently available.
The City and EMT are also exploring habitat restoration projects on the golf course property.
“Jack Creek runs through the golf course and is a Salmon spawning area and is a host environment for beaver,” Milliman said. “We have had some initial discussions about projects to improve and sustain the wildlife habitat.”