Budget to replace netting, poles at Saskatoon golf courses exceeds $3 million

Stray golf balls are hitting businesses and vehicles, creating safety hazards for both staff and patrons at Saskatoon’s Holiday Park, and Silverwood public driving ranges.

During Wednesday’s planning, development and community services meeting, Saskatoon city councilors unanimously approved a large increase to the budget to fix that issue.

$850,000 was the amount first approved in 2024 to address the concern, with that number growing to $550,000 and approved again in 2025 in the capital budgets.

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Matthew Loran, director of recreation and community development with the City of Saskatoon, requested the increase in funding.

“As per council police CO3-036, city council’s approval is required for all changes in capital project scope,” he said.

“With the change in scope, the total cost estimate for Silverwood and Holiday Park driving range projects is $3,015,000, which is an increase of $1.615 million,” he explained.

At the Silverwood location, a report from administration revealed, “With the technical improvements of golf clubs, as well as the increased use of the driving range, the incidents of golf balls leaving the perimeter of the range and entering areas of play has increased.”

The plan for that course is to install safety netting around the perimeter of the driving range, up to a height of 110 feet.

Holiday Park driving range is one of two public driving range locations where the city is planning on spending more than $3 million to replace netting and poles over the next year. (Lara Fominoff/650 CKOM)

At the Holiday Park driving range, the 75 ft nets and 500 ft distance of the range – along with large holes in the nets – isn’t enough to prevent golf balls from being hit over, through and past the driving range, damaging buildings, vehicles, and resulting in some “near misses” to patrons entering and leaving the Rod Hamm Memorial Harold Latrace Arena across the road.

The report to the committee said the netting there is at the end of its useful lifespan and needs complete replacement. The driving range itself will be extended from 500 to 800 ft and poles will be installed to a height of 110 ft.

A letter of support from Wendy Kenny, an arena executive member, stated that “for quite some time” damage has been caused to the Hamm/Latrace arena, while golf balls have also ended up on its new roof.

“We are increasingly concerned that without preventative measures in place, a serious injury could eventually occur,” wrote Kenny.

City council will have the final say on the total budget. If approved, Loran said work on the procurement process will begin immediately, with a tender awarded later this summer.

The money would come from the city’s golf course capital reserve, which had nearly $3.3 million at the end of 2025.

New pole installation should begin in the fall, while new netting could be installed by next spring.