Rich River Golf Club’s ageing west course irrigation system will be replaced after its application for a Federal Government grant was successful last week.
The club will receive $783,000 through the Building Better Regions Fund, which the club will match to deliver a new, modern system for the course.
Rich River Golf Club chief executive Shane Gloury welcomed the announcement and said it was something the club was excited and grateful for.
“The irrigation system on our west course is now 42 years old; it’s probably ten years past its use-by date,” he said.
“We’ve managed to get every last inch of life out of it and it’s well and truly overdue to be upgraded.
“Because the system was put in when the course was first built in 1979, it’s very water inefficient.”
Club officials estimate the new irrigation system will save about 20 per cent of water over the current inefficient system, meaning a considerable saving of the precious resource.
Mr Gloury added the new system would also lead to improved turf quality, and an overall better golf course and playing surface, providing a greater experience for the club’s members and visitors.
“We do hope and expect that over time we will attract more and more visitors up to Rich River as a result of the irrigation upgrade,” he said.
The club finished upgrading the irrigation system on its east course in the past couple of months, which was delayed a year by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With the west course, we will be doing the works in 2022 and we would expect by September next year all the works will be done,”Mr Gloury said.
