Canyon approves $4.5 million in COs for Palo Duro Creek Golf Course upgrades

Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News
·2 min read

CANYON - The city of Canyon Monday approved the issuance of certificates of obligation in the amount of $4.5 million for the improvements to the Palo Duro Creek Golf Course irrigation system.

This measure will not impact local resident taxes and will be paid for by increasing the green fees at the city-owned golf course as a dedicated revenue source.

Jon Behrens, assistant city manager, said that this process had to be used to upgrade the course that badly needed an improved irrigation system to be able to maintain the courses as needed and that there was no funding available in the city budget.

The city of Canyon announced that $4.5 million of certificates of obligation will be committed to upgrading the irrigation system of the Palo Duro Creek Golf Course in Canyon.
The city of Canyon announced that $4.5 million of certificates of obligation will be committed to upgrading the irrigation system of the Palo Duro Creek Golf Course in Canyon.

“We knew all along that we needed to fix this issue, so we have had to continue to raise green fees to replace this irrigation system,” Behrens said. “We did not want to have to go to the taxpayers to pay for this improvement and with this, we have the people that use the course paying for the upgrade. We have been using the increased funding through fees to pay for this improvement.”

Casey Renner, the director of golf for the city of Canyon, spoke about the needed upgrades to the Palo Duro Creek Golf Course.

"This was very important to be able to maintain the quality needed for our golf course,” Renner said. “Our irrigation system is over 50 years old, and the degradation to the quality of the course has been apparent. We have pieced and glued everything together to make this system last. Adding a new system will save money in the long term and increase the quality of our course.”

He said that more than 30,000 rounds are played on the course each year, which brings revenue from all over the Texas Panhandle to the course and the city of Canyon. The new irrigation system is expected to be able to maintain the course efficiently for at least the next 35 years.

“Having a golf course here brings in revenue to the city all year long and has lasting benefits,” Renner said. “We have a lot of compliments about our course and how it is maintained, and this will only make it better in the long term. Nobody wants to play on brown greens or a course that is not able to be effectively watered.”

Green fees and a cart will cost $50 on weekends and $45 on weekdays. He said that across the board, all fees will go up $2.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Canyon OKs $4.5 million COs for Palo Duro Creek Golf Course