Citizens express concerns about Ritzville golf course

Bruce Benzel brought several concerns before the council regarding the Golf Course and the construction that has been going on there in recent months.

First on his list was the area around the entrance to Ritzville sign. Benzel said that now the sign doesn’t light up and there is no grass around it anymore.

“It looks pretty terrible right now,” Benzel said.

He also brought up issues with the cart path that was ripped out, the construction on the pump house and told the council that there is now issues with vandalism and people walking across the golf course and interrupting play instead of using the path.

Benzel reported that garbage is being found on the course and someone stole some women’s t-box markers as well.

City Engineer Scott Yaeger replied to Benzel. First he addressed the cart path. The project is not completed yet.

There was not enough funding from the original grant to do the whole project.

He said that there is still a 12-foot driving range fence to be installed between the bike and cart paths.

Another reason the path has not been paved is trying to find asphalt prices that are not outrageous.

Yaeger said that while he can’t get pavement on the path he may be able to get some more gravel on the path to help with the current conditions.

In regards to the dirt around the pump house Larry Swift told Benzel that the contractor still has a lot of work to do around the well area. Swift said the area will be hydro seeded but it would not be until this fall.

Yaeger said that he would put together a report to present to Dan Duff so Duff could then present it to golfers or at least answer any questions that golfers have.