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Pocatello golf committees report rising play and plan Riverside clubhouse replacement; long‑term irrigation and tree work flagged
Summary
City golf advisory committee and parks department told council rounds and passes are up about 12% year over year and that Riverside Golf Clubhouse replacement is moving ahead. Officials cautioned irrigation systems are aging and tree removal/remediation will be costly and long term.
Pocatello parks staff and the city golf advisory committee updated the City Council on a strong season at the city’s two courses and plans to replace the Riverside clubhouse.
Greg Albright, who presented participation statistics, said rounds in 2024 totaled 74,292, up from 67,008 in 2023, and season passes rose to 849 from 764. He said both courses saw roughly a 12% increase in play this season and that organized leagues and junior programs are expanding; the junior program counted about 130 youth participants.
Parks Director Anne Butler and committee Chair Billy Seiferfeld said the Riverside clubhouse replacement had been announced and that staff are planning how to handle staging and parking during construction. Butler said the city will continue operating out of the existing clubhouse until the new building is ready and that the “best‑case” goal is to dig the foundation before winter to limit construction during the next golf season; if digging is delayed until spring, construction would run through a full season.
Committee members and staff also highlighted infrastructure concerns. Butler and Greg Albright said irrigation systems are aging — Highland’s system is about 10 years older than Riverside’s and both are showing fatigue — and long runs of brittle PVC pipe have started to fracture. Seiferfeld and committee members urged the council to plan for staged irrigation replacement, noting full replacement would be “extremely expensive.” Tree removal and pruning were described as ongoing, multi‑year work; staff said removing selected trees can improve turf health by increasing sunlight and reducing root competition.
Council members asked whether play increases are spread across both courses; staff said Riverside sees slightly stronger play because it is easier to walk. Staff also noted Highlands had recent pavement and sewer work and that other facility upgrades and landscaping projects remain on the committee’s long‑term list.
Committee members asked the council for patience from golfers as construction and subsequent infrastructure projects proceed.
