Partners sought for Sunrise Ridge course improvements

For a small town municipal golf course, Sunrise Ridge in Colman really has made a name for itself over the years.
The short 9-hole course is family-friendly, quiet, affordable, and relatively quick and easy to play. Neighbors arriving in their golf carts warmly greet visitors to town and a newly renovated clubhouse invites everyone to linger on a warm summer day.
In an effort to grow the business however, city officials and club members have come to the realization that they need one thing in particular — an irrigation system.
Little to no rain in recent years has been challenging for Sunrise Ridge. Drought-like conditions have left fairways hard, spotty, and tough to play.
So this year, a relatively new Committee for Golf Course Improvements, which includes nine members of Sunrise Ridge Golf Course, and Mike Solum, the course’s Superintendent, is working toward improvements.
“The unanimous decision for the inception of the committee was to install a new, tee to green irrigation system. The City has seen tremendous growth in population over the last few years, as well as a tremendous increase of out-of-towners visiting our golf course. The increase in golfers is partly due to the growth of the game during COVID, but also a testament to the hard work Mike Solum and his crew have done making the course accessible and affordable for all,” said Billy Stitz, a committee member and member of the Colman Economic Development Corporation.
Stitz, Keaton Westover, Dave Johnson, an original member of Sunrise Ridge, Jim Clark, Rich Westover, Brad Relf, Rex Groos, Logan Schmidt, and Tanner DeKam have been meeting with club members and others to discuss how and why they might raise funds for the project.

Pledge letters have gone out and little by little, the committee is hearing back on commitments.
The price tag for a new full-irrigation system however isn’t cheap — $325,000.00 is the bid the city agreed to with Madison Lawn Care.
To help, greens fees will also increase this year along with membership dues. Rates otherwise hadn’t changed in five years.
The golf league is donating its entire entry fee of $4,500 each year until the project is funded.
Four unique golf tournaments are also on the calendar each year for the foreseeable future. Several fundraisers, including some big raffles, are also planned as work on the new irrigation system is scheduled to happen this fall.
“I’m excited for it,” said Matt Palli, a club member and nearby resident. Palli and his wife, Baylee, were taking in a round of golf already this past week.
“We love this course. I was just hoping it would be this spring so we could enjoy it this year versus next year because once you hit August, it can be like hitting concrete out here if we haven’t had any rain.”
The first raffle offers a grand prize of a new 2023 ClubCar Tempo gas golf cart, and two guns that will go for 2nd and 3rd prizes. Tickets are $50 each and only 500 are available. Interested parties can acquire tickets through any committee member, the golf course, or by emailing ridgecicommittee@gmail.com.
The drawing is scheduled for June 9th or when all 500 tickets are sold, whichever comes first.
Stitz said that the City and the primary supporters of the course have been trying to make these improvements for the past 15-20 years but it’s never worked out. All involved are hopeful the right people are in place to make happen the first of many improvements planned.
“It’s about much more than that for a community. A golf course is a place to gather, to bond, and to grow as a community. It’s about the future as much as it is about the present. Golf is the one activity that almost everyone plays throughout their lifetime. By updating the course and allowing for optimal playing conditions throughout the entire golf season, you get kids to love the game. It helps to keep, or get them back to your community after they graduate. It also drives growth, both in terms of sales tax, but also in residents. Good golf courses are constantly on the top of the list of things that bring someone to a community,” said Stitz.
“We hope that Sunrise Ridge is the catalyst to continued growth. We know the town deserves the best, so we’re going to do our part to try and provide that to them.”