The Castor Golf Club submitted a written request for their annual grant to the Town of Castor council, which was reviewed during the April 25 council meeting.
Council ultimately approved the annual request, to be applied, as usual, as a $5,000 credit on the golf club’s utility bill; however, the approval was not granted without significant discussion on the matter.
At issue in the grant request is where the Castor Golf Club sources its clubhouse supplies and alcohol.
“They are not buying any of their liquor supplies in town,” said Mayor Richard Elhard.
“Those two Main Street businesses are not being supported (by the golf course).”
Castor Golf Club president Todd Pawsey disagreed with that assessment when approached in a separate interview.
While Pawsey acknowledges that the majority of supplies are sourced outside of the community, he noted the local retailers are used to “fill the gaps” when stocks run low and the facility is between order deliveries.
Instead of sourcing alcohol locally, and paying retail prices, the Castor Golf Club buys alcohol in bulk through the province, at prices below retail.
Due to the sourcing, according to Pawsey, the golf club was able to run earn an additional $25,000 revenue on liquor sales for the same volume of liquor purchased, allowing the club to earn a surplus in 2021.
“The club has to be run profitably, and properly,” said Pawsey, in a recent interview.
“We buy our stuff wholesale because we have to. We run as tight and fiscally responsible an organization as we can.”
Pawsey did note that the recent patio expansion at the golf course, which can seat 30 additional people, had all the materials sourced locally through Castor Home Hardware.
Coun. Shawn Peach noted that, in contrast, the Castor Curling Club is more or less self sufficient from the town and succeeds in purchasing nearly everything they use in town.
“The curling club, we try,” said Peach.
Peach also noted that “this is taxpayer money” going to the golf club, and they should be supporting the community more.
“This hit a nerve,” said Peach.
“The organization is doing okay, why are we helping them?”
Coun. Cecil Yates disagreed, believing that not giving the grant to the club could be a death blow.
“We’re going to kill them if we don’t give it to them,” said Yates.
Council approved the $5,000 utility credit grant in a split vote.