A second offer to purchase Lakeside Greens Golf Course on the table 

A four-decade Chestermere resident has expressed interest in keeping the Lakeside Golf Club operating as a second formal offer to purchase the amenity has been made to the owners.

“I want to keep the golf course as it’s important to Chestermere,” the Chestermere resident said.

Adding, “I want to restore it, do upgrades that have been left for several years, and make the members proud to be guests once again. If done properly there could a huge benefit, it has things going for it that could make it very successful.”

On April 1, the Chestermere resident received notice that his offer was rejected. 

“I will wait until Slokker Homes puts an application into city council,” he said.

“I’m 99 percent sure the application will be rejected, and if they can’t develop it, I think they will be more susceptible to selling,” he said.

The Chestermere resident is hopeful that council will reject the application to rezone the land, as multiple offers to purchase the golf course have been submitted.

“Slokker had the report conducted to show that the club has been losing money for many years and would never be viable as a golf course. I can’t image now that council knows there are two offers to purchase and keep the golf course, how they could change the zoning.

“The zoning will never be changed to allow housing. The owners appear to want several million for the course at the same time saying it’s losing money and never will be viable. The question is how much is a company that is losing money and never will make money worth?” he said.

Slokker has published the responses to an online questionnaire they had hosted but some individuals maintain that Slokker cherry picked the answers.

Members of the Lakeside Green Golf Course Preservation Society have screenshots of the original questions Chestermere residents asked Slokker Homes during the March information sessions.

The questions included residents requesting to see the full MNP Economic Assessment Report that indicated that the golf course is not viable to be successful, concerns around current homes losing property value, and concerns of businesses being able to be successful in the potential development in Chestermere. 

It was important for the Chestermere resident to put an offer forward on the golf course to ensure it stays in the community.

“It effects everybody that lives in Chestermere. We say near the lake, or near the golf course, it’s everybody’s property,” he said.

“Everybody who lives in Chestermere, as well as the local businesses would benefit from the golf course being here,” he said.

Adding, “Re-invigorating the golf course and restaurant would have a big benefit for Chestermere.”