With the membership of Estevan Woodlawn Golf Club set to meet tonight, the club now knows more about what they are facing.
According to an e-mail the course sent out to its membership, restoring the course to a playable state will cost roughly $515,000.
That includes a price tag of $241,567.50 for the front nine and $273,000 for the back.
The total does not include repairs to the clubhouse or aesthetic elements of the course such as roughs and sand traps.
"That's just so people can get back playing. The devastation is even more (costly) than that, of course," said Woodlawn president Garth Hoffort.
The estimates came from course designer Les Furber, who made his second visit to Woodlawn last week.
There is no word yet on how much the insurance payout will be.
"We don't really have a good idea on that. It's been a slow response, but the reason being of course is they have a backlog of cases they have to look after," Hoffort said.
Officials from the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program were to begin assessing damage to the course yesterday, and the course didn't expect to hear back until at least Aug. 19.
The maximum amount Woodlawn could receive from PDAP is $475,000.
The course currently has about $469,000 in cash and $525,000 in debt, including a mortgage and equipment loan.
Work has begun on the front nine to, ideally, get it ready in time to begin the 2012 season.
"We're mixing some of the silt in with the topsoil. They said it won't be bothersome with the grass, it'll grow through it. We dumped the big piles of silt off to the side," Hoffort said.
The executive have approved expenses up to $150,000 in initial reconstruction costs with the aim of getting the front nine playable.
The resulting revenue stream would be important for Woodlawn in the wake of this year's distaster, and Hoffort added that they need "to get everybody back enjoying the club and enjoying what they've become accustomed to enjoying.
"The golf course will be able to start holding tournaments, even if they are smaller tournaments."
No work will be done on the back nine until the insurance picture becomes clearer and consultation is held with the membership.
Hoffort said contractors will be coming in mid-September to begin work on restoring the lower level of the clubhouse.
A fundraising committee will be formed; in the meantime, the executive will request permission at tonight's meeting to take out a $350,000 loan from Spectra Credit Union.
Two options will be presented to members. They can donate the value of their remaining membership dues and be upgraded to loyalty membership status, which includes preferential seven-day booking, a five per cent discount on merchandise and a collector's bag tag; or request a full or partial refund.
Tonight's meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Woodlawn clubhouse.
