John Schirack became manager of the Palmer Municipal Golf Course in April. He had managed the course at Settlers Bay for 15 years. He manages the Palmer course as a city employee unlike previous arrangements. He built a new staff and got operations established after a late start this season.
Schirack says the course is in excellent condition despite the difficult spring. He credits Superintendent Mark Troutman and the grounds crew for bringing the course around after an unusually cold winter and spring.
The irrigation system needs five to seven repairs in a typical year. It needed about 45 repairs this season. And some irrigation lines were still frozen in mid-June.
Nevertheless, golfers now tell Schirack that the Palmer Municipal Golf Course is among the best-conditioned courses in Southcentral Alaska.
The course has hosted several tournaments and group events this season. These included Granite Construction, ENSTAR, the Palmer Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, and a Parkinson’s disease fundraiser. The Palmer course championship was last weekend. Regular golf continues as the season moves toward fall.
One improvement this year is a variable-frequency drive for the irrigation pump. The new system adjusts the pumping according to the number of sprinklers operating. It can allow as many as 10 to 12 sprinklers to run at once. The old system maxed out at about five. Schirack expects the upgrade to reduce operating time, labor, and long-term costs.
Looking ahead, he would also like to replace the course’s used golf-cart fleet with new carts over time.
Schirack says the greens are the strongest feature on the course right now. The rough can be challenging. He says it’s more important to hit balls straight rather than far. This rewards golfers by keeping them on the fairway.
The regular greens fee at the course is $50. Cart rental is $24 per person. Palmer is not considering dynamic pricing unlike some nearby courses.
As winter approaches, Schirack’s priority will be protecting the irrigation system. Large compressors will blow water from the lines to prevent another difficult startup next spring.
Schirack also noted that Palmer has generally experienced less wind than Settlers Bay, although weather systems can still produce strong gusts.
He invites golfers to come out and see the course. The Palmer Municipal Golf Course is green, playing well, and in good condition after a challenging start.
This Page 2 article was based on an interview with Schirack last Friday. The interview is on bigcabbbageradio.org in Inside the City under podcasts.
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Mike Chmielewski reported this Page Two article and yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Wednesday August 19, 2026.
photo credit: Palmer Municipal Golf Course Facebook page