BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

CANTON — Partridge Run Golf Course is looking ahead to a better year after a season of heavy rain, complaints about mowing and difficulty finding enough help, according to director Kevin Maginn’s report to the Canton Village Board.

The discussion touched on the challenges of maintaining the course during a wet season, the use of robotic mowing equipment and the possibility of adding workers next year.

The unusually wet weather was a major factor in the course’s maintenance demands, according to Maginn, who estimated 70 days of rain which led to fast grass growth. That growth made it harder to keep up with mowing, prompting complaints.

Despite the difficulties, board members expressed optimism about the coming year and praised the work being done with the available resources. Maginn commended Canton Department of Public Works Superintendent Tim Bacon, saying he had done a good job with what he had to work with.

Finding additional help could make a difference next season, according to Maginn. He discussed efforts to recruit more workers, acknowledging that staffing had been a problem and said he had spoken with several corrections officers who were planning to retire in December and might be interested in working at the course. 

The board also discussed the robotic mowing equipment in use at the course, which they described as effective and quiet. 

Mayor Michael Dalton said the village had previously set a deadline for applications to a golf course advisory committee, but work to organize the group had been delayed.

Dalton said the recreation department had needed to focus on the pavilion and the search for a new director. He thanked the community for its patience and said officials were working to bring the advisory committee together in the coming weeks.

Dalton said the course appeared to be doing well at the time, and that the village hoped to get the committee organized soon.

In recent meetings Dalton said the village’s goal is to get Partridge Run closer to breaking even. Given the fiscal realities of the course, that could be a challenge.

For the 2025-26 fiscal year Partridge Run reported revenues of $396,384.62 and expenses of $518,312.47, resulting in a deficit of $121,927.85. The course has operated at a deficit each year since at least the 2016-17 fiscal year, with annual deficits ranging from $24,341.97 in 2021-22 to $219,923.43 in 2023-24.