COMMENTARY: P.E.I. does not need another golf course

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeOpinionPrince Edward Island COMMENTARY: P.E.I. does not need another golf course Author of the article: By John A McMillan, Contributed Published Sep 23, 2026 3 minute read Mill River Resort's owner is looking to expand to Summerside with a new golf course proposal, which has been approved by Summerside city council. PHOTO BY COLIN MACLEAN /Journal Pioneer Article content On Aug. 20 it was announced that the Mill River Resort has been awarded a contract to build and run a new golf course in Summerside that will be owned by the City of Summerside and named the Links at Malpeque Bay. Article content The cost of the project is expected to be $12 million — half funded by the Mill River Resort with the remainder to come from the federal and provincial governments. Despite owning the golf course, the City of Summerside will not be providing any funding. The announcement of the proposed golf course stated that construction would begin later this year with “full construction mode” in 2027 with the course opening in 2028. Article content Article content Article content 20 Island courses Article content I am an avid golfer and have been since 1965. I am very familiar with the golf industry on P.E.I. When I began to play golf in 1965, there were three golf courses on P.E.I. — the Belvedere Golf Club, the Summerside Golf Club and the federally owned Green Gables Golf Course in Cavendish. There are now 20 golf courses in P.E.I. — sixteen 18-hole golf courses and four nine-hole golf courses. Article content The 20 golf courses on P.E.I. are very busy during the peak of the summer tourist season from mid June until mid September. However, all of the courses, including the three provincially owned golf courses of Brudenell, Dundarave and The Links of Crowbush Cove, struggle to generate sufficient membership and green fee revenue to pay expenses and capital costs. Article content In my view, P.E.I. does not need another golf course and neither the federal nor the provincial government should provide funding for the Links at Malpeque Bay. Article content In the announcement of the awarding of the contract to build and run the new golf course, Mill River Resort president Geoffrey Irving stated that the new course would “bridge the gap” between its two golf courses in Woodstock and Eagles Glenn in Cavendish. This may be so, but that is no reason for…