City of Dubuque seeks to finish fixing Bunker Hill Golf Course irrigation

The city of Dubuque Leisure Services Department plans to restart an overhaul of the irrigation system on Bunker Hill Golf Course, a project that was half-completed before the pandemic but has been put on hold since the fall of 2019. The current irrigation system dates to 1980 and is vulnerable to breakdowns. Every time it breaks, the whole system must be shut down and drained before it can be repaired. Pumps and electrical controls were replaced in 2012, and the south nine holes of the golf course got new irrigation lines and sprinklers in 2017, but that’s where work ended, leaving the north half of the golf course with the aging system. Bunker Hill had a budget of $200,000 in 2019 to complete the work, but construction bids came in higher than expected, suspending the project. The project is currently out to bid. When bids are opened Nov. 27, city officials will determine if the budget is sufficient this time around. The City Council also will be asked to approve plans for the project at an upcoming meeting. Construction on the irrigation project would not start until fall of 2025.