Desert Blume Golf Club put the course away for the season after Sunday, Oct. 25. The club said the tee sheet would lock from Oct. 26 and grounds staff would then start putting the course to bed for the winter. Until spring, the paved path along South Boundary Road is the main outdoor route out of Desert Blume, and it only goes west. It was built in 2019 by a partnership that included the Medicine Hat Rotary Club. A Rotary-style partnership is also what the City of Medicine Hat is now looking for to pay for the missing piece on the east side.
That makes the eastern trail a funding question, and it comes back to City Council before the end of 2026.
The last few days at the clubhouse
Earlier this fall the club had hoped to stay open until Nov. 1, weather permitting. A later weekly update settled on Oct. 25, saying the weather "forecast looking bleak over the next few weeks." Here is what's left this week, according to the club's posted closing schedule:
| What | Status this week |
|---|---|
| Golf course | Closed for the season after Sunday, Oct. 25 |
| Driving range | Closed for the season Sunday, Oct. 25 |
| Pro shop | Open daily until Friday, Oct. 30 |
| Clubhouse | Open Oct. 26 to Oct. 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., breakfast and lunch only |
| After Oct. 30 | Clubhouse closed for the season |
If you keep a storage bag or a locker at the club, the pro shop window through Friday is your time to take bags home and clean out lockers. The October sale is still running. Clothing is buy one, get one free, Puma golf shoes are 50% off, Puma pants and shorts are 60% off, and Cobra iron sets are 50% off, starting at $550.
As in past years, the club is asking for volunteers to help tarp the course, and it says it will share the date and time once they're set.
The club's clubhouse page describes the clubhouse as open year-round for dining, events and functions. The weekly notice says it closes for the season after Oct. 30. If you're planning a winter lunch there, call the club first. Holiday functions are booked separately. The club's 2026 catering package covers Christmas events at 107 Clubhouse Dr SW for groups of 20 to 200.
The one paved path leaves heading west
Once the fairways are closed, the next nearest stretch of pavement for a walk or a ride is the Rotary Centennial Trail. CHAT News reported when it was paved in July 2019. It runs 2.4 kilometers along South Boundary Road, from Southridge Drive in Medicine Hat to the edge of Desert Blume.
Three partners built it: Cypress County, the City of Medicine Hat and the Medicine Hat Rotary Club. Jeffrey Dowling, then Cypress County's director of municipal services, told CHAT News it was the first trail to connect the county and the city, and that "it connects the two and makes the region much smaller, and it means the boundaries are not that important."
A trail along South Boundary Road brings you to Desert Blume's edge. It doesn't run through the hamlet. In a February 2025 report, the City said its portion of the route meets South Boundary Road at Range Road 61A. Beyond that point, a gap of about one kilometer separates it from the trails inside Canyon Creek and Heron Crossing. Heron Crossing already has internal sidewalks, a connecting trail and a pedestrian bridge over Seven Persons Creek. That kilometer is the only missing piece between the two networks.
What the eastern link would look like
In August 2026, the Medicine Hat News described the preferred route from a joint review by the City and the County.
- It starts at Range Road 61A, where the existing trail ends.
- It follows the north side of S. Boundary Road to the south side of the Seven Persons Creek bridge.
- It runs beside Desert Blume's residential edge for about 500 meters.
- A road crossing with safety measures leads into Heron Crossing, with the trail dropping down the coulee slopes along the way.
The route would be paved, 1.12 kilometers long and three meters wide. A route along the south side of S. Boundary Road was also studied. It was rejected because of coulee slopes, bank stability and drainage. The City's Active Transportation Strategy identifies this stretch as a gap in the network.
For anyone in Desert Blume who walks the South Boundary path today, that would mean a second direction to go, toward the creek and the Heron Crossing bridge, instead of turning around at Range Road 61A.
Why it stalled in September
The trail went to City Council on Sept. 21, 2026. Council moved the expected report date from Q3 to Q4 2026 and directed staff to "further explore opportunities for external funding and cost-sharing opportunities," according to the City's council highlights.
The cost estimate rose between August and September. The August conceptual estimate was $1.2 million. By Sept. 24, the Medicine Hat News reported three design concepts ranging from $1.8 million to $2.3 million in total. Construction alone was estimated at more than $815,000, before land costs, plus more than $50,000 a year for maintenance.
The same report gives the City's usage figures. Under the Active Transportation Strategy, 97 pedestrians were identified as potential users, and the trail ranked 77th on the City's 10-year implementation horizon. The paper said the delay was driven mainly by the financial impact and the small number of residents in the area. It also noted that residents of Canyon Creek and Heron Crossing have asked for a connecting trail.
Pat Bohan, the City's managing director of development and infrastructure, described the next step to council, as reported by the Medicine Hat News:
"The outcome is that we aim to try and marry those external funding potential opportunities with other potential city funding options, which we'll bring back to council for further consideration."
According to the same report, the external organizations the City plans to contact include local Rotary Clubs. Rotary was a partner on the 2019 trail Desert Blume already uses. The eastern link may come down to whether that 2019 arrangement can happen again.
Where Cypress County stands
The 2019 trail had the County as a partner. This one, for now, doesn't. The Medicine Hat News reported that the project, which borders Cypress County, won't receive County funding at this time. The County has no immediate plans to expand into the area and would revisit joint planning if a trail were built.
At its Sept. 15 meeting, the County made another decision affecting how people get around a golf community. CHAT News reported that council voted against joining a provincial golf cart pilot. The pilot lets participating municipalities set rules for golf carts on designated public roads. Administration said joining would mean writing a bylaw and installing signage, and that the bylaw process could take 90 to 120 days. Councillors raised concerns about safety, enforcement and cost, and Councillor Garry Proctor noted that the pilot is meant for designated golf cart communities. The motion was defeated.
At the same meeting, council approved a three-lot subdivision about 1.6 kilometers south of the Medicine Hat boundary near Range Road 61A, southeast of Desert Blume. It creates a title for an existing farmstead and two vacant parcels intended for future single-family homes. That's two new homes eventually, a small change for an area the City has already called lightly populated.
What to watch before the year ends
Council asked for the trail report to come back in Q4 2026, so the funding options are due before Dec. 31. When council will decide on them is a separate question. The City's Oct. 5 council highlights didn't mention the trail. The City's council highlights page is the place to watch for it.
Until then, Desert Blume's winter walk follows the Rotary Centennial Trail west from Range Road 61A toward Southridge Drive, the route the City, the County and Rotary paved together in 2019.
Thinking about how the trail decision or the next phase of Desert Blume might affect your plans? Bob Ruzicka follows these Desert Blume decisions closely and is happy to talk through what they mean for your property, with no pressure. Let's connect: get exclusive listings and a free home valuation.
