Future of Vancouver golf courses under review

By

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The Vancouver Park Board is moving ahead, asking their staff for a report analyzing the best uses for the city’s 18 hole public golf courses.

The decision comes after the board heard from upwards of 30 people at Monday’s public meeting,  concerned courses like Langara, McCleery or Fraserview could disappear.

Most people who addressed the board were worried about what will happen with Langara, which is slated for $2-million in drainage upgrades.

Those costs might be avoided if the land was used for something else.

Course regular Peter Ormesher says the board should not be considering cuts to the golf experience, as they study usage and revenue trends.

Some board commissioners have talked in the media about finding other park uses for the land.

“Even if (Langara’s) chopped into 9 holes, it’s effectively disappearing, it won’t be the same, people won’t play it, there will be some people, but it won’t certainly contribute a couple hundred thousand dollars to (park board) revenue (a year),” claims Ormesher.

Some of his concerns were echoed by Stephen Schecter who suggested the board’s motion should have included a commitment to maintain and improve the 18 hole layouts.

“Not, we’re going to set up metrics to find out who’s using it, and this and that, and then, thin edge of the wedge, the end of the report is going to be, well we have found out enough information to justify closing Langara,” suggests Schecter.  “All the people here were totally incensed, and rightly so.”

He worries without Langara it would be hard to find an affordable round of golf in Vancouver.

Schecter was also one of several people to suggest the board shouldn’t be worrying about the courses which actually generate $1-million in revenue, annually.

“What is the problem?  Did we all have to spend 3 hours here for something that is a non issue?”

Despite suggestions Vision commissioners want social housing to replace the Langara course, they supported an amended motion preventing recommendations for commercial or residential re-development.

Many speakers pointed to comments by Vancouver’s Vision Mayor Gregor Robertson suggesting he would be interested in seeing social housing on the Langara land.
    
The park board’s Vision majority actually pushed to include a commitment to keep golf courses on all 3 park properties, but that amendment failed because NPA commisioners wanted an even stronger promise to keep the courses at 18 holes.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today