TOUGH CALL OVER GOLF

It’s not uncommon for proposed developments to run into opposition, but it’s fair to say the conversion of golf courses into housing are virtually universally unpopular. Who but the developer — and perhaps the city, which experiences an increases in its tax base — would cheer the digging up of cherished green space and the construction of homes and other projects?

City council this week approved the third such redevelopment in six months, but unlike the Highland Park and Harvest Hills properties, the Hamptons Golf Course won’t disappear. Its owner plans to build 64 housing units on the 14th and 15th holes and reconfigure the course so it can continue to cater to golfers.

Still, even with the links remaining operational, the application received more than 2,400 letters and emails expressing opposition.

It’s easy to feel sympathy for the residents who lose their view of the well-manicured grass, punctuated with idyllic groupings of trees and shrubbery and picturesque water features. The homeowners sought out the properties because of their enviable locations, paying a premium for a bit of paradise in the city.

The residents are bound to feel let down, if not tricked, when lush grass is replaced with blacktop and new development.

The golf courses are private property, however. If they can’t turn a profit, it’s unreasonable to believe their owners should be compelled to continue operating, or simply walk away from their investment.

The decisions by city council members are coloured by the fact Calgary is a swelling metropolis and that transitioning to denser communities is a prudent way of accommodating needed housing. A model of development that seemed doable decades ago, is under pressure, just as it is in many parts of the world.

“I appreciate the angst you’re going through, but I need to remind you we live in communities, too,” Ward 1 Coun. Ward Sutherland told Hamptons residents Tuesday.

Sutherland was among the councillors who said change is inevitable, and he went on to relate how the forest his home used to back onto is now the site of several houses.

Residents affected by the conversion of golf courses should continue to speak up loudly.

City council should always recognize the importance of green space and ensure the best compromise possible when it’s reduced, juggling the interests of existing homeowners and those who own the land.

And those whose homes back onto the links should now realize they can’t count on every golf course to be there forever. Countless Calgarians have learned a painful lesson.