Golfers push back on Longshore Club Park changes
WESTPORT — Golfers and elected officials are pushing back against the golf clubhouse possibly moving closer to the first tee, saying the views are not as good and it should be prioritized over pickleball.
It’s one of two possible locations and timelines presented Thursday for the clubhouse as part of the Longshore Club Park Capital Improvement Plan.
The second possible location is next to the golf cart barn. Golf renovations could come within the first three years of the project, or around the five-year mark, depending on which option the Parks and Recreation Commission chooses, officials said at the recent meeting.
The meeting focused on zones four and five within Longshore, which encompass the golf course and Inn at Longshore, and the pool and tennis courts, respectively. The commission did not vote on which approach to take.
“I want you to listen to the public,” Jimmy Izzo, a Representative Town Meeting District 1, said about the two options. “I want you to understand that we are willing to work with number two, at least I am.”
Option one for the golf course and inn had more pros and fewer cons than option two and also met more of the goals, according to presenters from Parks and Recreation and Santec, the consultant for the project. This option moves the clubhouse next to the first tee and 18th hole.
Officials highlighted some of the pros as being closer to the first tee and 18th hole, being able to separate the golf traffic from other park traffic, having parking for the inn and offering better views of the Long Island Sound.
The cons are that the driving range would now be about 200 feet from the clubhouse, it requires a new parking area and it creates more outdoor space for events at the clubhouse.
Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Fava said she researched other golf courses online and didn’t see other places having golfers walking through a parking lot to play after checking in.
“It’s all right there on the first tee and 18th green,” she said. “Speaking with our pro, as well as other pros, they’ve all said, ‘You want the functionality to be right there, on the first tee.’ ”
Commission Member Chrissy O’Keeffe said the distance to the tee shouldn’t be much of a factor though.
“My head keeps going around to the fact that the average golfer probably walks four to five miles in 18 rounds of golf, so the distance to walk from the clubhouse to the first tee is probably not something you need to worry too much about,” O’Keeffe said.
Gary Sorge, with Santec, said it was more about walking through the parking lot than the distance itself.
Option two, which the golfers favor, keeps the clubhouse closer to its current location. It would be moved directly next to the golf cart storage area, across the parking lot from the first tee and 18th hole.
Pros with this option include the clubhouse being closer to the driving range and the cart barn, better views of the river and more landscape between the first tee and road.
The cons include having people cross the parking lot to play after checking in at the clubhouse, a new parking area would have to be paved and more staff might be needed because the first tee would be further away.
Deputy Public Works Director John Broadbin said there could be additional costs for the clubhouse projects, as they would have to keep one facility open while constructing the other, then demolishing the former location.
“I’m very disappointed tonight on some of the things I’ve heard tonight from the administration,” Izzo said. “The feeling I’m getting is the push of number one.”
Chris Tait, who chairs the RTM parks and recreation committee agreed other places he’s played at have clubhouses by the first tee.
“But they’re not on the water,” he added.
Zone five upgrades include a larger space to host events, moving platform tennis courts closer to the parking area, removing the parks maintenance building to make the area strictly for recreational purposes and creating better views of the river.
Two timeline options were also presented. The first has the golf clubhouse, cart barn, parking and the surrounding areas completed within the first three years of the 10year capital forecast. The park maintenance facility project would begin around the three-year mark, lasting until the fifth year. Pickleball and tennis courts would also come around years four and five.
The second option starts with pickleball and tennis courts upgrades in the first two years, as well as the park maintenance facility lasting until year four. The golf clubhouse and other upgrades wouldn’t come until the fourth year, lasting until the sixth year.
Tait said if they go with option two, the golf course upgrades would likely “get kicked down the road,” as the timing could align with the budget to build or renovate two of the town’s elementary schools.
RTM District 4 Member Andrew Colabella brought up the point of people wanting more pickleball courts, but was against tearing down Cabin One, which is an affordable housing rental where town employees can live.