Don't be sorry!
While I'm not a big fan of golf as conventionally laid out. (The inefficiency of manicured space per player bugs me, LOL).......
I see no reason to rip out green space of any description for the above.............the Moment I saw G+C I was suspicious, the site plan confirmed the worst, and the renders reinforced that.
I might prefer if the golf course we're pitch n' putt, and designed with maximum nature while permitting game play......but................this......this is just defacing the golf course.
*****
I think we need some as-is photos for everyone.
Let's start with aerial context:
View attachment 628671
Golf Course Parking Lot off Heart Lake Road:
View attachment 628672
View of the course from just north of the parking lot:
View attachment 628673
Now, apologies to
@just east of the creek ....
But I would remove the golf course to put it back to the way it should look...........like the park to its north:
View attachment 628674
I am not a huge golfing participant, but I do play with friends during the season. This course was from my remembrance, mainly developed from one of the older, out of 'production' quarrie properties in the area (but I am not a Brampton resident and memories can be hazy). It's a shorter course, mainly par 3's and 4's with much elevation changes, in a links style (grassland) setting. Vaguely reminiscent of Turnberry in Scotland? That might be a stretch, but the name of the course is suggestive to the style of play. It is just a nice, challenging course for the average golfer, well maintained and worth the $50 to $65 you will pay.
I get that golf courses as green space are not at the top of everyone's list. But they do serve a purpose for an active segment of the population, can serve a purpose as a nature reserve of some scope (maybe limited, but that depends on the course and its management), can be used as a buffer between residential areas and commercial. industrial, major highway uses etc etc In short they have a place in the urban fabric. In this case you could make an argument that the course is part of a greenspace corridor stretching up through the Heart Lake Conservation Area.
As to the concept of a 12 hole course, In theory this is an interesting idea. There has been much discussion in golfing circles about offering shorter courses. Theoretically, they would take less time to play and make it easier for people wanting to be involved to be involved. I think we all understand this issue. Depending on the course, and the number of people they cram onto the course, playing rounds on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays etc can be well in excess of 4 1/2 hours. Golf is becoming a full days commitment in these circumstances - something many of us cannot indulge in.
The developer that is destroying the Millcroft course in Burlington is advocating a similar concept.
This does assist them in justifying the move, but the devil will be in the details. Both the course details (better, worse, or now just a rip off), and the development details.
My suspicions lie to the darker side - another developer whose interest stopped at the page detailing projected financial returns, and could care about little else.
This is just a rip off of a decent course. The developer might have been better served by proposing a redeveloping of that overgrown parking lot of a mall calling itself Trinity Common Mall (the otherside of the 410)
Thanks for the input. Off to use the REM again this morning (It is really pretty good, even in its initial limited release, and just emphasizes the point that grade separated light rail can be large part of solving Toronto's transit challenges)
