05-31-2020, 05:15 PM
(05-31-2020, 03:53 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:(05-31-2020, 02:53 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: I'm not saying I disagree, but it's not fair to say it's as simple as just opening them for walking while they were closed for golf.
My point is that the fact that they are now open for golfing is irrelevant. If the walking is a higher public benefit (total value for the citizens of the City), then that is what they should be used for.
I'm not disagreeing with that point, but converting the courses into a more general public space is a separate issue, with a far higher level of public discourse required, than simply repurposing a temporarily unused space for walking while it is unused. One is a serious discussion about public spaces in the city, the other sounds like a quick win....BUT
(05-31-2020, 03:34 PM)panamaniac Wrote:(05-31-2020, 02:53 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: I'm not saying I disagree, but it's not fair to say it's as simple as just opening them for walking while they were closed for golf.
Why?
I don't think it is so quick. I've never been on our courses, but there's a lot of landscaping, and a lot of equipment, and a lot of liability issues. Equipment would need to be removed or secured, large numbers of people walking on the course especially on the greens will cause damage that would need to be repaired before reopening, and when reopening, there would need to be precautions that people who previously walked there do not continue walking there, because there is a liability to people unknowingly walking onto a golf course.
I'm not saying that they shouldn't have done it, just that it isn't so immediately simple.
I'd rather see a real discussion about what to do with the golf course, but I also have no doubt there would be a large wealthy segment of the population who would strongly oppose that.