Urban golf courses have long been a target of class resentment. Often built on the outskirts of towns and cities that have expanded to engulf them, they can be massive acreages of tranquil inner city greenery — their idyll broken only by the muted motors of electric golf carts and the privileged guffaws of overweight, under-exercised riders.
This new millennium, the sport has seen the ambitious expansion of golf courses into waste space of the suburbs and well beyond. But that period of time has not seen a sufficient matching expansion in golfers — indeed quite the opposite.
The pandemic events of 2020, however, have combined to create an uptick in numbers who can afford to enjoy golf as a relatively safe fresh air activity. Read more at FACTSET: The Demise And Rise Of Golf
Predators are currently circling golf courses, however. Competing factions are prepared to cry “crisis!” as they eye the huge spaces needed to support the relatively tiny numbers who enjoy the sport of golf.
Climate crisis advocates see the potential of green space in cities as desperately needed “carbon sinks” where plants absorb carbon dioxide, trapping carbon in the soil and replenishing atmospheric oxygen. Parkland does this better than grass-shorn putting greens.
An intertwined interest in golf courses comes from mental health advocates. In the face of pandemic stresses, they are promoting the healing benefits of increasing the contact between city dwellers and plant life. Try: Why Parks Are Needed For The Poor, More Than Middle Class Or Rich
Yet other competitors for rare urban “empty space” include those who would situate temporary or permanent housing for people who cannot afford to pay market rents or buy homes.
Occasional stories over the past year have described officially sanctioned homeless tent encampments with golf courses. A city government proposal from London, Ontario was criticized by activists, primarily because the outskirts locations proposed for encampments were too far from essential services to homeless residents. Read more in The London Free Press: Why city hall plans to open winter homeless shelters at two golf courses
This past year, unusual actions intertwining the homeless and a former golf course introduce a scavenger-class interested in the death of urban golf courses — housing developers. Far from addressing the concerns of the homeless, however, the following article reports actions that attempted to use people experiencing homelessness as a stick with which to beat NIMBY forces in the surrounding neighbourhood. Those good citizens had so far failed to appreciate the beauties of a proposed new residential development on the former golf course land that abutted the neighbourhood. Read more at WAVE3 NEWS: Homeless encampment set up in Fern Creek subdivision prompts tense battle between HOA, developers
Ironically, as the wolves circle existing urban golf courses, the industry itself has suffered a self-inflicted wound: advanced golf equipment in the hands of larger, stronger golfers. Golf balls are now driven so far that they are changing the nature of the game. If anything, it suggests a need to design golf courses to be even bigger. Read more at Wired: Golf is facing an existential crisis
Last, but far from least, is the impact of the truly-affordable housing crisis. Could the need for public housing gobble up urban golf course land?
Major free market housing developers with deep pockets, might also covet the same space. But they may in future find it hard to compete with governments who have a land target in their sights and the political will to use eminent domain1 to achieve a purchase.
This kind of public expropriation of private property has in the past been largely linked to such infrastructure purposes as the acquisition of transport corridors. But the nature of “infrastructure” is changing, with the Biden Administration in the U.S. currently pushing for a much broader definition.
A recent referendum in Germany has demonstrated that political will may exist to utilize expropriation in order to achieve public housing goals. Try: Landlords Beware! Berlin’s Revenge Of The Renters Gets Green Light
Finally, here’s a city government proposal from Hong Kong that drives home both the desirability as well as the political vulnerability of golf courses. Hong Kong holds pride of place as the most population-dense city in the world, thanks in part to its severely limited expansion space. In spite of that, Hong Kong it is not without golf, for a least a few more moments . . . Read more in The Standard: Hong Kong proposes 10,000 public housing units to be built on Fanling Golf Course
Footnotes
- For a discussion of eminent domain, compulsory purchase and similar terms, try: Berlin: If Housing is “Essential,” Expropriating It Could Regulate Rents
