Local golfer gathers support for Langara Golf Course

by Matthew Burrows on July 11th, 2012 at 5:38 PM

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He stopped short of calling it park-board vice-chair Aaron Jasper’s Waterloo, but the president of the Langara Golf Club had this to say when asked about Vision Vancouver’s recent movements in relation to the feted public course.

“Well, I think it could be politically risky for him for sure,” Colin Mills told the Straight by phone, “This could be very unpopular. In three days, we collected 700 signatures [in support of retaining the golf course’s green space as is.] In fact there are still hundreds more that we just didn’t collect the papers for, because we didn’t have time to go get them. But the ladies club got together and they got signatures from over 700 people.”

Like many other recreational users of Vancouver’s parks system, the 44-year-old golfer attended the July 9 park-board meeting at Beach Avenue, where commissioners voted 4-2 in favour of Jasper’s motion asking staff to “compile and report back usage and revenue metrics” of Vancouver’s golf and pitch-and-putt courses. The motion was amended to say that there was no suggested use of golf course land for commercial or residential developments.

“We’ve been going since 1928, continuously, and we are concerned,” Mills said. “We think the motion put forward by Jasper, many of us think that there is an unspoken agenda that lies behind it, that his comments about turning it into a park or a nine-hole course suggest that he’s not just interested in looking at the metrics.”

Mills was most passionate when asked about one of Jasper’s ideas, which would see the golf course reduced to a nine-hole course.

“Well, you’re going to kill it,” Mills said. “If it went down to nine holes, you’re probably going to kill it in terms of usership, speaking as a golfer. Golf is about the most popular recreational activity, and as was pointed out many times at the meeting, this is the board of parks and recreation. This is their mandate…to provide this recreation.”

Mills said he didn’t want to guess what the motivation behind the latest moves is on the part of the ruling municipal party.

“I don’t know if Vision has an agenda, or whether Jasper has an agenda for him or his own career,” Mills said. “I really can’t speak to their motive, other than it seems that they think that maybe there is a better use for the course. We’d like to make the case that we don’t think there’s a better use; that that is a great use of that land, and historically has been a great use for that land.”

Mills noted he lives around Cambie Street and West 16th Avenue and takes transit to the course all the time, especially now that he’s on holidays from his job at Langara College, where he teaches urban geography.

“When I play there, either in my club or with the public, I am playing with a diverse range of people in age, men and women,” he said. “I am playing with people of all ethnicities. I’m playing with people of all income brackets and this is a course that has served that purpose in Vancouver since 1926.”

Mills noted the golfers are also “one of the few user groups that put in more in terms of the facilities that we use than we get out of it”.

Comments

10 Comments

e.a.f.

Jul 11, 2012 at 8:16pm

I don't golf but if vision decides to do away with the golf courses I certainly would never vote for them again. I didn't vote for them so they could eliminate green space & that is what the golf courses are, green space. We don't need every inch of the city covered in concrete, bark mulch, etc. it is just nice to be able to see the golf courses & all that green stuff. Langara has a walk way around it, that could be done at the other 2 & then people could walk there amongst mature trees, clean air, etc.

I thought Vision was supposed to be all about the enviornemnt. Well if they are, why do they want to cover up grass & impact negatively on trees by getting rid of it for condos or more blacktop.

Taxpayers R Us

Jul 11, 2012 at 10:17pm

If they could gather 700 signatures this quickly, the potential for more support before Visionless Vancouver breaks out the bulldozers is high.

Vision is so damn arrogant to think that after only a few years in power (in developers' back pockets) that they could go and simply remove something that has been there for 84 years.

Closest party to display this kind of attitude is Stephen Harper's Conservatives. Even the Fiberals under Campbell weren't this bad.

PendrellSt

Jul 12, 2012 at 1:21am

Keep in mind this is Vision Vancouver, a party that has ran Vancouver as if holding a fire sale for developers. If you think this is issue is about creating parkland, think again. Have a read of this quote from MacLeans magazine:

“Last week Robertson revealed his plan to establish a housing authority that would manage the development of taxpayer-owned land. He also revealed he’s open to leasing some city public golf courses to developers for the construction of public housing. Referring to Langara golf course in particular, Robertson said, “It is debatable as to whether that is valuable green space.”

I’ll remind everyone that when Vision talk “public housing” they are talking high rise glass towers. Clearly there is a lot of money to be made by building a string of towers along Cambie on Langara land.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/07/10/vancouver-is-teeing-off-over-city-own...

Sheeple

Jul 12, 2012 at 5:48pm

So if the argument is really for Green Space than turn it into a Public Green Park like Stanley Park.

Why should only Gophers that Golf and pay Golf Fees get to use it?

What about us "poor" folk :)

Martin Dunphy

Jul 12, 2012 at 6:25pm

Sheeple:

It's a public course, not private membership, and it has a public walkway inside. (Just keep the headphones off and listen for "Fore!")

Also read this: http://www.straight.com/article-729471/vancouver/golf-course-biodiversit...

john smith

Jul 12, 2012 at 9:37pm

It may have a public walkway around the perimeter, but the general public is NOT allowed onto the golf course without paying green fees. The Golf Club may have collected 700 signatures in favour of keeping it as is, but what about the other 499,300 of us that don't play golf?

@matt

Jul 13, 2012 at 1:00am

Is that you on that sustainable transit? Cool.

DsHK

Jul 13, 2012 at 7:10am

Hey John Smith, check the 1st comment. To assume that every person that doesn't play golf would want the course to be shut down is ridiculous.
IMO, golfers are like bicycle riders. There's only a small number of them but they deserve a place in this city amongst the rest of us. A small vocal minority got their bike lanes. All the golfers want is their lovely 84-year-old course to remain a beautiful place to come and play their favorite game. And because of this big story, I am going to book a tee time at Langara for next weekend to show my support.

Golf on ye good people!!

john goofy smith

Jul 13, 2012 at 4:35pm

@john smith

You're allowed to walk the course if you pay the green fee. You don't have to actually play golf. The receipt from the green fee is required for insurance purposes while on the course in case you are injured.

In addition, based on your argument, should tennis courts all be removed because 499,999 of us don't play tennis? Should all roads and highways be removed because 499,999 of us don't drive? Should bike lanes be removed because 499,999 of us don't ride bicycles?