From: Steve Heimann
Columbus
There are a couple of matters that need to be addressed regarding the proposed closing of Greenbelt.
1. Access. For a number of people, especially younger and older people with driving issues, as well as those living on the west side, it’s easier to access Greenbelt than Otter Creek.
2. For some reason, city-owned golf courses are viewed more like businesses than like other parks facilities. Is the parks department making money off of the People Trails, the tennis courts, the soccer fields, the ball diamonds, or the baseball/softball fields? If not, should these be closed down?
3. What is the primary purpose of parks facilities? It’s noted that the soccer fields and baseball/softball fields bring in people from other communities, as does Otter Creek. But, is that the primary focus of our parks facilities? If a higher percentage of people playing at Otter Creek than those playing at Greenbelt are from out of town, this in turn means that a higher percentage of people playing at Greenbelt than those playing at Otter Creek are from in town. Where are our priorities?
4. Costs. At Otter Creek, for a local resident to play 18 holes with a cart, it costs $45 during weekdays. During weekdays to play 18 holes at Greenbelt, it costs $18 to walk and $28 with a cart. So, the costs at Greenbelt make the facility less “exclusive” as was the tradition of many courses over the years.
5. One point made in the proposal to close Greenbelt is that the city has 54 holes of golf. If one does the “simple” math, the city could shut down nine holes at Otter Creek vs. shutting down the nine-hole course at Greenbelt. If the land for the nine “recently-added" holes at Otter Creek is sold, this could help the city’s budget in the short term and there would still be 18 holes to play at the Robert Trent Jone’s-designed course. If the nine holes at Greenbelt are sold, this too would help the city’s budget in the short term. But, the Pete Dye-designed course would be gone.
The points made above absolutely do not mean that I am advocating closing down Otter Creek. I firmly believe closing down Otter Creek entirely would be a short-sighted mistake. However, closing down the nine extra holes is a possible short-term option. Regardless of any possible changes at Otter Creek, I firmly believe that closing down Greenbelt would be both a short-term and long-term mistake.
