Reading through literature from 2017 it looks as if ClubLink is set to let Glen Abbey be part of natural hiking trail at same time having housing and retail properties replace golf holes.Jimbo wrote: ↑April 1st, 2021, 9:54 pm The Clublink organization owns approx. 40 clubs, most of which are in the Greater Toronto Area (and several that are closer to the city than Glen Abbey) as well as courses in the National Capital Region (a couple of which are close enough to the city of Ottawa that they might suffer the same fate) as well as a couple near Montreal that, fortunately don't appear close enough to be in danger. I don't know how many fellow Linksters live (or lonce ived) in Toronto but the following namess might ring a bell or two:
Georgetown, Greystone, Cherry Downs, Rolling Hills, The Country Club (Boston isn't the only one), RattleSnake Point and Glendale (near Hamilton).
Each one is a Clublink course and each one is closer to Metro Toronto than Glen Abbey (or in the case of Glendale close enough to Hamilton) and one day may very well face the same fate.
If you look at my post about Shaughnessy you'll know that golf is looked upon by many as an elitist game (Vancouver is slightly over the top-we have our own issues on the island!) but that's the way that the world is unfolding...at least north of the 49th.
Permanent Greenspace for All
Our plan will dedicate more than half of the site, or approximately 124 acres, for permanent publicly accessible green space, for play, walking, cycling, hiking or just enjoying nature.
But the trail is now interrupted by the privately-owned Glen Abbey golf club lands. That land, plus much more, will be permanently transferred by ClubLink for public use for the entire community of Oakville to enjoy for generations to come.
Golf course designers such as Nicklaus, the designer of Glen Abbey try to use natural features already on land plot so as not to incur cost of owner for changing so much of the property in the making of a golf course, although there are exceptions such as Steve Wynn having so much money to make Shadow Creek. Many urban planners think it is a good idea to have green areas, such as parks within city limits. In a way a golf course is like a park and where the idea listed above, "for permanent publicly accessible green space, for play, walking, cycling, hiking or just enjoying nature" goes awry in that ClubLink does not fit the bill as it is a private company and saw writing on wall that local government was going to take it over for public good anyhow. This has aspect of socialism where private enterprise has to be worried how it can operate.
