I miss all the 9 hole courses that have closed in Brampton and Oakville. I'm not a serious golfer and so those were so convenient and cheap. Like $20 at twilight or $30 with cart. Still some courses around but the cheap ones are dwindling.
I understand the reasons for redeveloping but I preferred having those coures around. I'm a five minute walk to Glen Abbey and drive over it all the time on the Upper Middle overpass. It sure is pretty looking down to the see the valley, river, trees, fairways and greens. Unless those perfectly manicured greens, fairways and sand traps were replaced by vibrant flower gardens, whatever greenspace it's converted into just won't look as nice. And it was always nice to have that energy around during the Canadian Open.
Castlemore in Brampton is my all time favourite course to play. Tonnes of trees, creek, and lots of ups and downs. Was 18 holes then became 9 after a subdivision was put there which made it even more entertaining by having to drive through residential streets to get to the next hole. But now it's completely gone. A shame for golfers.
So for selfish reasons, I'd rather keep golf courses around. Some will be there like Braeben in Mississauga (old landfill) and others for various reasons, but the numbers of options just ain't there anymore and will continue to decline.
Fun fact: My threesome were the last people to ever play the Eagle something course in Woodbridge at 50 and Steeles. Showed up one day for twilight and we were told it's the last day as it was being razed and redeveloped. I was in my mid 20s and so for jokes we said let's go to town on this course. We played for real but acted like fools here and there like chipping while on the green. Anyway, made a funny compilation video and one segment ended up on America's Funniest Videos but that clip was genuine when my GF lost grip on my 3 iron and it launched into the pond. Got $200 cheque and a t-shirt. We ended up on the season finale that year.
Lots of memories playing cheap courses, drinking your own beers, posing for funny pics, putting with crab apples you find, playing pool with the club handle, stopping for two minutes to fish the pond with your retractable rod and catching bass and driving uphill on wet grass off the path and then the cart starts to slide backwards, all because there were no course marshalls on these places. And these places were the first ones to go. Too old for that shit now, but man does that bring back memories.
Most my golf was played after work in the summer at 6pm (twlight rate). That was easy to do because there were a plethora all over the GTA. Did not have to take a day off or save it for the weekend. That is much harder to do now so not good for golfers. Kind of like if you live in certain places, you can't just go fishing after work due to a lack of lakes or rivers. And saving it for the weekend sometimes sucks because the weather just happens to be shit then.
This is not as bad as hunters from the city who have a very short season and have to go far to do it, but it still cuts down on your opportunities to play when courses are disappearing.
This is what you see when walking or driving on Upper Middle Rd. when passing over Glen Abbey. And when it's not summer, and the foliage is gone, you see the red (clay) valley walls. Anything other than this course just isn't as interesting. Would kind of suck to lose this view.
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