Sunday, September 6, 2009

Sligo Golf Course... Where to Begin Before it Ends

Every time I get ready to post something about the Sligo Creek Golf Course on this blog, the whole story changes so much that I decide not to post... YET. I wanted to write something which would explain the mess that is the political battle over the course.... how environmentalists, golfers, people who live near to the course are all fighting to try to keep this incredibly popular course open. I wanted to write something about how it happens that a bunch of people who have never played golf EVER want to hold on to this resource, and those that do play golf want to hold on to it even more... and I wanted to explain how much the course and its relatively low impact current use means to those who work for the betterment of the creek.

At the very least I wanted to explain to the uninformed what the heck all those green signs that say "Keep Sligo Golf Open" mean.

I have realized that would take such an insane amount of time that it would be plain stupid. By the time I finished writing such a post, the whole thing would be over and done.

So instead I will say this.

County Council member Valerie Ervin has sent an email out that says her office is working hard to try to keep the course open. Delegate Al Carr has said the same. There have been warnings that notices will soon go up saying the course will close for ever on Oct 1. This is not a done deal, according to many many people.

But.

If you care about the course or the creek, I would say now is the time to contact your county council members. Because nothing is final and they need to hear that we, as voters, want to see the course stay open.

It is my own dream to see the course remain open but become a model for green golf course maintenance in the county. I can't understand why we have a huge effort underway to GREEN up Bethesda, but here we have a great opportunity presenting itself in good old Silver Spring and well... the green option has yet to be seriously explored.

Okay. Actually, I can understand it. Its par for the course in this county. We are sometimes treated like second class citizens over here. The amazing thing is, we like our community and have some great things going on. We actually would not wish to live over THERE. But some of us would LIKE to PLAY golf close to home. We have no other options. This lovely little public course has provided a close by option to many for many years.

As an aside I have to say that I am not a golfer myself, and neither is anyone in my family. But I bike past the course several times a week, and shiver to think what would happen if the course was destroyed and that area became heavily developed for other purposes...

Giving up the course to lighted mini golf was unthinkable both from a traffic control stand point and an environmental standpoint. (This had been suggested back at the beginning of the controversy. Several angry town hall like meetings later this suggestion was withdrawn.) There are simply loads of people in this part of the county who LOVE to golf. And a lot of them would then have to drive to the upper part of the county. This would be stupid, but also show a complete disregard for those who live in the downcounty area and pay taxes. Meanwhile, it would also add more cars to crowded roads like 270. Again and again traffic planners have told us that one of the best ways to reduce traffic is to provide resources locally, and not force people to drive everywhere.

But also, the course is well used and well loved now. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Or, more to the point, don't throw it away.

And besides, many of us are suspicious about the reasons for the course's possible closure in the first place. Somethin just aint right in those numbers. Somethin just aint right in the way the whole thing has unfolded...

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