I swear, this isn't a joke. I am asking a serious question here. And, my answer is yes, golf can be gentrified. I came to this topic after reading a front page article in the Washington Post metro section today about the fate of the 3 public* golf courses in DC.
Let me state for the record that I do not play golf. And, before I moved to DC I always thought golf was a game that only rich people in country clubs played. However, my swim team practices at a public pool adjacent to one of the golf courses (Hains Point), and since golfers and swimmers both nosh on Cheetos and drink beer at the concession standclubhouse,** I've had a chance to observe the people who golf there.
FYI: Hains Point is a man-made island in the Potomac. The picture*** of the island below is from 1935. Except for the pool (built years later), and more trees, things look much the same today.
The golf course at Hain's Point isn't quite as proletariat as the Washington Post article suggests. Greens fees for all three courses--$31 for 18 holes on the weekend--are still too high for anyone on a tight budget, but they are substantially lower than fees charged at other locations in the DMV. And, you don't have to join a club and pay membership dues to play there.
For much of their history, Hains Point and the other two public courses have functioned as defacto country clubs for the city's black elite and middle class. Indeed, the city's history of segregation (both formal and informal) meant higher end clubs were either off limits or unwelcoming.
The city has changed a lot in the last few decades, though, so today you'll find all races, ethnicities, and genders at Hains Point. The vibe is laid back and inclusive. Cheap beer tends to do that.
So, how will Hains Point be gentrified? Well, it turns out DC House Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, usually a defender of the 'little guy,' wants to turn one of these 3 golf courses into a mini-Augusta National. And, since Hains Point is on the water and has fabulous views, she has set her sights on it.
In April Norton introduced a bill that would prompt the Department of the Interior, which owns all three courses, to negotiate a public/private partnership to turn one of the courses into "a world-class golf course". The improvements at the course slated for major overhaul could then charge market rate greens fees, which would in turn finance smaller scale improvements at the remaining courses.
Why, you may ask, does DC need a world class golf course? Norton told Mike DeBonis at the Washington Post, “You’ve got a bloc of lobbyists and other rich corporate types who come
from across the country to this city every year. I think we
would build a golf course and a clubhouse fit for those people used to
world-class golf courses. I think it would pay for the others.”
Norton may see her move as 'sticking it' to the rich guy, taking their money to improve public infrastructure, but all I see is gentrification. All three courses are owned by the feds, so fixes shouldn't involve city residents getting economically excluded from even one of them.
But, I'm sure those poor saps who come to Washington to lobby Congress will LOVE her plan. The poor dears already make so many sacrifices, like commuting to Virginia or Maryland to play golf. And, imagine having to make a meal out of a hamburger and chips. Oh the inhumanity.
How about this Eleanor Holmes Norton--just write a bill that appropriates some funds to improve the courses. DC's got enough gentrification. Do you really have to gentrify golf too?
Notes:
* The National Park Service (part of the Dept. of the Interior) is in charge of all three courses
** Don't worry--we swimmers only drink beer after practice
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