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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think a solution to the housing crisis is: GOLF COURSES?

65 replies

Amethyst24 · 15/01/2015 23:09

Seriously. They're green deserts. Their contribution to wildlife habitat is negligible; they don't give ordinary families a place to enjoy open spaces; they're mostly denuded of indigenous flora. What are they for, except men to be dick-swingy on weekends while their wives look after their children, and Monday-Friday for Tory pensioners and wankers on corporate jollies to wallow in their privilege?

Fuck destroying the proper green belt, let's build housing on golf courses. (And in the meantime, make the overpriced suburbs around them affordable to ordinary people, because the flipping golf club won't be a massive selling point any more. Two birds, one stone.)

OP posts:
meglet · 15/01/2015 23:11

Grin 'dick swingy'.

they're talking about building on one of ours.

FrancesNiadova · 15/01/2015 23:11

I'll second your idea! Smile

blahbloodyblah · 15/01/2015 23:14

My labour supporting grandparents like golf.
Neither big dick swingers

Anyway... There's plenty of land around. Problem often infrastructure

DirtyBlonde · 15/01/2015 23:15

Well, if/when the land comes up for sale, that would be a possibility. Assuming planning permission for change of use could be secured.

But as shortage of land isn't the real problem (developers already own huge amounts sitting doing nothing).

And the urban areas where they're trying to cram in ever more housing isn't exactly awash with golf courses.

blahbloodyblah · 15/01/2015 23:18

Yy to land banking

Original poster
Amethyst24 · 15/01/2015 23:19

blah Maybe it's something that will happen organically as people of that generation are no longer able to play golf?

In SE London, where I live, there's tons of green space, which local people love and use - but also a good few golf courses that must be horrendously under-used. Same goes for lots of zones 3 and 4 - it's highly desirable land; it makes no sense for it to be sitting doing nothing most of the year.

OP posts:
AlecTrevelyan006 · 15/01/2015 23:21

more of the uk is covered in golf courses than housing.

lollygagger · 15/01/2015 23:23

Yes! Golf courses are a blight. lol, at dick-swingy.

BackforGood · 15/01/2015 23:26

YABU. A local golf course has just been sold to developers. It's very sad - there should be more laws about the % of land that must be kept 'green' in our big conurbations, not fewer.

DirtyBlonde · 15/01/2015 23:26

"The Karolinska Institutet in Sweden studied more than 300,000 golfers and concluded that the death rate for regular golfers is 40 percent lower than for other people of the same sex, age and socioeconomic status. This equates to a five-year increase in life expectancy."

They're not going to die out that quickly!

DillyDallyDaydreamer · 15/01/2015 23:32

I don't think the problem is land is it? More like empty houses.

DillyDallyDaydreamer · 15/01/2015 23:33

Although sure we could come up with a better use for golf pitches

Original poster
Amethyst24 · 15/01/2015 23:34

Backforgood I totally agree about green spaces, but I dispute that a space that's manicured to within an inch of its life, costs thousands of pounds a year to access, and isn't a valuable habitat for indigenous wildlife counts.

Dirty They could just go for long walks instead Grin

OP posts:
Farahilda · 15/01/2015 23:37

Unless all the perimeter fence of a suburban golf club is in good nick, I suspect swinging dicks might belong to local teenagers after dark!

Original poster
Amethyst24 · 15/01/2015 23:44

Fara Well, fine, that does count as benefiting the local community. Grin

OP posts:
12daysofpissedoff · 16/01/2015 00:27

May I suggest football pitches also. Nasty shouty floodlit places, this time of year. [grump]

ShadowSpiral · 16/01/2015 00:27

Golf courses take up more land than houses? Seriously?

I never realized golf was so popular Confused

echt · 16/01/2015 01:11

The overpriced suburbs would not decline in price just because a golf course is built on. There would be small adjustments downwards.

I can't comment on the wildlife aspect in the UK, but here in my bit of Melbourne, golf courses are a haven for birdlife that doesn't stand a chance because of the huge Mcmansion houses that cover every inch of the plot with concrete and gravel being built around them.

I can't be doing with golf, DH says it's cunt's game, but here it is a preserver of birdlife and for that reason alone, I'd keep them.

MrsTerryPratchett · 16/01/2015 01:17

But surely echt the massive water use on golf courses is a terrible idea in drought stricken Oz...

TheNewStatesman · 16/01/2015 02:09

I don't think golf courses are found in huge areas where the need for housing is highest. Also, how can you force a privately owned corporation to give up its land?

It would be better if the British could get used to higher-density living. How about nice family-sized apartments in 5-8 storey buildings?

echt · 16/01/2015 02:42

Good point, MrsTP, though the ones round here at pains to say they use bore water, and also we're not in a drought at the moment.

Alibalibumblebee · 16/01/2015 03:45

OP - I think you should change your name to Emerald24.

Alibalibumblebee · 16/01/2015 03:45

OP - I think you should change your name to Emerald24.

Alibalibumblebee · 16/01/2015 03:45

OP - I think you should change your name to Emerald24.

Alibalibumblebee · 16/01/2015 03:45

OP - I think you should change your name to Emerald24.