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

[Amethyst24]

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.)

Maybe somebody could put pour wildflower seeds out on all these golf courses? Wouldnt it be lovely to turn them into flowery meadows?

Bulbs anyone?

It's a nice idea quint. But we'd still need areas of rough grassland, log piles and ponds too.

And some tatty areas of brambles and nettles.

Your point is a bit weird. You're talking as if the government is subsidising and building golf courses all over the place. They're privately owned enterprises, so presumably if five can keep going in South London then there is market for them?

It's a bit like saying "your garden is a bit crap because it's paved over and the community can't come in when they like so it's not benefitting them. We're going to build on it".

I think the solution to the childcare crises is Chicken shops. I don't like fried chicken so let's shut them down and build nurseries on the sites.

Our local golf course is reclaimed by the community each time it snows when it provides excellent sledging opportunities. Hands off

I play golf bloody leave them alone! If successive governments didn't just let any Tom dick and Harry into this country then we wouldn't need to build on the green belt and could protect the countryside

I do actually know of a golf course near somewhere I used to live that was turned into a housing estate. But I can also think of golf courses in places not too far from me that would be wildly unsuitable for housing.

As a pp suggested, I think a better target for development would be derelict brownfield sites. Not to mention land that building companies have bought and are just sitting on.

I don't think there's such a demand for housing in Scotland, that all the golf courses need building on. And I love the fact that the Old Course in St Andrews is a public course and shut to golfers on a Sunday so you can wander about on it.

Actually I think closed pubs should be converted into homes. There are so many closed pubs and many are boarded up. These buildings are a part of British culture/history and converting them into homes would enable continued use of these important buildings.

So true Perihelion. As an American, used to golf courses often being inaccessible in gated communities and even the public ones certainly not open to the masses on a Sunday, being able to wander at will over the most famous course in the world was a highlight of our last visit to Scotland several years ago. And we have the obligatory picture on the Swilcan Bridge as a memento.

Blimey I have no idea why my post appeared so many times but in reply to MissPenelopeLumawoo2 - the answer would be Emerald24 as in green - green with envy.

Oh and we had a mention of women who stay at home and look after children whilst the their husbands are golfing, tory pensioners, executives - but no mention of women golfers who may also be members on MN? ;]

While we have tons of buildings going empty and derelict we don't have a housing crisis imo and should not be building on green areas - it's more profitable and cheaper to build on green areas for the the property developers who are the only ones who win.