News Golf Municipal
Environmental group advocates for shared use of city-owned Toronto golf courses

Although Toronto’s municipal golf courses have been busy in recent years – as a silver lining to the COVID pandemic – there are many who question whether they’re the best use of public land.

An official with the Toronto Environmental Alliance says green spaces in the city are at a premium and, although many residents live near Toronto’s municipal golf courses, they are denied access unless they’re willing to pay a fee to play golf.

Craig Loughry, director of membership and member services for Golf Ontario, says the public perceives golf as an exclusive pursuit. Municipal courses, however, are making efforts to make the game as affordable and accessible as possible.

As recently as late 2021, the city considered downsizing its Dentonia Park golf course to nine holes from 18 and turning the rest of the property into green space for public use. The city ultimately opted to retain the course as it was and consider other year-round uses for the city-owned golf properties.

Sarah Buchanan of the Toronto Environmental Alliance welcomes the ongoing discussions about potential shared use of the properties and hopes the matter will be an issue during the upcoming mayoralty byelection campain.