Dear Mr. Becker,

While I applaud so much of the work that you have done to get City Park up and running post-Katrina and your efforts to transform it, making it more vibrant than at any other point in my lifetime, it is with great disappointment that I watch you proceed in the redevelopment of City Park’s Golf Courses on the site that now occupies portions of the former East and West Courses between Harrison Ave and Filmore Ave. As a lifelong resident of New Orleans and a regular golfer who grew up playing these courses and as someone who still plays North Course and spends time at the driving range, I can assure you that I am not opposed to golf. I also understand that the park needs to generate revenue through many different avenues since it does not receive any outside funding. However, I believe that the current strategy is misguided and overlooks the true value of what this land and nature in general represents as a cultural asset for all of us. It is based on an old way of thinking and an outmoded master plan that is in dire need of revision so that it better meshes with the changing needs of the community here in New Orleans. In case you have not noticed, a lot has changed in the last 10 years since this plan was approved.

I am speaking as someone who was initially opposed to the closing of the South Course for selfish and nostalgic reasons. (In fact, I actually have the last hole in one ever recorded on the course). But witnessing the magic that happened when that land transitioned to an open space for all to use convinced me that it was the right decision to put aside the historical significance of the course. Ultimately it has been shaped into something that better serves the community at large. So many people have embraced it and now spend their time walking, playing sports, and engaging in other healthy activities with their families, it’s quite obvious how much of a positive contribution it has made to the quality of life of all New Orleanians. It should serve as a powerful lesson to you and the Board of Directors of City Park that embracing a vision that moves away from City Park’s traditional uses often leads to wonderful outcomes!

This evidence only makes the decision to build a championship course all the more puzzling since the park’s resurgence has provided overwhelming proof that the path to strengthening the assets in City Park’s portfolio is through creating a healthy diversity of available options that attract all walks of life rather than an over reliance on one single revenue stream that serves only a minority.

Also, it is extremely important to situate this decision to redevelop the golf course in a larger social context. The world needs to work towards a greener and more sustainable future for ourselves and all generations that follow, now more than ever. The only way for this to be accomplished is if we recognize the significance of our own actions and initiate this change on a local level.

In our modern age where the fast pace of urban society produces extreme stress, having a place of natural beauty to escape to becomes all the more desirable. It is crucial to the health of the younger generation that they have a place to go to experience and learn about nature. It is imperative to recognize that it is time to respect nature and reconnect with it and understand its vital function for our overall health. When my father and his siblings grew up next to the park this area was woodlands where they could actually hunt, play, and ride horses throughout. It was instrumental for them in creating a lifelong appreciation of nature and an understanding of the natural environment of Louisiana. This undeveloped land now serves that function to a new generation, and as so many have discovered offers us a rare opportunity to enjoy a type of quiet respite that only this kind of setting can provide.

New urbanism recognizes this and places a premium upon it. That is the reason why projects such as the Lafitte Corridor and Crescent Park continue to generate so much excitement in the community (and investment I might add). Collectively we yearn to have these green spaces available for us to enjoy and promote peace of Mind, Body, and Spirit. That is also why there has been such a vocal backlash to the erection of a fence that has severed the possibility of enjoying such a sacred place that is so dear to our hearts. It is imperative that our civic leaders understand that if New Orleans is to continue to prosper by attracting young, intelligent people from all over the country, that having an asset like this in the absence of any other locally accessible natural settings will prove invaluable.

Furthermore it is well established that the popularity of golf is on the decline, so making a substantial commitment to it at this time seems questionable at best. Especially when the existing facilities only contribute to 5% of the Park’s total revenue. And where is the demand for a new course that will charge exorbitant green fees that make it prohibitive for the average golfer to even play regularly? What made City Park Golf great was that it was affordable to anyone that wanted to play. No one I know is willing to pay $150 green fee on a regular basis.

Let’s talk about it from an investment standpoint. Not only is this project extremely risky, but even foolish considering the other ways that money could be spent and bring in a much better return while only using a fraction of the resources. It is clear to me that if you really want to upgrade the golf facilities of City Park, then you should look at acquiring the land formerly occupied by John F Kennedy High School from the New Orleans School Board and move the location of the current driving range and clubhouse to the other side of Filmore Ave. This would give you more than enough room to lengthen the North Course to make it into a Championship style course. If you did this, then the partnership with the Bayou District Foundation could be maintained and all of the community benefits from that organization would also be reaped. If you want to get creative and make a more sound investment while further diversifying the Park’s offerings, then may I suggest that you create a venue that caters to the new form of golf activities that are actually increasing in popularity. A venue such as Austin’s Top Golf comes to mind. I believe that there would actually be a huge demand for something like that here in New Orleans. It’s a win-win situation since all of this would take up significantly less land and preserve as much open space as possible. It would also allow for establishment of a wildlife conservatory which would attract Corporate Sponsorship as well as non-profit organizations to partner with. This seems to make far greater sense.

So I ask that you please reconsider the plans for redevelopment and listen to the will of the people. It is not too late. This park needs to serve everyone! When those courses were built, the park was still segregated and those courses were built to pander to that reality. That day has come and gone thankfully. There is no reason to create further boundaries in the park that exclude anyone. It’s time for City Park to continue to evolve and move forward. It is your moral, fiscal, civic, and ecological duty to include in City Park’s mission the preservation and honoring of nature, all of the wildlife that have come to call it home, and keep that accessible to all of us. Golf and natural habitats do not have to be mutually exclusive. Nurture the natural diversity within the park as well as the diversity of City Park’s attractions, and in doing so you will only be following what has already proven to be a very successful approach for not only City Park, but for all of the citizens of New Orleans. Anything less is short sighted and will only result in depriving us of what is one of the best things the city has to offer.

Yours Truly,
Ben Kappel

The text above is a letter to the editor and expresses only the opinion of the author, not NOLA Defender or NOLA Defender's Editorial Board.

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