Top Holes

London has an affordable housing crisis. It also has 94 active golf courses, 37 of which are publicly-owned (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/aug/26/london-golf-courses-could-provide-homes-for-300000-people-study-says). London's golf courses occupy an area totalling more than 4300 hectares. The publicly-owned courses sit on more than 1600 hectares of land and could, in theory, be replaced by homes for 300,000 people. Golf courses are only used by a tiny proportion of their local populations. The problem of accessing green spaces became critical in the Covid19 pandemic lockdowns. Some golf courses (in Brighton, not London) were sensibly openned for public exercise. Concreting over all these green spaces in London, to provide housing might not be optimal. It would possibly be better if some golf courses were repurposed, to make them more accessible to residents. This is especially well-illustrated, by considering London's Regent's Park. If its 166 hectares was converted into a golf course, it could be used by 314 players per day. In 2007 (well pre-pandemic), the park actually attracted 26,000 visitors daily. Some London golf courses might consequently be better converted into allotments; biodiverse green spaces, parks, sports facilities or even urban farms.