Rackham Golf Course

[SammyS]

Rackham, if it's inherently money-losing, should be sold to Huntington Woods for a public park. No way would the neighbors ever accept the site being developed.

I can second that. The charm and major draw of Huntington Woods are:

• Central location
• Uniquely residential hence being referred to as the "City of Homes"
• Safety
• AAA Burton Elementary School
• Tight community

Any development other than a park will never be approved by its residents. Someone mentioned low income housing earlier in this thread. Not sure if that was a joke or a provocative stab but trust me on this, there are enough lawyers in HW to ensure nothing like that is ever considered.

[Dumpling]

If it weren't for the Deed Restriction, and Huntington Woods
taking the City of Detroit to court, Rackham Golf Course
would now look something like this - this is the play lot aka
Christmas Tree Sale lot next to the Royal Oak YMCA:

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4897...7i13312!8i6656

It is being developed - probably condos are going in there -
but it will not be a Rain Garden or a CSO basin.
There is a row of relatively large [["bigfoot" - not all neighbors are
pleased at their size) houses that were built on the site of the
former Longfellow Elementary School that was adjacent to the play lot.
On the bright side, and would hold true for Huntington Woods
if Rackham were to be developed, taxpayers have moved into the
houses and are contributing members of the Royal Oak City tax rolls.

That was a big consideration when determining the use of the
school site after Longfellow was demolished.

[Dumpling]

Archfan, I enjoyed your zoo ad clip:

https://youtu.be/oQr548olzOo

Haven't been to the Zoo in years. The tunnel everyone screams
through while riding the Chrysler Train is still there?

[Towne Cluber]

The Detroit Zoo has an enormous footprint and is already too spread out. Compare to Toledo Zoo, which is much more visitor friendly. The last thing it needs is more land.

Rackham, if it's inherently money-losing, should be sold to Huntington Woods for a public park. No way would the neighbors ever accept the site being developed.

Golf, in the long-run, is in deep trouble. Practically no one under 50 plays golf, and the "rules" of modern parenting, where fathers are actively involved, leaves no room for an afternoon of golf. Takes too damn long, and subject to vagaries of weather.

Country clubs, too, are in deep doo-doo, for same reasons [[changes to parenting and lifestyle). What person under 50 "entertains" at a country club? Outside of Oakland Hills, which has a world-class course, country clubs are [[secretly) desperate for members, even the "fancy" ones.

Also, companies used to give free country club membership to executives. Nowadays, this is a very rare perk. Wives used to spend all day with the kids at the club pool. This era is over.

Lots of hyperbole in your statement. Birmingham CC is bursting at the seams with families, and it's a lottery system to play there on summer weekends. Orchard Lake CC remains incredibly strong with its family atmosphere leading the way.

Yes times are changing, but there are still a good deal of families [[wives) "spending all day with the kids at the club pool" [[and tennis courts, and other activities). Likewise, there is certainly an under 50 decline with golf, and to a somewhat lesser extent with country clubs, but still plenty of people doing both...

Also keep in mind that there is a waiting list at the DAC. By the way, every outdoor sport and activity are at the mercy of the weather, so that claim is just a plain bad look.

[softailrider]

The Detroit Zoo has an enormous footprint and is already too spread out. Compare to Toledo Zoo, which is much more visitor friendly. The last thing it needs is more land.

Rackham, if it's inherently money-losing, should be sold to Huntington Woods for a public park. No way would the neighbors ever accept the site being developed.

Golf, in the long-run, is in deep trouble. Practically no one under 50 plays golf, and the "rules" of modern parenting, where fathers are actively involved, leaves no room for an afternoon of golf. Takes too damn long, and subject to vagaries of weather.

Country clubs, too, are in deep doo-doo, for same reasons [[changes to parenting and lifestyle). What person under 50 "entertains" at a country club? Outside of Oakland Hills, which has a world-class course, country clubs are [[secretly) desperate for members, even the "fancy" ones.

Also, companies used to give free country club membership to executives. Nowadays, this is a very rare perk. Wives used to spend all day with the kids at the club pool. This era is over.

Your notion that “practically no one under 50 plays golf” is a gross exaggeration. I would invite you to observe the opening of the 2018 Birmingham Junior Golf program at Lincoln Hills beginning on June 18th. It and other Junior Golf programs elsewhere are burgeoning - parents line up in the Spring to get their kids enrolled. Admittedly, I get the feeling that some parents use the program as a babysitting mechanism, but most are really interested in the great instruction these programs provide.

I would say on the weekends, at the courses around this area that I play, I would estimate 50% of the golfers I see are under 50 - many of those are women. During the week that number is lower as more retired persons play.

[courtney]

The Detroit Zoo has an enormous footprint and is already too spread out. Compare to Toledo Zoo, which is much more visitor friendly. The last thing it needs is more land.

Most who actually care about the animals at the zoo are a-okay with having a "too spread out" zoo. That means more room for the animals. I'm also okay with not seeing every animal they have every time, because that means they have spots to relax, away from the people.

And before the cries of "think of the disabled" come out, I use a cane and am in agony after every trip. But we've been members since they got rid of the elephants and will continue to be, especially as they continually improve exhibits for the animals.

In that same vein, I won't go to the Toledo Zoo. Cramped, "always on view" animals aren't my idea of enjoyment. When they get rid of their elephants, I'd consider checking it out.

[Bham1982]

In that same vein, I won't go to the Toledo Zoo. Cramped, "always on view" animals aren't my idea of enjoyment. When they get rid of their elephants, I'd consider checking it out.

I understand your viewpoint, as I want the animals happy too. But zoos are, frankly, designed for human enjoyment, and if my kid can't see the animals, there's little point. I wish the Detroit Zoo would have more small animals in more accessible exhibits.

[courtney]

I understand your viewpoint, as I want the animals happy too. But zoos are, frankly, designed for human enjoyment, and if my kid can't see the animals, there's little point. I wish the Detroit Zoo would have more small animals in more accessible exhibits.

Give me a break. Teach your kid that things aren't always out for their enjoyment. That's not how life works. Somehow, my now 15 year old got it as a young child and lived without being scarred for life when we didn't glimpse a gorilla or a tiger.

You know what my kid was bothered by? The very visible, very depressed seeming elephants at a zoo we went to once that have thankfully since smartened up and got rid of them [[I'd have never gone if I knew they hadn't already) and the pacing, clearly distressed very much seen wolverine at the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids.

[Bham1982]

You know what my kid was bothered by? The very visible, very depressed seeming elephants at a zoo we went to once that have thankfully since smartened up and got rid of them [[I'd have never gone if I knew they hadn't already) and the pacing, clearly distressed very much seen wolverine at the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids.

Thanks, but none of the toddlers under my purview have such genius discernment of animal psychology, apparently greater even than those of Animal Psychology PhDs, so I think I'll stick with venues where I can actually see animals, to keep little ones happy.

[courtney]

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

At any rate, I think most people would be okay with Rackham going to the zoo if at any point it ceased to be a golf course. I think there'd be massive pushback if it was to become more housing.

[masterblaster]

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

At any rate, I think most people would be okay with Rackham going to the zoo if at any point it ceased to be a golf course. I think there'd be massive pushback if it was to become more housing.

I wonder why there is no pushback by Northville residents for the redevelopment of the Northville Downs Horse Race Track to a huge housing development