Reader: Rich White People Care More About Golf Courses Than Flooding

Alan Prendergast's update on a new Denver stormwater plan generated some interesting responses. As Prendergast wrote, city planners "settled on Denver's City Park Golf Course as the logical place to build a thirty-acre 'detention area' for stormwater runoff — a move that will involve closing the course for more than a...

By Michael Roberts

April 13, 2016

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Alan Prendergast's update on a new Denver stormwater plan generated some interesting responses.

As Prendergast wrote, city planners "settled on Denver's City Park Golf Course as the logical place to build a thirty-acre 'detention area' for stormwater runoff — a move that will involve closing the course for more than a year and bulldozing hundreds of trees."

Those who support the approach focused on the golf course closure, suggesting that the interests of duffers shouldn't trump safety considerations.

Here's a roundup of replies.

Jayson Vonfreizer writes:

Golf... The game of the white, privileged or rich individuals....

That land would be better suited as a park for all, or even housing....

Aaron Schulz writes:

Oh no! One of the many golf courses will be closed??!! #richwhitepeooleproblems

Andrei Andronescu writes:

Yes, because a golf course is more important than important storm-water management.

Bill Menezes writes:

Can't they just flood the whole thing and use it to stage mock sea battles?

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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