What can golf do for us and our community?
Golf is a game that has been called the yoga of the super-mind as it’s many intricacies and unique level of precision make it so that you must be completely present when you play the game. Golf can teach you many life lesson as well- how to face fear, success and failure in a healthy manner, how to tell the difference between being in your body versus in your head, and how to learn to overcome obstacles with grace- to name a few. A golf course can be looked at in many different ways, and we are aware of some of the ways golf has failed to reach everyone and how its lack of diversity and inclusivity have frustrated many people over the years. This golf course and this project will act to combat all the negative aspects of golf- the privilege, the high water use, the chemical use and the single use of land. The time is right for this project to happen and Santa Cruz is the place to make it happen and to be able to restore a piece of history at the same time brings it all together.
Additionally, Santa Cruz has seen two of its smaller, entry level beginner golf courses shut down over the last twenty years, Aptos Par-3 closed its doors in 2001 while Valley Gardens in Scotts Valley more recently shut down in 2019. These courses were spaces where junior golfers learned to play and fall in love with the game and everything it offered to young people looking for a place in our community. As we all know, our children need places to play, places to learn and places to be outside and get off their devices and screens!
Since 1910, Pogonip Open Space has been a place for recreation. This land has been a space for play, for competition and to rehabilitate. The importance of play and creativity in our lives cannot be understated- it is human nature to get outside, move our bodies and play. When we move our bodies, internally we move as well. We move energy, that needs an outlet- we sweat, we release and we create new space for ourselves to go about our lives. There is no doubt that physical movement and exercise are imperative for our physical and mental health- and we saw this front and center during the lock downs of 2020 and the Covid-19 Pandemic. We need to get outside and play for our very survival! Santa Cruz is in need a golf course geared towards our youth. The Santa Cruz City Council knows this and has mandated that any project geared towards getting our youth outside and off their screens is of the highest priority. This project is geared directly toward the children of Santa Cruz for generations to come. According to longtime Santa Cruz small business owner and resident, Larry Pearson, “We know that green spaces are important for physical and mental health nd many longtime Santa Cruz residents know all to well that if green spaces go unused by the community they are either commercially developed or become overrun by unsafe conditions for recreational use”. This is exactly the current the case with Pogonip Open Space- and city officials have communicate that any activation of this space is welcomed!
We are aware that many people already use the space in its current state and the city of spending taxpayers money to keep it clean- we are here to support the city in this space and give our youth a safe space to come explore the largest green space in Santa Cruz and its right here within the city limits!
