After reading the two excellent articles by Ed Felien and Kathryn Kelly regarding the issues surrounding the planned closing of Hiawatha Golf Course, I decided to share my personal story of my experience with the course.
I have used the course for over 60 years. I was a caddie at the course as a youth, and I also have played at the course the last 20 years in tournaments and in a league with many of my friends, and other African-American community players, and have maintained a very close relationship to the history with this city institution.
The question is, “Why, after over 80 years of service to our inner city, did the Park Board decide to close the course because of water and pumping issues? is still a question which has not been answered by our elected officials.”
There have been numerous articles written in Southside Pride regarding the course, which I will not repeat. The major issue that has been the most troubling is a lack of transparency of the decision between the Park Board and the community. Studies have been submitted to close the course, and many meetings to explain the decision, however, no one from the Park Board has listened to the community on the history and importance of keeping the course open for the benefit of the homeowners surrounding course, and also the value the course has for our inner-city youth to play a game that has been historically reserved for people with the income to enjoy the sport on a continual basis.
Are you aware that Hiawatha is the only course of the five to serve our community that is in the city limits of Minneapolis? Wirth is in Golden Valley, Meadowbrook is in St. Louis Park, Gross is in St. Anthony, and Columbia borders on Columbia Heights.
And you also may have heard that Hiawatha is not profitable. Hiawatha has maintained a positive revenue stream for many years.
In closing, a decision to close Hiawatha is not just closing a golf course, it would close an institution of value to our city, and if that happens, the entire community that the course serves will be greatly affected.
Regards,
Harry W. Davis, Jr.
