Northeast residents unhappy over McCall Lake closure

A plan to shut down the McCall Lake Golf Coursein Calgary's northeast isn't going over well with some residents, who say the area is a valuable green space.

City officialsannounced the upcoming closure in February.The city plans to sell the course, which it says is running a deficit and needs a $6.5-million upgrade. However, residents sayit would be a bad thing for the community.

"There's not a lot of green space here," said Hugh Paul, a local golfer. "This is used by a lot by people, by school children, by retired people like myself. It's great."

A group called Save McCall Lake Golf Course is trying to convince the city to keep the 18-hole course open.

Former Calgary alderman John Schmal is one of the people in that group.

He says the city shouldtry to find a way to keep the course open because closing it would hurt the community.

"That's a sin, in my estimation," he said.

The city has said that municipally-owned courses are taking a hit on Calgary's budget because they are not being used enough.

It is proposing to turn the land into industrial development and a recreational area.

When the course closes in 2014, there will besix city-owned courses left in Calgary, with none in the northeast.