Editor, The Spotlight:
I began golfing late in life five years ago. I started out slowly with ancient, mottled irons barely used in the 1950s. The Town of Bethlehem accommodated both my agenda and my wallet by offering up the Colonial Acres Golf Course in Glenmont. What a beautiful friendship we have forged, that place and me! I have learned enough to have fun, not so much as to ever believe I will play well, but most importantly, I have met and made some cherished new friends as a result of walking those gorgeously manicured links. Kudos to Pat Blum and his crew!
One of the features I treasure about the Acres is its welcoming layout and accessibility to families and youngsters. It does my old heart good to see and hear young people chattering and clamoring on their way to the next green, talking about their shots, their clubs, their hits, their misses. Moreover, to see parents showing children as young as 5 or 6 how to hold and swing a club is an incomparable testimony to the well-being of our community’s future.
Colonial Acres affords this uncommon opportunity of a leisurely golf outing free of back pressure by ultra-competitive, aspiring pros pushing the party ahead onward, faster, finally asking to play through, because I don’t think a par 3 course typically attracts many golfers of that ilk. The course itself is forgiving and manageable for young and old alike, yet offers enough challenges, e.g., sand, water, woods, bumps, to keep each round full of teachable moments.
Unlike Mark Twain’s contention that “golf is a walk spoiled,” a round at the Acres is “a walk in the park with golf.” I speak of the natural beauty of the site, flora and fauna, unscathed by chemical overdoses, kept trim and golf-friendly, yet wild enough to see snapping turtles, huge koi and algae-eating carp, herons, bluebirds, bunnies and so many varieties of bushes and trees. Simply, it is a bit of Eden in our midst.
The idea of closing it to save a few bucks is quite literally penny-wise and pound-foolish. The financial losses reported from last year, for example, and attributed to new competition are less believable in that most courses lost money last year due to the forced closings by way of unusual rainfall. Also, the mention of environmentally-friendly land management costing more than conventional techniques is short-sighted. Preservation and sustenance of Mother Earth can never be too expensive, but ultimately, if left to Her natural devices, will cost us less in the long run, that is, if we allow Mother Earth a long run.
I say, “Keep the Acres from the takers!”
Norman Cohen
Delmar
