City report calls for Dentonia Park Golf Course to be reduced in size to nine holes

A plan to half the size of the city-owned Dentonia Park Golf Course in southwest Scarborough in order to provide more parkland or other community uses will not be getting the support of the local councillor.

In a brief statement sent to Beach Metro Community News late last week, Scarborough Southwest Councillor Gary Crawford said he would be working to keep the par-three golf course northeast of Danforth and Victoria Park avenues, which is one of five municipal courses owned by the City of Toronto, at its current 18 holes.

Crawford said he would be working with other area councillors “to retain Dentonia as a key affordable 18-hole golf destination for Scarborough and the East End.”

A report will be going before the city’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 11, recommending the Dentonia Park course be reduced in size to nine holes and that remaining portions of the site would become community parkland.

“Dentonia Park is identified as a unique opportunity to renew the golf offering while also addressing local parkland needs,” reads the report from the General Manager, Parks Forestry and Recreation and the Chief Procurement Officer, Purchasing and Materials Management.

“This report recommends initiating a master planning process at Dentonia Park to better achieve golf outcomes and Parks, Forestry and Recreation strategic goals. Dentonia Park would continue to operate as an 18-hole par-3 course until the master plan is completed and budget is identified to advance any suggested alterations. Following the completion of the master planning process, Dentonia Park would be redeveloped to deliver an improved golf offering and new local parkland,” the report reads.

A nine-hole disc golf course was recently installed by the city on Dentonia Park Golf Course lands, and it is open to free play for members of the public over the winter.

The city owns four other golf courses along with Dentonia Park, and the report going to the committee on Jan. 11 is part of an overall Review of City of Toronto Golf Courses. The other courses owned by the city are Tan O’Shanter in northwest Scarborough, Don Valley near Yonge Street and Hwy. 401, Scarlett Woods near Jane Street and Eglinton Avenue, and Humber Valley in Etobicoke.

Depending on the decision made at the Jan. 11 committee, the report will then be considered at the Toronto City Council meeting on Feb. 2.