Average as a park, but hampered by the fact that its heyday as a golf course is over…read more
It's a decent park, but no longer has an operational golf course. The fairways were shuttered a couple years ago due to city budget cutbacks, with the hope of reopening it after a year or so by finding alternative financing. That hasn't happened and city residents were informed it wasn't likely to happen ever at all, let alone anytime soon.
Now, the club house is closed, the greens overgrown and the golfers have scattered to other nearby courses. It's too bad. I remember all the golfers elbowing each other just to carve out a little tee time over there only a few short years ago. It's a sacrilege what's happened to it in recent years. It would take a lot of effort and money to return it to its former glory as a popular golfing spot in this city, but it could be done. It just isn't likely to happen, though. This is Flint, after all.
Instead of a golf course, Mott Park still a nice, family-friendly park with a bridge, walking/jogging trails, decent scenery, an area for picnics with grilling stations and tables, and a playground for children with updated equipment, a designated dog run, and tennis courts.
The park remains busy and bustling with activity throughout the year, even in the winter. During summer, it's filled with life, from kids playing in the park and people hosting family reunions and picnics to being the home of community rummage sales and countless joggers armed with their Fit Bits. During the winter, kids go sledding down the hill and and some adventurous types snow ski around the old greens.
It's nice, but doesn't hold the same cache as the golf course once did. There has been discussion lately among the city's residents and those who live around the park/golf course, in particular, as to what can be done with the fairways. Of the many ideas bandied about, a proposal to turn it into a disc golf park appears to be getting the most traction, but most people still want it turned back into a fully-functional golf course, which necessitates a need to secure additional financing. Good luck with that one, Flint! Personally, I would prefer to see it come back to life as a golf course, even if it means privatizing it, since it was a public golf course in the past, but we all know the odds of that happening are in the long-shot range by now.
I still walk/jog through the park occasionally, but it isn't the same. Even though I was only an amateur golfer (and a bad one, at that), my husband and I had fun with him trying to teach me the finer points of the game on that course. In truth, his attempts at teaching me to golf resembled Nick Lachey showing Jessica Simpson how to golf on the first season of Nick & Jessica: Newlyweds. Who else remembers that?
At least the areas for joggers/walkers and the picnic areas are well-maintained, but who knows how long that will last if the golf course continues to be closed to the public. Whah. Rant over.
FYI I've attempted to edit the business category to reflect it's a park, dog run, etc and no longer a golf course because the greens are gone, but Yelp isn't smart enough to get the hint. That's interesting since they seemed to make any necessary changes that I've submitted before very quickly. Somehow, I doubt anyone who works for Yelp has ever set a foot in Mott Park (or on its old golf course) to know the difference for themselves. At least I know what I'm talking about since I've been here numerous times.
