Golf course will be missed by neighborhood
For Braeburn Golf Course patrons Brenda and Johnny Papin, the anticipated loss of the course will be a gigantic blow to their weekly routine.
There is talk of Wichita State tearing out or shutting down part of the golf course located at the northeast corner of WSU main campus at 21st and Oliver.
No official announcement has been made about the course’s future.
“He plays at the course every week,” Brenda Papin said about her husband. “When he isn’t out there at Braeburn, he is practicing.”
Brenda Papin and her husband walk over consistently from their house behind McDonald’s Restaurant on 17th Street and have met a lot of people at the course. Her husband Johnny has a season pass.
While Johnny plays golf, Brenda walks on campus and enjoys Ablah Library.
“It’s convenient to have the course so close,” Brenda said. “It’s hard to imagine being without this.”
Braeburn is in a contract with the University that ends in 2015.
There has been talk of closing 9-holes at first to make room for new buildings and possibly parking.
“There are a lot of things that must fall into place before we can officially announce changes with the golf course,” said Andrew Schlapp, executive director of government relations and board of trustees.“We have to get the dorms open and then move on to other projects.”
Schlapp put no official timeline on the potential closing of the golf course but will announce changes as soon as they are made.
Education sophomore Dustin Dishman understands the need for more space, but also says he wouldv feel bad taking an activity away from other people.
“If I were a football player, I’d be upset if you told me you were taking away the football field,” Dishman said. “We need more space but I totally understand some people being upset about the potential of the course being shut down eventually.”
Dishman feels there should be a compromise to fix the parking problem instead.
Contrary to Dishman, Junior Rachel Whitmore feels there should just be a solution to the current problems that plague students.
“If it helps the parking problem,” Whitmore said, “then tear it down. We need to worry about the thousands of new students arriving this fall.”
Whitmore is concerned if the university doesn’t get a plan together soon for parking it’s going to be much worse in the fall.
But Braeburn co-owner Burt Henderson feels the golf course is a part of WSU history.
“I’ve been in the business 40 years,” Henderson said. “I would like to continue on campus; anything could happen with it, but we understand the University has plans too.”