Hamptons residents worry residential housing will destroy golf course

WATCH: A battle is brewing between homeowners on the Hampton’s Golf Course and the developers who own it. Jenna Freeman has that story.

CALGARY – Homeowners in Calgary’s northwest community of the Hamptons are concerned that greens on the golf course will be gutted in favour of residential housing.

Resident Vince Amabile said he was drawn to the community because of the picture perfect view of The Hamptons Golf Course.

“We paid a premium for this property,” he said.

“We pay premium taxes to the city of Calgary to live and have a view like this, and without this, we’re going to lose—I believe–$100,000 in value.”

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Owners are worried their view of rolling green hills will be replaced with rows of residential homes, after a letter was sent to owners notifying them of plans to move the fourteenth and fifteenth holes and re-zone the current land.

“For us, a huge part of our decision to buy this was…the quietness of the area, the fact that it backed onto a golf course—which we thought would never be developed—and for the view we have,” said Berry Tanner, who lives on the holes in question.

Windmill Golf Group, which owns the course, says nothing has been firmly decided, and has invited residents to an open house on June 19.

The group has previously sold one of its nine-hold courses in the Harvest Hills community to a developer, to be turned into residential housing.

Amabile said such reconfigurations started with Shawnee Slopes, then Harvest Hills and now, he fears, the Hamptons.

“They now think there’s an opportunity to enhance their profits,” said Tanner. “To make their buy seem even better than it really was.”

The Windmill Golf Group says the Hamptons is an 18-hole golf course and will stay that way whether or not the fourteenth and fifteenth holes stay in their current location, but Amabile isn’t convinced.

“Looking at the plans, it appears to me as if they’re going to take two beautiful holes here in front of my home, and destroy them.”

Meetings are being held on Friday, June 19 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. More information can be found on The Hamptons Golf Club website here.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on June 12, 2015.