PENINSULA, Ohio — Gone are the manicured greens and chemically treated water hazards at the former Brandywine Golf Course. The Peninsula property located in Cuyahoga Valley National Park is being reclaimed by Mother Nature, with some help from conservationists.
Conservationists and designers are developing the early plans for the 213-acre former golf course, and they’re looking for public input. The deadline to provide feedback for the most recent online survey is Jan. 7.
“It’s where I go to get my head together. It’s where you go for some contemplation and some peace and quiet,” said a hiker named Larry, who walks the trails weekly at Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP).
He recalled boy scout outings at Camp Manatoc as a child and his counselors’ instructions to stay away from the nearby Brandywine Golf Course and country club.
“What do you suppose the first thing we did at night was?” he laughed.
The golf course opened in the 1960s and welcomed golfers until its closure in 2018. Despite some initial pushback from local leaders who had hoped to develop the empty property, it was purchased by the Conservancy for CVNP in 2021.
“It was nice when it was a golf course, but I think it played itself out,” Larry said.
In 2022, the Conservancy sold all but 15 acres to the National Park Service. Both entities have been working in tandem to clean up and restore the property.
“This property gives both the National Park Service and the Conservancy, and the Village of Peninsula, the opportunity to really create a wonderful new space in Cuyahoga Valley,” said Stacey Rusher, the director of park projects at the Conservancy.
She explained that a $4.5 million Brownfield Grant from the Ohio Department of Development has helped pay for remediation work, including 60,000 tons of soil contaminated from years of pesticide and herbicide use at the course.
“Typically in the 60s and 70s, those chemical applications included heavy metals, including mercury,” Rusher said.
The land straddling Akron Peninsula Road near the national park’s Kendall Lake entrance is closed to the public while remediation work is underway. But conservationists and planners are looking to the future of the property.
During the first phase of planning, New York-based design and landscaping firm Studio Zewde gathered public input to gauge how people interact with nature and their priorities for the park.
“It’s really beautiful and I would just love the chance to hike around in there,” hiker Elizabeth Biddick told News 5.
It was a similar sentiment to what the firm discovered. Based on early feedback, it developed a concept framework of ideas.
Many concepts centered around creating better access and opportunities for park visitors to enjoy and explore the Cuyahoga River. Preliminary designs include kayak access, scenic overlooks and additional space for recreation and learning.
Other priorities identified included connecting the former golf course to the nearby Village of Peninsula and integrating current plans for wetland, meadow and forest preservation.
The Conservancy said its goal is to create an inclusive, safe environment for people and nature alike.
Rusher cautioned it will likely take several years for the project to fully materialize and the stakeholders are still figuring out what the final product will look like.
“We’re in the ‘forever business’ in the National Park Service. We’re saving property in perpetuity for future generations to enjoy, too,” she explained. “So we want to be very smart and very careful with this work.”
Those who regularly enjoy CVNP said they’re excited for the future plans but also focused on enjoying what the park already offers.
“It’s inexplicable, I just get a positive vibe,” Larry said.
You can learn more about the project by CLICKING HERE. You can also weigh-in through an online survey before Jan. 7 by CLICKING HERE.
