BATON ROUGE — Amid a petition drive seeking changes for Baton Rouge's City Park, some are hopeful that park leaders will leave in place a golf course that is nearly a century old. 

The park, officially known as City-Brooks Community Park, is between City Park Lake and the Garden District neighborhood. An area merchant has said now is the "time to start reimagining City Park" and suggested closing its nine-hole golf course.

Brian Dubreil of the Friends of City Park told members of the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday that nearby golf courses are near capacity — City Park has 26,000 golfers annually and Webb Park has 56,000 a year. 

"People say, 'Well the golfers can just go to Webb Park and play.' You can’t. There’s not enough room," Dubreil said. City Park, he said, "is very well-played. It’s utilized. It’s not just sitting out there as a vacant lot where nobody goes on it. It’s extremely well-utilized."

In late 2023, Jenni Peters of Varsity Sports told the Press Club that park property could perhaps be better used by an amphitheater, an adaptive playground or a botanical garden. Dubreil said the city has similar facilities at other nearby venues, and that a suggested concession — a boat rental — wouldn't fit in near an interstate highway.

"Here’s the one that really gets me. They want a paddleboat and kayak rental," he said. "Only in Baton Rouge would we propose to put a kayak rental facility nestled between an eight-lane interstate, soon to be an eight-lane interstate, and an industrial railroad. I’m sure it’s going to be a beautiful interstate, they’re working hard on it, but it doesn’t seem to make sense to me that we would put that facility there."

Dubreil was also concerned about the dangers of a railroad running through the park.

"Why would we want to put a park and invite children to such an attractive nuisance, a railroad track?" he asked.