‘Just the beginning’: Ballantyne park opens on site of former golf course

CHARLOTTE — Ballantyne’s former golf course is now home to south Charlotte’s newest community park.

The new park, named Ballantyne’s Backyard, has over 100 acres of green space, according to a release from Northwood Office. Former sand traps are now sandboxes, fishing ponds were created from the water hazards, and the cart paths have now become running and walking trails.

The park is managed by Northwood Office.

“It is really the perfect setting for our community to come out and connect with nature, get engaged and be inspired,” Hailey Rorie, Northwood Office’s director of community relations, told Channel 9.

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The park is located between office buildings on the east side of Northwood’s Ballantyne property and is accessible from the main entrance off North Community House Road.

“Transforming this green space into a community park is the first step toward a more walkable and inclusive environment,” said John Barton, Northwood Office president. “As we evolve toward a mixed-use destination through Ballantyne Reimagined, we recognize that our natural space is unparalleled, and we want to make sure it’s accessible to everyone.

The park is currently home to various wildlife species and will soon produce honey from its first collection of beehives, according to Northwood.

The former golf course in the heart of Ballantyne has been converted to a 100 acre park @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/VNngpOaqn5
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) June 2, 2021

In addition to the new park, a residential tower is being built nearby. And over the next decade, more changes will come to the area as the Ballantyne Reimagined development takes shape.

The project will have more than 100 acres of green space with a total of 10 parks. One of those parks will be 20 acres and five of them will at least be the size of uptown Charlotte’s Romare Bearden Park.

“This is all just building momentum toward Ballantyne Reimagined,” Rorie said. “This is really just the beginning.”

Over the next few weeks, there will be events in Ballantyne’s Backyard like yoga, mimosas, and open-air markets. The hope is to add other amenities like playground equipment soon.

Ballantyne’s Backyard is open daily from dawn to dusk. For more information on park events and guidelines, click here.

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