The program began with a parade of historic cars featuring the Austin High School Drumline and included attendance from members of the Austin Founder Lions Club (AFLC), The Muny Conservatory and other supporters.
US Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson also attended. Watson led the presentation of the Proclamation of Lions Muny Golf Course Day.
“[Muny] is, in my view, an irreplaceable part of our city,” Watson said.
After its charter in January 1916, the AFLC began civic service projects such as helping fund the construction of a bathhouse and pavilion at Barton Springs.
In 1924, the University of Texas Board of Regents leased to the club 141 acres in West Austin for a golf course. The AFLC cleared the land and built the first nine holes of the course. Play began on Nov. 11, 1924. The club transferred the land lease to the City of Austin in 1936.
In 1950, Muny became the first racially integrated public golf course in the Southern U.S., a milestone recognized by the Texas Historical Commission and the National Register of Historic Places.
“You don’t find places like this with 100 years of history, all kinds of history... golf, civil rights, and greenspace,” said Ben Crenshaw, Muny Conservancy co-chair and two-time Masters Champion in a news release. “You can’t put a price on what it means to people, and it would be very short-sighted if a solution isn’t found to preserve these 141 sacred acres in the heart of our city.”
- 2901 Enfield Road, Austin
- www.austindowntownlions.org
