Local News

Austin’s Lions Municipal Golf Course Added to ‘List of Endangered Places’

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TWC News reports that The Lions Municipal Golf Course, owned by UT since 1910, is now considered an “endangered historic place” by The National Trust for Historic Preservation. This course, also referred to as Muny, has a fascinating past and an uncertain future.

Of course, one reason to keep the golf course is to maintain beautiful green acres of land near the center of Austin. But another compelling reason to keep the site is for its impact on American history.

As SaveMuny.com explains, “Muny was the first desegregated golf course in the South. The desegregation occurred when two African-American youths walked on to the course and were permitted to play a round in 1950 – more than three years before the racial integration of schools and other public facilities was mandated by Brown v. Board of Education. Thereafter African-American golfers from across the state traveled to play the course.” SaveMuny.com also notes that Austinites didn’t protest this groundbreaking turn of events.

Once Muny’s lease reaches its expiration in 2019, its fate is unknown. The Board of Regents voted in 2011 to not renew its lease. It could possibly become a residential and/or commercial area and Austin will lose the historic site.

Beautiful day for golf in Austin

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