What’s New at Muny?
Social Hour: Imagine Muny Gala Raised Over $1 Million to Preserve Lions Municipal Golf Course
Tribeza / March 25, 2024
Muny Conservancy hosted a magical night of music and fellowship with the Austin community to protect this local historic gem.
Austin Imagines The Possibilities At Imagine Muny III Gala
Curated Texan / April 25, 2024
Imagine Muny III Hosts 100th Anniversary Gala Of Historic Green Space
Ben Crenshaw and Stars Raise $1M for Texas Muni Course at Save Muny Gala
BVM Sports / March 26, 2024
Ben Crenshaw and a group of supporters raised $1 million for the Muny Conservancy to secure Lions Municipal Golf Course in Austin, Texas, aiming to maintain it as a golf course and green space amid a dispute with the University of Texas over the land's use.
Group led by Ben Crenshaw raises another $1M for Texas muni course; will it be enough?
GolfWeek / March 25, 2024
Ben Crenshaw has worked on golf courses all over the globe, first as a two-time Masters champ and PGA Tour star and now as part of the illustrious Coore & Crenshaw golf course design team.
But one of the courses he’s worked hardest on, Lions Municipal Golf Course in this Texas capital city, still hasn’t seen the outcome he’s been hoping for.
The Muny Conservancy presents Imagine Muny III
CultureMap / March 20, 2024
The Muny Conservancy presents Imagine Muny III, a night of celebration recognizing the 100th anniversary of Lions Municipal Golf Course and to raise funds to preserve and renovate Muny.
7 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend: March 21-24
Austin Monthly / March 22, 2024
Jam Out at Imagine Muny III - Catch all-star acts like Asleep at the Wheel, Jimmie Vaughan, Larry Gatlin, and Gary P. Nunn at this spirited benefit for Lions Municipal Golf Course, aka Muny, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. March 24, 8:30 p.m., 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd.
Imagine Muny III on Sunday at ACL Live
FOX 7 / March 19, 2024
The Muny Conservancy is hosting its third annual Imagine Muny Gala at ACL Live on Sunday. The night will recognize the 100th anniversary of Lions Municipal Golf Course and raise money to preserve and renovate Muny. Tierra Neubaum has details.
Preserving Black History in Austin
West Austin Neighborhood Group / February 28th, 2024
February is Black History Month, and we are honored and privileged to have a nationally recognized Civil Rights Landmark in our West Austin Neighborhood Group area. The Lions Municipal Golf Course (MUNY) was the first public golf course in the southern United States to become integrated.
Imagine Muny Gala With Ben Crenshaw And Scotty Sayers
Fun In Fundraising / February 27th, 2024
In this episode, Scotty Sayers and Two-Time Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw provide great insights on a range of topics including the importance of preserving historical green spaces, what goes into creating a lightning-in-a-bottle inaugural event, and utilizing a historic space in new and unique ways.
'I was truly amazed' | Remembering desegregation at Lions Municipal Golf Course
KVUE / February 21, 2024
The historic Lions Municipal Golf Course is 100 years old, and many want to ensure it continues as part of the community.
'MUNY' fights to preserve the course of civil rights history in Texas
Spectrum News 1 / February 18, 2024
Since the now famous words, “Let Them Play” were ushered at Lions Municipal Golf Course in 1950, Austinite Leroy Wormley has made the most of those opportunities. Wormley said he “used to caddy here before I was even allowed to play here.”
Ben Crenshaw's childhood golf course in Austin is still facing a battle to avoid being bulldozed
GolfWeek • USA Today / February 5, 2024
Preserve one of the oldest public golf courses in Texas, its staunch supporters say. But this is about so much more than golf and keeping a venerable course built in 1924, the same year Royal-Memorial Stadium went up on the University of Texas campus.
Hey Texas, can you spare a golf course? Austin's Lions Municipal depends on answer
Kirk Bohls • Austin American-Statesman / February 4, 2024
For years now, we’ve heard the pleas, and the voices are getting louder. But so is the silence on the other end.
Save Muny.
Black History Month And Austin’s Iconic Muny Golf Course
West Austin News / January 31st, 2024
Black History Month was initiated in 1976 to recognize Black Americans’ contributions to the United States of America.
Austinites call on UT to preserve historical golf course
Daily Texan / January 29, 2024
UT owns the land on which the Lions Municipal Golf Course, nicknamed “Muny,” the first desegregated golf course in Austin, sits. UT announced in 2019 its intention to sell the land to develop it.
NAACP Rallies to Save Historic ‘Muny’
Club Resort Business / January 19th, 2024
National and state NAACP leaders gathered in Austin, Texas to support preservation of the Lions Municipal Golf Course, regarded as the first-ever integrated golf course in the south. The city leases the course from the University of Texas, which has considered developing part or all of the tract in recent decades.
Will a Civil Rights Landmark Golf Course Be Gobbled Up by Austin Developers?
Texas Monthly / January 18, 2024
“Let them play.”
NAACP joins effort to save Lions Municipal Golf Course
KXAN News / January 18, 2024
National and state NAACP leaders joined the Muny Conservancy to honor the course’s 100 year anniversary and push for its preservation as development threatens its future.
Austin's historic Muny golf course celebrates 100 years
KVUE / January 18, 2024
Austin leaders gathered with representatives from the NAACP to share the significance of the course and the impact it had on the Civil Rights Movement.
Golf Hall of Famer Ben Crenshaw on Saving the South’s First Desegregated Course
Barrons / December 15, 2023
Masters champion in 1984 and 1995, the member of the World Golf Hall of Fame works to design elite golf courses around the world—while fighting to save a more modest 18 holes in his hometown.
The 5 Best Galas in Austin
Austin Way Magazine / December 6th, 2023
You can tell who is a “born here” Austinite and who isn’t if they know and love Muny. This gala is the golf event of the year featuring legends Ben Crenshaw and Sergio Garcia.
Best Of Austin 2023: Lifestyle
Austin Fit Magazine / December 1, 2023
Muny named Best Public Course!
Forever Green “Save Muny” Tournament And Party
West Austin News / September 28, 2023
Save Muny Conservancy's Annual Golf Tournament to generate funds in support of the course.
Forever Green Tournament & Party 2023
PC: Amber Perley
7 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend: Sept. 14-17
Austin Monthly / September 13, 2023
Tee Off at the Forever Green Save Muny Tournament and Party
Austin's Lions Municipal Course nears 100th birthday
KVUE / July 24, 2023
Lions Municipal, or "Muny," is a historical local Austin golf course. It was the first integrated course in The South.
The 2023 Firecracker Champions Dinner
The Muny Conservancy / Holly Reed / July 1, 2023
Austin: Green With Envy at Save MUNY Gala
Curated Texan / April 11, 2023
The Moody Theatre at Austin City Limits was the recent setting for a night of fun, music, and fundraising to support one of Austin’s most notable and beloved green spaces.
Austin municipal golf course has a long history with integration
Spectrum News 1 / March 1, 2023
Lions Municipal Golf Course — “Muny,” as it’s known by locals in Austin — was the first integrated golf course in the South in early 1951.
Lions Municipal Golf Course Ranked in Top 10 Golf Courses in Austin, Texas
GolfSpan / March 5, 2023
Lions Municipal Golf Course has been ranked as one of the top 10 golf courses in Austin, Texas, claiming the title of Best All-Around Golf Course.
Save Muny or lose a rich piece of Austin history, legacy and tradition
Austin American-Statesman / February 22, 2023
Lions Municipal Golf Course has been a golf paradise for the famous and not so famous for almost 100 years.
Second annual Imagine Muny Gala takes place at ACL Live
KVUE / February 20, 2023
The sold-out fundraiser included a night of music and fellowship to celebrate the Lions Municipal Golf Course.
No, that wasn’t Santa Claus playing Muny; it was just Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson
Austin American-Statesman / February 23, 2023
Star-studded night helps Save Muny group raise more than $1 million.
‘Hearing your stories changes everything;’ Austin group wants to hear stories about Lion’s Municipal Golf Course
FOX 7 / December 9, 2022
As new developments and high rises continue filling the Austin skyline, supporters of Lions Municipal Golf Course are working hard to make sure the historic course doesn’t become a piece of the past.
Austinites score a ton of fun at CultureMap's first-ever Tailgate party
CultureMap | November 8, 2022
“Held at Distribution Hall on November 3, the celebration of all things sports attracted a crowd ready to have some game day fun. Save Muny co-chair Scotty Sayers, board member Ed Clements, and local golf professional Joe Beck were talking all things golf for Save Muny.”
ForeKids ATX
Fox 7 | November 12, 2022
“Pro golfer Sergio Garcia talks about the event and the foundation he started with his wife, The Sergio & Angela Garcia Foundation.”
Save Muny participates in CultureMap’s newest event: The Tailgate
Culture Map | November 1, 2022
“The Tailgate features tailgate-inspired food from award-winning chefs, plus sports-themed cocktails, activities, entertainment and more.
Score some sweet Save Muny merch (with all sales going to the nonprofit), sign a petition to preserve the course, play some putt-putt, and enter to win four tickets to the second annual Imagine Muny Gala in February, 2023."
The 2022 Forever Green Tournament & Party
September 9, 2022
Relieve the fun!
City of Austin election, politics to likely play a role in Lions Municipal's fate
Golfweek & Austin American-Statesman / September 15, 2022
Area golf fans who skip past the American-Statesman’s local section to focus all their attention on the sports page might want to rethink that approach as local elections get closer. Austin politics will likely play a sizable role in any decision on Lions Municipal, a beloved local course that's still on precarious footing.
How Muny Conservancy Aims to Save Lions Municipal Golf Course
Tribeza | July 6, 2022
To attempt to give the course permanent security and preserve its vital history, Sayers and Austin-born professional golfer Ben Crenshaw formed the Muny Conservancy, a private, non-profit organization with a stated mission of preserving the course and keeping it affordable and accessible.
Ben Crenshaw is Not Done with the Masters
The New York Times | April 6, 2022
“Augusta National goads you into taking chances,” said Crenshaw, shown here on the No. 12 fairway during the second round of the Masters in 2015, 20 years after his second Masters victory.
New video of boxer Joe Louis at Austin's Lions Municipal Golf Course
F
OX 7 | February 28, 2022
MUNY Conservancy talks about Lions Municipal Golf Course efforts continue to save and share the history and legacy of Austin's first racially desegregated public golf course. Scotty Sayers has more on Lions Municipal Golf Course and new photos and video of Joe Louis.
A star-studded, honky-tonk romp nets nearly $1M for a Texas muni.
GolfWeek / USA TODAY | February 25, 2022
“Just look at this event. You get some sense of what this golf course, this beautiful place, means to so many people in this city,” Lundquist said while musical acts rotated through the famous theater’s stage.
Save Muny event raises $800,000 for renovations at Lions Municipal Golf Course
Austin American-Statesman | February 23, 2022
As soon as Verne Lundquist got the call, he knew he had to be part of the fun. Not just to enjoy the company of his buddies, many of whom he remembers from his time at Austin High School, but to help save a vital greenspace in the center of one of the nation’s hottest housing markets.
Asleep at the Wheel, Eric Church, Lukas Nelson team up for Save Muny concert
Austin American-Statesman | December 20, 2021
Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel and country/Americana singer-songwriters Eric Church and Lukas Nelson will perform at ACL Live on Feb. 20 for "Imagine Muny," a fundraiser for the Muny Conservancy's "Save Muny" effort to retain central Austin's Lions Municipal Golf Course.
Legendary Cisco's bringing tacos, margaritas to Lions Municipal Golf Course
Austin American-Statesman | October 6, 2021
Two iconic Austin names will soon make those hypotheticals a reality, when Cisco’s Muny Cafe opens at Lions Municipal Golf Course on Friday.
Letters to the editor: Applause for Arnold's work to save green space
Austin American-Statesman | August 14, 2021
Re: Aug. 8 article, "Meet Mary Arnold, the soft-spoken, indomitable godmother of Austin's green movement."
Remembering Walter Benson, Muny Legend
Austin American-Statesman | December 11, 2020
“As he was leaving Lions Municipal golf Course on a sunny November day, Walter Benson Jr., 103, introduced himself to Walter Rein, 7, who carried a golf bag almost as tall as himself.
“We both have the same name,” the elder Walter said. “And I was exactly your age when my father brought me here to see Muny for the first time, while it was being built.”
Your math is correct: That was 1924.
Over the course of more than a century, Austinites have known Benson as many things. Among them: adventurous youth, World War II veteran, textbook publisher, thoroughbred breeder and polished social dancer.
Yet it has been his legendary golf game that has followed Benson through much of his life.” - Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman.
Evening with The Masters!
The Muny Conservancy | October 20, 2020
We joined Ben Crenshaw, Sergio Garcia and Verne Lundquist on Friday, October 23, 2020 as they shared their memories of The Masters. 1984 and 1995 Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw and 2017 Master‘s Champion Sergio Garcia brought an exceptional part of their lives to this very special evening as they shared their personal stories and Augusta experiences.
The exclusive evening included a life and silent auction, special surprise guests and so much more all in support of the Muny Conservancy. Using a screen near you, the event began with a VIP Reception at 6:00 PM ET followed by the 7PM viewing all co-hosted by Angela Garcia and Ed Clements.
Dr. General Marshall, Austin Icon and Golf Legend
Austin American-Statesman | July 3, 2020
“Lavon Jackson never would have made it through 11th grade geometry had it not been for the kid she described as “that silly boy” she met years earlier at Kealing Junior High.
“I didn’t really like him at first,” she said. “But he grew on me over time.”
During his 84 years, General Marshall grew on a lot of folks in places like Atlanta; Statesboro, Ga.; and Austin. His was a life of family, faith, service, education, mentorship and the game he loved.
Huston-Tillotson’s longtime golf coach and professor left us on June 22, but not without leaving enough memories to fill the hearts of everyone he came across. Marshall’s heart was bigger than Texas and Georgia combined, and after it gave out, the outpouring of love and respect from those he touched has painted a beautiful illustration of a life well-lived.
The Austin golf community remembers him as a friend, an activist and one cool dude with some serious game. He was a fixture at Lions Municipal Golf Course — the spot where Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite learned the sport as young boys — and was a passionate supporter of the Save Muny fight, an ongoing drive to preserve the 96-year-old course for posterity.” - Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman.
Segment discussing Lions Municipal
KVUE | February 18, 2020
“AUSTIN, Texas — If you venture over to West Austin on a sunny and warm day, teeing up at Lions Municipal Golf Course seems like the ideal plan.
Since 1936, the City of Austin has leased out more than 100 acres of green space from the University of Texas for the community to enjoy. However, the future of 'Muny' remains uncertain as the City's lease with the university approaches its end in May 2020.
In addition, the Brackenridge Development Agreement created to manage how the University of Texas develops the land will also end after more than 30 years.
According to Allison Alter, councilwoman for District 10, the university originally suggested selling Muny to the City for $110 million. Alter said that it is financially unfeasible.”
Texas Legislature Creates Save Muny Historic District
Austin American-Statesman | May 2, 2019
Senate Bill 2553 was authored by Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin.
The measure would establish the Save Historic Muny District, consisting of the 141-acre golf course along Lake Austin Boulevard as well as Tarrytown, Old Enfield, Pemberton Heights and other West Austin neighborhoods. The district's purpose would be to preserve Muny "as a golf course, publicly available parkland, or a combination of those uses."
The revisions in the bill include the addition of a provision declaring that nothing in the measure precludes preserving all 18 holes, practice facilities and related land. The panel charged with appointing the district's initial five-member board has been adjusted to consist of the executive directors of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Historical Commission, Texas State Preservation Board, Texas Golf Hall of Fame and Preservation Texas; the Texas director of the Nature Conservancy; and the mayor of Austin.
USGA produces Film about Lions Preservation
USGA | March 27, 2019
“Lions Municipal Golf Course, in Austin, Texas, has felt like home for generations of golfers, but its future is uncertain.” - USGA.
Muny, A Threatened Landscape
Architect's Newspaper | June 7, 2018
When nine-year-old African American caddie Alvin Propps was arrested for playing golf at the newly desegregated Lions Municipal Golf Course in Austin, Texas in 1950, it set off a firestorm that eventually made its way to the mayor’s office. As the first peacefully desegregated golf course in the former Confederate South during the Jim Crow era, the course became the center of controversy, but when the mayor’s office decided to drop the charges, it set a precedent, and Lions Municipal became open to African Americans from that day forward.
However, the course is now threatened by private development after the City of Austin decided in 2011 to not renew the lease on the 1924 course just two miles west of the Texas state capitol. In 2019, it could be handed over to developers.
“Historians searching for the impetus of the ‘classical phase of the Civil Rights Movement,’ preceding Brown v. Board in 1954 and the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, have posited a ‘long civil rights movement’ that preceded those iconic struggles. In other words, Lions Municipal Golf Course is representative of the ‘birth of the civil rights movement,” said Glenda Gilmore, the Peter V. and C. Vann Woodward Professor of History at Yale University in a post by the Cultural Landscape Foundation”. - Matt Shaw, Landscape Architecture, Southwest.
The Drive to Save Muny
Garden & Gun | October 30, 2018
Ben Crenshaw and Luke Wilson form a Pro-Am team to protect an Austin treasure and Civil Rights landmark
Unveiling of Texas Historical Commission Marker
Austin American-Statesman | November 2, 2009
“With golfers playing in the background Wednesday morning, supporters of Lions Municipal Golf Course dedicated the controversial historical marker noting the 1951 racial integration of Lions as the first known desegregation of a municipal golf course in the South.
About 100 people assembled among the divots on the first tee to hear music and speeches commemorating the spring day in 1951 when Austin Mayor Taylor Glass tacitly allowed two young black men to finish a clandestine round of golf at Lions.
A citizens' group called Save Muny uncovered the event last year while researching the history of Lions, known colloquially as "Muny," in an effort to save it from possible future development.” - Kevin Robbins, Austin American Statesman
Golf in the News
Roy Kizer Golf Course Grand Re-Opening
September 21, 2022
“The course was named for Roy Kizer, a long-time golf course superIntendent at Lions Municipal Golf Course from 1937 until his retirement in 1973.
Loopers: The Caddie's Long Walk released. With Bill Murray, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Faldo, Tom Watson and more.
November 25, 2021
“Centuries old and enjoyed by millions worldwide, golf is seen by many as more than a sport. Yet what do we know about the person behind the player carrying the bag? In a documentary unlike any other, Loopers: The Caddie's Long Walk explores the incredible personal bond between golfer and caddie. It is often said that a good caddie does 3 things: show up, keep up and shut up, but these stories will make you rethink the role of great caddies. The film unveils the working dynamic between famous partnerships like Tom Watson and caddie Bruce Edwards. It also delves into the making of a caddie's career with stories like caddie Greg Puga from East LA who fought his way to Augusta to play in the Masters. Loopers is a visual tour de force shot on iconic courses across the U.S. and Scotland. Crafted in the spirit of documentaries like "20 feet from Stardom", "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" and "Step into Liquid", it is a must-watch story of the game of golf as you've never seen it before.”
Memorial Park hosts Houston Open for second year
November 13, 2021
Restored municipal track Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston will host the Houston Open for the second straight year. Memorial Park had always been the crown jewel of the Houston public golf scene. Originally built as a nine-hole course in 1912, an extensive redesign by John Bredemus (who had co-founded the Texas Professional Golfers Association in 1922) led to its “official” 18-hole opening in 1936.
Why does it matter? Just last year, the event moved from the private Golf Club of Houston to the municipal Memorial Park after significant investment from Houston Astros owner Jim Crane and his Astros Golf Foundation. Crane’s group funneled enough cash into the muni track to get esteemed designer Tom Doak on board, with Brooks Koepka as a player advisor.
Tom Doak on the newly renovated Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston
November 12, 2021
When renowned architect Tom Doak took on the renovation project at Memorial Park, he asked four-time major champ Brooks Koepka for his input. While Koepka insists he didn’t get too technical while lending advice, he did plead with Doak to make sure variety on shorter holes was a priority.
Case in point — the short, but scary 15th hole. At under 160 yards (for tournament play), it’s easy picking for the strong field on hand this week, at least in terms of distance.
But No. 15 is no pushover. In fact, with a creek running along the entire left side and some massive slopes on either side, this short hole could very well be the decisive one during Sunday’s final round of the Vivint Houston Open.
Southern Texas PGA Junior Golf Tournament - Little Linksters
November 7, 2021
The Southern Texas PGA Junior Golf Little Linksters Tournament was played on the 7th of November this year at Lions. In the Boys 11 - 12 y.old flight Hanson Zhao took the title with a +11 and earned 400 points. Charlie Roy came in second with a +14.
New York Times Article on Municipal Golf
March 22, 2021
“Even before the covid-19 pandemic, the game of golf was growing and poised for a renaissance fueled by millennials taking up the game, expanded youth programs, and communities reinvesting in their public courses. Golf as a sport has a bright future with great potential to be a unifying community resource. Now more than ever, it is crucial to celebrate our municipal courses and prioritize improvement of amenities and increased access to the green space they provide. Affordable golf is an important part of a city’s recreational fabric. It provides an opportunity for a broader set of community stakeholders to access a game that is good for the soul and good for health that can unite players across generations.”
Golfing at Lions Municipal Golf Course with Fox 7 News
May 11, 2022
“In 1924, Lions Municipal Golf Course became the first public golf course in Austin. The group leased part of UT's Brackenridge Tract and converted the property into a nine-hole facility. The course was later expanded to 18 holes. The course retained the name "Lions Municipal" or "Muny" after the transfer of the lease to the city in 1936.”
“Flash forward almost 100 years later and the Muny Conservancy is focused on preserving, restoring, and enhancing the course while also promoting the game of golf for future generations and keeping the sport affordable.”