Lions upstaged the prestigious sand-greened Austin Country Club when it opened with Bermuda greens in 1923, and has been Austin’s most beloved municipal ever since. Although no one knows for sure who officially designed this short, 6,000-yard classic, it appears that many members of Austin’s golf scene were involved, ...
Travis County. Phone (s): (512) 477-6963. Fax: (512) 477-0055. Website: www.austinpubliclinks.com. Tee times from $18 Tee times in this area. Lions upstaged the prestigious sand-greened Austin Country Club when it opened with Bermuda greens in 1923, and has been Austin’s most beloved municipal ever since. Although no one knows for sure who ...
World Golf Hall of Famer Ben Crenshaw grew up in Austin, just blocks from Lions Municipal where he honed his game as a youth. He was the youngest player to win the Austin Men's City Championship in 1967, earning two more victories in 1968 and 1969 before retiring from the event.
Tom Kite is another World Golf Hall of Famer who developed as a player at Lions Municipal. After moving to Austin at age 13, he was Crenshaw's friend and All-American teammate at the University of Texas where he was coached by Harvey Penick.
World Golf Hall of Famer, Ben Hogan, played with Harvey Penick (against Ed Hopkins and Morris Williams Jr.]) in an exhibition match at Muny in 1950 prior to the 1950 US Open. During the match, it is said that Hogan stood on the tee box of the daunting seventh hole (currently #16) and asked “Where’s the fairway?”. Albert Warren “Tilly” Tillinghast, eminent golf course architect, is said to have “emboldened” the seventh hole by moving the green up a hill and adding space for a water hazard. Tillinghast began a national tour of golf courses in the summer of 1935 as a consultant for the Professional Golfers’ Association ( PGA) of America. He consulted at Lions Municipal in December 1936, praising the course as “very prettily situated” and suggesting changes to tees and greens on the third, seventh, and eighth holes. Hogan went on to birdie this now-famous Par 4, known as ‘Hogan’s Hole’. After the match, Hogan apparently signed a few autographs and commented that the course was “so good, it makes you think you’re not in Texas.”
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E stablished in Austin Texas in 1916, our club has been known as the Austin Lions Club, the Lions Club of Austin, and the Downtown Lions Club. In 1976, the name was formally changed to the Founder Lions Club of Austin.
Lions Municipal Golf Course was established in 1924 by Austin Lions Club members with a vision for a modern, inclusive municipal golf course. Lions Municipal was the first public golf course and clubhouse in Austin and would remain so until July 1949 when Austin's “North Side” Municipal Golf Course—today Hancock Golf Course—opened on the grounds of the old Austin Country Club. B. F. Rowe, recognized as the first Lions Club member to propose the municipal golf course, vol…
World Golf Hall of Famer, Ben Hogan, played with Harvey Penick (against Ed Hopkins and Morris Williams Jr.]) in an exhibition match at Muny in 1950 prior to the 1950 US Open. During the match, it is said that Hogan stood on the tee box of the daunting seventh hole (currently #16) and asked “Where’s the fairway?”. Albert Warren “Tilly” Tillinghast, eminent golf course architect, is said to have “emboldened” the seventh hole by moving the green up a hill and adding space for a water …
Lions Municipal has hosted the Firecracker amateur tournament every year in July since 1945. Notable past champions include: Bill Penn (Texas Golf Hall of Fame), Randy Petri (PGA Tour), Ben Crenshaw (World Golf Hall of Fame and PGA Tour), Tom Kite (World Golf Hall of Fame and PGA Tour), and Omar Uresti (PGA Tour). During its long history, Muny has hosted (and drawn praise from) numerous distinguished golfers. In 1948, World Golf Hall of Famer Byron Nelsonplayed at …
The SaveMuny initiative has slowly gained traction as the current lease over the course expires in May 2019. Potential commercial development of the course has been explored, which prompted the National Trust for Historic Preservation to include the course on its annual list of "11 Most Endangered Historic Places in America" in 2017. Ben Crenshaw has been adamant in his support for the preservation of Muny.