Lions Muny Gets Endangered Places Landmark, Still Needs Help

Jenni Lee of KVUE reports on the dedication ceremony bequeathing official national endangered status on Lions Municipal. The course land is owned by the University of Texas, the former football power mired in another rough season, which wants to turn the historic course into a mixed-use development.

Among those turning out where golfers who enjoyed the links thanks to integration and affordability.

Such rich history is the reason Muny was added to the National Register of Historic Places in July.

But it was also added to the list of Most Endangered Historic Places earlier this month. The University of Texas Board of Regents wants to shut down Muny when its lease expires in 2019 and replace it with a mixed-use development.

"Here we go again," said Mary Arnold, a member of the group Save Muny.

This is the third time 81-year-old Mary Arnold is fighting UT. The university’s Board of Regents has already sold off acres of the donated Brackenridge tract of land for development twice before.

A stone lion has been greeting visitors at Muny since 1924. Supporters hope it sticks around.

I would argue that the fight for Lions is important in establishing the vitality of city-center golf courses as green spaces, but when they are in deteriorated shape, they become more expendable. One more reason we need a serious program restoring important public courses and WPA project links.

A video from KVUE's reporting on the ceremony:

Video: Crenshaw On Save Lions Muni

Let's interrupt the grow-the-game claims to give attention to a place to grow the game and now is in danger of redevelopment.

Ben Crenshaw speaks in this 18-minute tribute to a public course that was vital to his development as a player. But as he explains, Lions is more than just a historic place for shaping a two-time Masters champion. It's a place that kids could hang out and learn the game. It's a place adults could learn the game affordably. It's centrally located in an urban area. It grew the game. There are many just like it that have been neglected and golf doesn't seem interested enough in saving them. Maybe Lions will turn things around!

Video: Ben Crenshaw's Design Legacy

Using his 64th birthday as an excuse to laud the place Ben Crenshaw holds in the hearts of those who have benefitted from golf's architectural renaissance, we at Morning Drive discussed his legacy. (And Bill Coore also talked to the show via phone about his design partner's role in their many classic designs.)

While it's easy to morph Ben into the category of player-architect, his legacy is much greater than that of famous golfer who helped someone sell real estate. (Because in all honesty, pushing some lot sales is about the extent of most player-architect's legacy in the game.)

But as we discussed, Ben followed the groundwork layed by Pete Dye to revisit links golf and the efforts of our forefathers. His credibility as a lover of golf history and his worship of heros like Macdonald, Tillinghast, Ross, Thomas and MacKenzie opened the eyes of so many, including the host of this site. And by lending his name to book forwards, introductions and epilogues, Crenshaw injected his thoughts via writings that carried much needed weight with readers and decision makers at some of the world's great courses.

So while his legacy will always be tied to his amazing career as a two-time Masters champion, Ben Crenshaw's greatest contribution to golf will ultimately be his work as an advocate, historian, aficionado of golf literature and co-designer of courses.

Videos: Norman, Coore Talk Design On Morning Drive

Look, I had some free time today and try as I might, I just couldn't bring myself to transcribe the various ridiculous statements by full-time vinter and part-time golf architect Greg Norman.

If you must, you can watch him talk signature holes, sustainability and his devotion to nature here, here and here, you too can feel the pain.

Or, if you'd like to hear from someone who practices what he preaches, here are the Bill Coore segments here, here and here.

Tuesday's show includes segments with Jim Urbina and Rees Jones.