Home / Sports / Austin's Quirky Golf: Butler & Muny's Fight for Survival
Austin's Quirky Golf: Butler & Muny's Fight for Survival
9 Dec
Summary
- Butler Pitch & Putt offers a welcoming, "no shoes, no tee time, no problem" golf experience.
- Lion's Municipal Golf Course, a historic Austin institution, is fighting for preservation.
- Muny holds significance as the first golf course in the South to desegregate.
Austin, Texas, boasts a golf scene distinct from traditional country clubs, exemplified by Butler Pitch & Putt. This 75-year-old venue offers an "anything-goes" environment where casual attire is welcome, embodying the city's "Keep Austin Weird" ethos. It serves as an accessible entry point to golf for many.
Adjacent to downtown, Lion's Municipal Golf Course, affectionately known as "Muny," is another cherished local institution with deep roots. Legends like Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite honed their skills here. Despite its community significance and historical importance as the first Southern golf course to desegregate, Muny faces an uncertain future due to land lease issues with the University of Texas.
A "Save Muny" campaign, supported by notable figures, aims to preserve the course. This effort highlights Muny's role as a vital community hub, providing a place for junior golfers and teams, and its unique status as a civil rights landmark. The campaign seeks to ensure the course remains a refuge for generations to come.
