Dubbed “the best community party of the year”, this year’s Muny 19th Hole Party, hosted by The Muny Conservancy, helped raise money and increase awareness of the importance of keeping the Lion’s Municipal Golf Course (Muny) open and thriving. More than 800 guests filled the historic Charles Johnson House and its spacious lawn for a night of live music, delicious Tex Mex, libations, and good times. The event raised over $60,000.
In 1924, the University of Texas leased 141 acres to the Lion’s Club to build the course. Muny was the first public golf course in Austin and the first desegregated course in the South. Hosting more charity tournaments than any other local golf course, and with seventy five thousand rounds played there each year, Muny is the busiest golf course in Austin.
Scotty Sayers, who, along with Ben Crenshaw, serves as the co-chair of The Muny Conservancy, addressed the crowd and stressed the importance of keeping Muny open to continue its legacy. He recognized the University of Texas as being a key supporter since the beginning, a relationship that continues to this day.
Sayers called Muny "irreplaceable," adding that, “We’re looking as hard as we can to find a win-win between Lions and the University of Texas to keep it in place for another hundred years.” He added, “Great cities save their great spaces, and we’ve gotta save Lions.”
Muny Board Member Noel Bridges echoed Sayers in highlighting the importance of Muny, noting that it serves as a gathering place for non-golfers as well. She shared how much Muny means to her family and how they enjoy spending time there. Her young daughters love playing at Muny and are now learning to develop their own golf game there. Spending time at Muny is a tradition that she hopes will continue in her family for generations.
Bridges commented, "I'm not a big golfer, but I love hanging out there and want it to be part of my family tradition forever, so I’m not letting it go anywhere”, closing with a spirited, “Hook ‘em Horns!”
To support The Muny Conservancy, visit www.themunyconservancy.com.
Photos by Tyler Schmitt
