In Austin, there is unique golf and places worth saving

At dusk, when the patio lights came on and the after-dinner crowd showed up, things got interesting at Butler Pitch & Putt. And nursing my IPA on a warm spring evening in downtown Austin, I sat at a picnic table near the first tee and watched a few bands leave. First, a young couple – ripped jeans and T-shirt – headed for the blocks. The young lady – split grip, bent stance, up and down like a yo-yo – took six swings (I counted) to make contact. Then her companion took a wild swing and shot one straight left over the railroad tracks in Never-Never-Land. I ordered another one. Austin’s golf scene was growing on me.

The long and storied history of golf in Texas hardly needs an introduction. So I won’t give it one. But Austin — think Dallas with tattoos and a nose ring — is cut from a different cloth. Things are a little “weird” there. And most Austinites seem to like it that way. (“Keep Austin Weird” is a slogan the city wears with pride.)

Arguably, the inner-city, anything-goes-everyone-is-welcome vibe at Butler is the quintessential example. This is a place, now 75 years old, where golfers in crazy patterned miniskirts, T-shirts and pumps fit in better than country folk in pleated trousers and collared golf shirts. “No shoes, no time for tips, no problem” is the country’s official mantra. Some would argue — and I’d be in that camp — that golf needs places like Butler. It’s just in a league of its own. Without him, thousands of Austinites would never have learned or been introduced to the game.

But as boarded up and “invisible” as Butler is, make no mistake, it’s a golf course. There’s a clubhouse (your locker could be bigger), food and drink (craft beer in the clubhouse and a Gimme Burger food truck out on the patio), and nine odd holes that vary in length from 61 to 101 yards. No golf clubs or golf balls at your disposal? No problem. They also rent clubs and balls for a dollar. (An extra ball, or two, might come in handy. The railroad tracks and Lee Barton Drive are somewhat nearby.)

Of course, Butler, as cool and quirky as he is, isn’t the only golf lifeline for Austin’s townspeople. Located just west of downtown, the Lyon Municipal Golf Course is another local institution of legendary status. And its background, its history, as an irreplaceable “treasure” in downtown Austin, is just as compelling. Unfortunately, its status – hence the ongoing “Save Muny” campaign – is in jeopardy.

Built in 1924, Lion’s Municipal (everyone just calls it “Muny”) is a blue-collar municipal course where legends like Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite learned the game and honed their craft. Many other notable players—Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and local teaching legend Harvey Penick come to mind—were regular customers.

True, Lion’s won’t wow you with timeless Golden Age architecture (BF Rowe is credited as the original architect, however, AW Tillighast changed it in 1936), a Royal clubhouse or phenomenal ground conditions. But there’s an aura there, a status in the community, that puts the Muny in rarefied air.

“The Muny does over 70,000 rounds a year,” says Scotty Sayers, who is a co-chairman with Ben Crenshaw of The Muny Conservancy, an initiative launched several years ago to preserve the course. “Our mission is to preserve, restore and protect this iconic course. It would leave a huge void in the community if it were to disappear.”

Although it’s complicated, the Muny’s precarious position is largely due to future expansions, infrastructure issues, and so on, which may be on the decline with the current landowner, the University of Texas. The City of Austin operates the course but leases the land from the University. And so it has been since 1937.

However, the Save Muny campaign has plenty of traction and hope remains high that the course will be saved. In addition to Crenshaw, perhaps Muny’s biggest advocate, many other PGA Tour players, celebrities, musicians and personalities are lending a hand to the cause. Jordan Spieth, musicians Willie and Lukas Nelson and actor Luke Wilson are just three examples. (Recently, a bill was passed to push the dissolution date to May 2027.)

Angela Garcia, an Austinite and wife of Sergio Garcia, also sits on Save Muny’s Board of Directors. And the Garcias (Sergio occasionally shows up at the Muny unannounced and joins a group of young players) have been staunch advocates for years.

“Muny is not just a golf course,” says Angela Garcia. “It’s a way of life. The golf course serves as an after school and weekend home for hundreds of young golfers in Austin. It’s where over a dozen middle and high school golf teams practice every day. There are many kids who wouldn’t be able to play golf if the Muny didn’t exist.”

Garcia, who met Sergio during her reporting stint at the Golf Channel, also has a strong personal connection to the Muny. A former player on the UT golf team, Garcia played and practiced regularly at Muny in the mid-2000s. “The giant heritage oaks at Muny are really impressive and one of my favorite aspects of the course,” says Garcia. “These are some of the most beautiful trees you will ever see. If we don’t save the Muny, we will lose a beloved place in our community that children for generations to come will enjoy and use as a haven.”

Fittingly, in 1950 the Muny was also the first golf course in the South to desegregate. In fact, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its role as a civil rights landmark. It became a place where all people, regardless of color, creed or culture, could play golf.

And, for the record, there is nothing remotely “weird” about it.

Where else to play

If you’re looking for the ultimate Texas two-step, two of the state’s resorts landed in the top 100 GOLF resorts in the world. there are Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa (20 minutes west of downtown Austin) and Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa (30 minutes north of Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport). Both offer luxurious accommodations, award-winning golf courses, exceptional dining, world-class spa experiences and more. Check out the December promotions here. And for more golf in the Austin area, check out Lost Pines Golf Club east of the city, Star Ranch Golf Club north of the city, Kissing Tree Golf Club to the south and, about an hour west, a handful of courses in Horseshoe Bay Resort.

While you are there

Austin is also known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” with numerous year-round festivals and live music venues downtown. And, because of Austin’s cultural diversity and spirit of creativity and artistic expression, it’s not just country music. Jazz, folk, blues, hip-hop, indie, punk; you name it, it’s alive and well in Austin. Click here for more information.