Memorial Park course reopens to fanfare
At the opening of Memorial Park Golf Course in 1936, Jack Burke Sr. is credited with hitting the first golf shot. On Monday’s reopening of the historic Houston course, his son, two-time major winner Jack Burke Jr., 96, was in attendance as one of several dignitaries on hand for the much-anticipated ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Astros owner Jim Crane struck the first tee ball on Monday down the middle of the fairway with plenty of length.
It’s only fitting that Crane got the honor. The Astros Golf Foundation funded the entire renovation of the crown jewel of Houston’s municipal golf courses.
Greens fees will remain the same as they were when the course was closed for renovation Jan. 9. Tom Doak is the architect of the $15 million, 10-month project.
“It’s going to be a great asset for the city; it’s a first-rate golf course,” Crane said. “The facilities are all going to be improved. It’s a beautiful park, and everyone’s going to enjoy it more.
“A great tribute to the city and the strength of the city and the support of the city. It’s fun to see it get done and see the improvements that have been made.”
In addition to the course improvements, the foundation kept the Houston Open alive on the PGA Tour, with the 2020 event scheduled for Memorial Park, which will be open for public play starting Wednesday.
“Jim and (wife Whitney) have stepped up in a major way,” Houston
Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “When the city was looking to make sure we did not lose the PGA, and there was a lot of talk, he stepped in and wanted to make it happen and did it.
“This latest gift makes Houston able to reclaim a place in national golf glory.”
An upper-tier driving range with 42 bays on each level opens at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
All tee times for Wednesday were filled online within two minutes of being available. To get tee times and prices, go online (memorialparkgolf.com) or call three days in advance. Online times open at 6 a.m. on the designated day. The call center (1-866-2566688) will take times beginning at 9 a.m. of the designated day.
Tee times will be booked every 10 minutes. Walk-up play only will be allowed if a tee time is not booked or if scheduled players are a no-show. There no longer is early morning walk-up play. Tee times can be booked the same day of play outside of two hours if space is available.
Because of the grow-in phase of the grass, the course will be cartpath only for the near future. It is a completely new golf course with new grasses and new irrigation system. The basis of that is a pond, which tripled in size, and will store and use stormwater to irrigate the golf course.
The holes generally are in the same location, but every hole is significantly different. Tee boxes or greens have changed. Some fairways have been re-routed. The number of bunkers was reduced from 54 to 20.
“The average golfer who comes out here and plays a lot and knows Memorial Park well, is going to see a golf course that they really don’t recognize,” said Giles Kibbe, president of the Astros Golf Foundation. “The Houston Open coming here is going to create a lot of attention to the city, to Memorial Park, and what we’re doing throughout Memorial Park.”