After historic 125 years, Hancock Golf Course is still going strong
Hazel Lemmons has been an Austin resident since 1964 and some of her fondest memories have come at Hancock Golf Course, the nine-hole track nestled between 38th and 41st streets on the city’s north side near Hyde Park.
Decades ago, Lemmons, now 88, started a women’s league with the help of Mauryene Kite, the mother of legendary Austin and Texas Longhorns golfer Tom Kite. She’s frequented the course ever since. On Saturday, she sat with friends at the 125th anniversary of the property formerly known as Austin Country Club and marveled at the joy it’s brought to so many.
“Oh my gosh, it’s just wonderful,” Lemmons said. “It’s a nice, tight course. It’s well-maintained. And thank heavens the city hasn’t ever let them put condos on it.”
While golf is a booming business, especially at exclusive clubs, many municipal courses have enjoyed only a nominal bump through the recent wave of good golf fortune. Hancock, however, witnessed a perfect coalescence when the pandemic forced administrators to close the pro shop — relying solely on the pay stations — while eliminating carts that had been digging up the playing surface.
The result? The course greened up, players preferred the easy access and suddenly, after operating in the red for years, Hancock was showing a ledger in the black.
It’s become a beehive of activity ever since, with record numbers of golfers enjoying the greenspace.
‘I think it’s probably a city staple now’
Steve Hammond, who heads up golf for the city’s parks and recreation department, read a proclamation from Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and unveiled a new sign that honors Hancock’s history. The first golf course in the city and the oldest continuously operated course in the state, then-Austin Country Club first opened its doors in 1899. A second nine was added in 1913 and the club stayed private until moving to a different location. The city took over the site in 1951 and sold off nine holes a few years later.
While sister course Lions Municipal is still vying to maintain its status as a greenspace, there have been no serious discussions to sell off Hancock, although when it was struggling financially officials admit ideas were thrown around on how to use the space differently.
But with the resurgence of the game and the course, Lemmons and others feel like more anniversary parties are in store.
“I think that it’s probably a city staple now,” she said. “I think it’s going to be here as a nice green spot in Austin for years to come.”
Scottie Scheffler is soaking up fatherhood
Life is pretty sweet these days for Scottie Scheffler.
“I was sitting there with a newborn in my arms and the green jacket in the closet,” he said Tuesday during his pretournament press conference ahead of the 106th PGA Championship. The world No. 1 has won four of his last five starts, including the Masters in April, but he celebrated an even greater life moment when he and wife Meredith welcomed their first child, son Bennett, to the world on May 8.
“I miss him like crazy,” he said. “I told my son as I was leaving, I was like, I don’t want to leave you right now, but I need to..”
About the only thing to slow down Scheffler’s dominant run of late has been the birth of Bennett. Scheffler won the Masters and RBC Heritage during “Baby Watch” but then shut it down to be at home. He typically would have played the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in his hometown of Dallas and the Wells Fargo Championship.
But Scheffler said he didn’t expect his game to be rusty.
Tim Schmitt is the managing editor for Golfweek, golf coordinator for the USA Today Network and lives in Round Rock. Adam Schupak contributed to this article.