COURSE CLOSINGS

As part of action to shore up a challenging budget situation, the City Council last week voted to close Whitehaven, Pine Hill, Riverside and Davy Crockett golf courses for three months during the winter. The expected savings: $42,000 of a $609 million budget.

Melvin Lee, pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church-Hyde Park, questioned the move. To him, it only means another barrier of access to potential golfers in the surrounding neighborhoods, which are predominantly low-income.

“That means somebody who can’t afford to travel across town can’t travel across to (one of the other courses),” he said. father-son connection that leads many golfers to the course and lower scores, they’re getting by. Bolton wasn’t just hitting balls last week for Simmons to watch; he was hitting them as a way of teaching him.

Whether they’ll be watching more and more black golfers on Tour, meanwhile, is another question.

Love, the Ryder Cup captain, has seen what he perceives to be a growing minority presence firsthand. Dru Love, his son, is heading to the University of Alabama this fall after a stellar junior golf career. In his tournaments, he has seen a diverse crew of competition for his son — from golfers of Asian descent to those who are black.

To him, it’s just a matter of time before they’re on the range at Southwind, living out the dreams of those on the range at Firestone in North Memphis.

“I think we’re about five to 10 years away,” Love said. — Kyle Veazey: (901) 529-2799

Lance Murphey/the Commercial Appeal files After Tiger Woods won the Masters in 1997, it was thought that his presence would lead to a rise in black youths playing golf. Some 15 years later, that has yet to happen.