City of Austin to assume ownership of historic 'Muny' golf course – Austin American-Statesman

City of Austin to assume ownership of historic ‘Muny’ golf course  Austin American-Statesman

Scotty Sayers was caught off guard when his phone rang early Wednesday. "We were surprised this morning when we got a call from the mayor (of Austin Kirk Watson) and he said, 'Congratulations, I think we have a path forward," Sayers told the American-Statesman. "We then knew we finally found a deal." Sayers, the co-chair of the Muny Conservancy, spent the last six years attempting to broker a stable future for Lions Municipal Golf Course, first opened in 1924 and located 3 miles west of the University of Texas campus. Wednesday brought those efforts to fruition. City of Austin officials announced Wednesday it is nearing an agreement with UT to convey ownership of Muny from the school to the city, bringing an end to a concern that gripped members of the Austin golf community.

The Brackenridge Development Agreement, a 30-year deal signed by city officials and the UT Board of Regents in 1989, protected Muny from private development on either side of Lake Austin Boulevard until 2019. A collection of five-month leases were then continually enacted to preserve Muny, though the latest measure was set to expire in May 2027. Such stopgaps are no longer necessary, however, given the assumed ownership transition. Sayers says his group has attempted to broker an agreement between the city and the university since 2019.