Lions Municipal Golf Course

Lions Municipal has long been a historic part of the Austin public golf scene. When it opened in 1924, it became the first public golf course in Austin. In 1950, it became the first course south of the Mason-Dixon line to desegregate. Two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw grew up nearby and played Lions Municipal—known by the locals as “Muny”—as a kid. Some of golf’s biggest names have played at Muny, including Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Betsy Rawls and Tom Kite. In recent years, it’s not uncommon to see actor Matthew McConaughey on the driving range with his son. Each summer, Muny hosts Texas’ oldest amateur tournament, the Firecracker Open, which dates back to the 1940s and boasts Crenshaw and Kite as past champs. Situated in the heart of the city, it’s a quality, affordable layout with weekday rates running around $30. Crenshaw and his design partner, Bill Coore, have volunteered to renovate the course for nothing—and they're a part of fundraising efforts to generate the funds to be able to do the work.