Memorial Park Golf Course
Memorial Park Golf Course is an 18 hole public golf course located in Houston, Texas.
The Memorial Park Golf Course first opened for play in 1923 as a 9-hole sand green course built near the hospital at Camp Logan for use by convalescent soldiers. In July of the following year, the course had expanded to 18 holes by golf architect John Bredemus. When the hospital closed, the course was opened to the public.
Through the years, Memorial Park Golf Course hosted many famous golfers such as Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Jimmy Demaret. It was also the home of the Houston Open from 1951 to 1963.
Overplay, inadequate funding and insufficient repair resulted in the gradual deterioration of the course. It became apparent that major renovations were necessary.
In 1994, began a campaign to restore the golf course to its original grandeur. Great detail was given to preserving the historical quality as well as to allowing for proper maintenance for the future of the course.
In 1995, the newly renovated 600-acre course opened with a lighted driving range, putting and chipping greens, a beautiful new clubhouse facility and a golf museum created from the original clubhouse structure.
The course was closed from January 2019 to November 4, 2019, for a $15 million dollar renovation handled by golf course architect Tom Doak, Astros owner Jim Crane went liberal with his checkbook to make it happen. Doak and player consultant Brooks Koepka accomplished the renovated 7,292-yard design with 10 months of heavy lifting. The routing remains familiar to those who have played the course previously. Bunkers have been reduced from 54 to only 19. However, their strategic location may well mean you will use your sand wedge as much as you would have previously.
Today, the Memorial Park Golf Course is known as one of the best municipal courses in the nation and is visited by more than 60,000 patrons each year. Houston is proud to call Memorial Park Golf Course the crown jewel of Memorial Park.