Hermann Park Golf Course Celebrates 100 Years
The Oaks. The Greens. The Legends. Hermann Park Golf Course is celebrating 100 years. This historic golf course was born in 1922 and was the first integrated golf course in Houston. Over the past 100 years, the course has served millions of Houstonians and visitors.
To commemorate this occasion, March 15 will be declared “Hermann Park Golf Course Day” with the mayor attending festivities at the clubhouse at noon. Other numerous events will be planned throughout the year including a recognition tournament in the summer, a community outreach event in the fall and an end-of-year party for customers. Special 100-year logo merchandise along with giveaways will be available all year long.
A brief history George Hermann, a real estate investor, donated 258 acres of his own property to the City of Houston in 1914, the location of which fit in nicely with Arthur Comey’s first ever city planning document calling for a major park to be built along the Brays Bayou and across Main Street from the Rice Institute campus. Two years later, the city accepted a design proposal from famed architect George E. Kessler. Kessler deemed that an area of the park should be set aside as an 18-hole golf course where Houstonians from all backgrounds could play the game. The outbreak of World War I halted funding and construction until 1922 when Oscar Holcombe became the newly elected mayor of Houston and revitalized Hermann Park with renewed public support.
During that same year Hermann Park Golf Course, following a design by Houston stockbroker George V. Rotan and engineer David M. Duller, became open to the public making it the first municipal golf course in Houston. During the Great Depression, improvements were made to the clubhouse and rest areas, among other things, by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) led by Jesse Jones. The CCC was a federally funded organization, created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, that put tens of thousands of Americans to work on projects with environmental benefits. Hermann Park Golf Course benefitted from this organization which was considered one of the most enduring and successful of FDR’s New Deal policies.
In 1989, BSL Golf Corp. was awarded a contract for management of Hermann Park Golf Course for the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department. Since then, BSL has managed the course for three decades providing improvements of over $10 million, including upgrades to the fairways, greens, tee boxes, and irrigation systems. In addition, BSL has added 9 lakes and planted over 1200 trees. In 1999, the golf course was redesigned by local golf course architect Carlton Gipson, and a new clubhouse was constructed. In 2019, BSL Golf Corp. won the Houston Beautiful Mayor’s Proud Partner Award as a result of their work on the Hermann Park Golf Course. Nestled in the heart of Houston adjacent to Hermann Park, the golf course features 18 holes on oak-lined fairways, a 3-acre lighted driving range, lakes, pro shop and clubhouse with veranda that can serve over 150 people. Hermann Park Golf Course is open seven days a week to the public and conveniently located for residents and visitors to The Texas Medical Center, The Museum District, Rice University and Downtown Houston. About BSL BSL Golf Corporation is a Houston, Texas based boutique golf management company founded in 1986. BSL has owned, built, designed, and operated 17 golf facilities since 1986 and hosted several PGA Tour events. BSL specializes in customized management solutions while maximizing profits and having a culture that promotes integrity and a genuine friendly customer experience throughout its facilities.
BSL is committed in building and maintaining a diverse workforce that is inclusive of people from all walks of life and communities. About the Houston Parks and Recreation Department The Houston Parks and Recreation Department (H.P.A.R.D.) stewards and manages 381 parks and over 39,501 acres of parkland and greenspace for the City of Houston and develops and implements recreational programming for citizens of all ages and abilities. The Hermann Park Golf is managed for the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department by BSL Golf Corp.
For more information on the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, call (832) 395-7022 or visit www.houstonparks.org. For further information or to set up interview, call Maulana Dotch at (713) 526-0077 or email at mdotch@bslgolf.com.
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