The city of Austin and the University of Texas at Austin could soon be nearing a deal over the ownership of the historic Lions Municipal Golf Course, or "Muny."

Muny opened in 1924 and in 1950, it became the first public golf course in the South to voluntarily desegregate. The course sits on more than 140 acres of land owned by UT Austin and is leased by the city on a month-to-month basis.

The fight from golfers, neighbors, students, and other Austinites to preserve Muny's open public greenspace dates back 50 years.

"It should be saved," said Leonard Fiocca, who used to play on the course during his college years. "It should be preserved and everybody who comes here who's played it before [knows] its history."

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said a proposed agreement would transfer ownership of the historic golf course from UT to the city. Meanwhile, UT said the West Austin Youth Association would receive the land where its campus sits. University officials said the deal is being helped along by anonymous donors who have proposed a large gift to the university.

"We've always been concerned about saving the golf course from development," said Scotty Sayers, co-chair of the Muny Conservancy. "So this new arrangement has some donor money going to UT to pay them for the golf course."

The deal, if approved, would amend the 1989 Brackenridge Development Agreement (BDA), which is an agreement between the city and UT on how the university may use the land it owns on either side of Lake Austin Boulevard for private development.

Sayers said Muny is also the site of Austin history.

"In 1950, there were two young Black caddies and they wanted to play golf but the course was segregated," Sayers said. "The mayor was told about it. You know what he said? He said, 'Let them play,' and suddenly the course was integrated, and peacefully integrated I might add, and it was a big part of civil rights history in Austin."

According to the city, city staff will brief the Environmental and Planning Commissions on the proposal in October and the proposed amended agreement will be brought to the full Austin City Council on November 19.

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