When does the Links at Audubon Golf Course in Memphis reopen? Here's what we know
Opening day for The Links at Audubon Golf Course is still set for this summer, according to Memphis Parks Director Nick Walker. Walker said they are "shooting" for Aug. 1, but there are multiple factors involved in getting to that date.
"The biggest thing that is going on right now is we have to have a clubhouse in order to be able to service the golf course," Walker said. "We have already got someone who has begun work across...on the west side of Cherry (Road) putting in a parking lot and moving a trailer that was at Pine Hill over there."
Walker said assuming that the department can get the utilities hooked up and in place, the driving range and course should open the last week of July or the first week of August. New amenities to the renovated course include a driving range and a free six-hole "short course."
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The short course will be donation-based, Walker said, to make sure the course can provide free green space for children. Walker said because of Audubon's location, he hopes it will bring more people into the sport of golf including those in disadvantaged neighborhoods and communities.
"I think is really going to allow us to increase access to children throughout Memphis and make it to where golf feels more approachable and more accessible because even in the year 2024, there is still a lot of business that's getting conducted on golf courses," Walker said. "There's still a lot of deals and access and all those things and making sure that children in Memphis get access to that comfortable with golf feel comfortable on a golf course can pay huge dividends on them in their professional life."
The course closed in November 2022 and has since undergone a $9 million renovation. Walker said that because the city was able to "lock in" on lower costs for construction, they were able to stay on budget throughout the process.
There has been a fee increase across all public courses, Walker said, and Audubon will be no different. The initial proposed increase was $55 for a weekend round, but Walker said they dropped the price to $45 which is still lower than most suburban and private courses in the surrounding area.
"Typically, you see in the $75 to $100 range, and any of the other courses in the area on the weekend. So we do feel like it's still going to be an incredible value for a brand-new golf course," Walker said.
Bergin Golf Designs, a Georgia company, was hired by the city to take on the design for the renovations. Bergin Golf Designs has renovated courses across America, from Santa Rosa Beach, Florida to Bloomington, Minnesota.
Brooke Muckerman covers Shelby County Government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal.com and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter @BrookeMuckerman.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Where do Audubon Golf Course renovations stand? What Memphis Parks said
