Completion of a Journey

 

When I think back over my involvement in the journey to what is now the University of Texas Golf Club, I am impressed with how God is truly in control of our lives if we just trust in Him and allow Him to work on our behalf.  The journey started years ago with a prophecy that “I would work with a university”.  Being a reasoning human, I assumed that meant teaching or some sort of administrative position.  However, I soon realized I just had to trust Him and be willing.  

 

During my tenure with the City of Austin operating the municipal golf courses, I had the occasion to work with Jimmy Clayton, the University of Texas golf coach on several occasions as they held tournaments and sometimes practiced on our courses.  We regularly discussed the university’s need for a golf course of their own where they could attract the best players in the country.  Even though the University of Texas owns Lions Municipal Golf Course, it does not meet the requirements of a golf team for either practice facilities or play.

 

Years later, the City started the process of developing a new municipal golf course for its citizens.  The original plan was to develop 36 holes on the East side of Lake Walter E. Long park.  We even went so far as to select Jay Morrish as the golf course architect and got to the point of completed working drawings for the site.  During this process, I approached Jimmy Clayton and later Deloss Dodds with the idea that this would be an ideal home course for the University.  The site was large enough that a separate practice facility could be developed for the University with its own teaching center and short game areas.  However, collaboration did not readily come about and a change in Austin’s economy caused the golf course plan to be abandoned.

 

Fast forward a few years, and the City of Austin again realizes that it’s golf courses are over crowed and a new course is needed so the Roy Kizer Golf Course project is undertaken.  This project differs greatly from past projects in that the funds are to come from the golfer’s themselves.  To accomplish this task, the City selects me to design the course to maintain total control of the project.  After almost 4 years of design development, permitting, financing and construction, Roy Kizer opens in November, 1994.  The course quickly becomes not only a favorite with the golfers, but an environmental success as well in that it reclaimed an abandoned wastewater treatment plant site.

 

Fast-forward another five or six years and I am now collaborating on golf course designs with Roy Bechtol, and we are selected to design the new public golf course at Steiner Ranch.  The site is selected, the course designed and the project bid.  However, minor hitch, a new developer, Taylor Woodrow, purchases Steiner Ranch and wants to re-think the project so the course goes on hold.

 

Re-enter Jimmy Clayton and the University of Texas golf program.  Jimmy is assisting Mike Meyers, a UT alumnus, in the search for a site for a course for UT.  At this point, they have looked all over Austin for an appropriate location and have not found one that meets their criteria that can be constructed in a reasonable time frame.  So Steiner Ranch becomes the site of a partnership between Mike Meyers, Bill Duvall, and Taylor Woodrow for the new University of Texas Golf Club.

 

With only minor changes to the original plan, some length and green design changes, the course is constructed and opens in November 2003, to very positive reviews and as the home of the University of Texas golf teams.   The teams now have their own practice area with range, chipping and putting greens as well as a Teaching Center with state of the art video equipment, offices and team rooms.  

 

 

 

Fortunately, I have been able to remain closely involved with the changes to insure that the original design character and strategy is preserved.  I am truly pleased with the final product.  It will be able to stand up to the increasing distances of the collegiate player yet continue to offer the average member a fun golf experience.

 

Now back to the original premise.   There is no way that I could have planned and brought about the journey to “work with a university”.  God not only opened doors, but also gave me a chance to design a course and refine my design philosophy, and controlled events to allow the course to “wait” on UT.  You just have to believe.