LOS ANGELES (CNS) — A golf course in South Los Angeles is getting $7 million to expand access to diverse communities in conjunction with next month’s U.S. Open Golf Championship.
The U.S. Golf Association, Southern California Golf Association and the Los Angeles Country Club joined together to create the Fore Youth Foundation as part of the U.S. Open partners’ commitment to expanding access to the sport in the host community.
The groups contributed an initial donation of $7 million to the Maggie Hathaway Golf Course in South Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Supervisor Holly Mitchell’s motion to accept the donation and direct the Department of Parks and Recreation to create a plan with Fore Youth Foundation and partners for using the money to improve the golf course and expand access to diverse communities in South Los Angeles and neighboring areas.
“Maggie Mae Hathaway broke barriers to bring the joy and excitement of golf to Black people and communities of color,” Mitchell said in a statement. “I am proud that this investment helps further the vision of this golf course that is a treasured community asset in the heart of South LA. I want to thank the Fore Youth Foundation and all our U.S. Open Community Legacy Project partners involved, for working to create a truly lasting and impactful legacy — one that invests directly in people and communities that were once excluded from the game.”
Officials said the initial $7 million donation comes with an option to increase the total amount to $15 million during the term of the agreement for the Legacy Project.
“The U.S. Open Community Legacy Project at Maggie Hathaway Golf Course highlights that investing in public golf courses ensures affordability and access for youth and players of all levels,” LA County Parks Director Norma García-González said. “The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is thrilled by this dynamic public-private partnership aimed at creating a legacy of greater access and inclusivity to the sport of golf, especially among communities of high need, youth of color, and women and girls.”
First opened in 1962, the Maggie Hathaway Golf Course is a nine-hole course located next to Jesse Owens Park near the intersection of Western Avenue and Century Boulevard. It hosts an annual average of over 20,000 rounds of golf.
The Legacy Project is anticipated to include a new practice pitching area and putting green, reconfiguration and renovation of the driving range, restoration of existing buildings, youth development partnerships and maintenance of the improved amenities over time.
Hathaway was a widely respected singer, actress and sports columnist for the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper who advocated for desegregating golf. The golf course, then called the Jack Thompson Golf Course, was renamed for her in 1997. Hathaway died in 2001 at age 90.
“The Los Angeles Country Club worked with the USGA and SCGA to launch the (Legacy Project) to ensure that the impact of this year’s championship is felt long past this spring through improvements at the County’s Maggie Hathaway golf course in South Los Angeles and expanded youth programming across the county,” Los Angeles Country Club President Gene Sykes said. “We are grateful for Supervisor Mitchell’s support and are excited to work with the County Department of Parks and Recreation to build on its strong commitment to diversify and grow the sport of golf, and to provide recreational opportunities that improve social, academic and professional outcomes for young people.”
The Los Angeles Country Club will host the 123rd U.S. Open on June 15-18. It was last played in Los Angeles in 1948, when Ben Hogan won at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.