Source: Tampa Tribune (Fla.)
Tampa, Fla. - The little golf course that a community cared for too much to let fade away came back strong Friday when Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio joined city officials and residents to celebrate the reopening of the Babe Zaharias Golf Course.
After six months and $1.9 million in renovations, the course located in the heart of Forest Hills was green, clean and neatly displayed for its reopening. The reactions were positive.
"I am anxious to get it going and get the people back," said neighborhood activist Pat Austin-Dillon, who spearheaded the push to reverse the course's decline. "We lost so many golfers because of the conditions. Hopefully, we'll get them back."
One already returned.
Her son, PGA Tour player Woody Austin, who learned to play on the golf course, flew from his home in Derby, Kan., to attend the ceremonies.
"It's for my mom; that's a pretty valid reason," Austin said.
The former Chamberlain High player also liked what he saw.
"I really love the changes in the greens," he said. "That's what stood out the most. They really did an awesome job reshaping them and making them smaller to have a better area to maintain."
The city course opens for public play today with a 7 a.m. tee time that was reserved a week ago. The first shots were hit when Iorio, Tampa Sports Authority Director Henry Saavedra, city Councilman Shawn Harrison and Austin-Dillon gathered at the first tee to take swings.
"This is a historic golf course. And you have to keep your golf courses up or people just don't want to play on them," Iorio said.
"Babe Zaharias Golf Course is right in the heart of Forest Hills, so it really has a special relationship to this neighborhood."
The city course that carries her name once was owned by Babe Zaharias, considered the greatest female athlete of all time. Forest Hills is where Zaharias and husband George once lived, not far from where the clubhouse stands. During its heyday, the course was where almost everybody who played golf in Tampa played.
Hampered by budget restrictions in recent years, it fell steadily into disrepair.
Iorio credited Austin-Dillon's work with Harrison for Friday's happy outcome.
"I had been mayor about 10 days when Councilman Harrison asked to see me about a matter of utmost importance and it was about the Babe Zaharias Golf Course," Iorio said. "Pat Dillon had organized a group. They were very concerned about the future of this golf course and the condition it was in."
The improvements include rebuilding of all greens, the refurbishing of all bunkers, new cart paths, rebuilt tee boxes and redesign of the 14th hole, adding a water hazard — which also aids neighborhood drainage. The clubhouse was given a facelift, and a new fleet of carts was added.
"Thanks most of all to the neighborhood," Iorio said. "You brought this problem to our attention. You worked through the process. You went to your councilman. He came to me. We worked together."