(Courtesy of Flickr)
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings unveiled Friday the City of Dallas’ plans to build an 18-hole 400-acre golf course in South Dallas.
Of the many benefits that come with the golf course, the most important is economic development for one of the most underserviced areas in Dallas. Rawlings said he expects the new attraction to bring in a plethora of revenue after the $20 million to $60 million project is complete.
“It’s going to bring hundreds of millions of dollars of economic development,” Rawlings said. “And we get to leverage the remediation that we already have to do.”
The City of Dallas will partner with a number of organizations that will help fund the course as well as share its usage. AT&T has already stepped forward with a $2.5 million contribution paying for a 2.5 mile walking/biking trail that will run just north of the Trinity River eventually stretching out to White Rock Lake.
SMU will also be involved with the golf course, which will act as its men and women’s golf team’s new state of the art practice facility. SMU President R. Gerald Turner says that the golf course gives the university an opportunity to expand its outreach in the city.
“It really symbolizes the outreach that the university is developing and expanding on in our city,” Turner said. “We have an identity that is aligned with Dallas in many ways. This enhances our outreach into southern Dallas.”
Turner also harped on the future relationship that SMU plans to develop with The First Tee of Greater Dallas, another partner of the city that will utilize the new facility. The First Tee is an organization that uses golf as a medium to mentor youth and instill core values and principles of good character.
“The opportunity to work with The First Tee is a huge part of what our interests are in this effort,” Turner said. “All of our students have a requirement to work outside the community using their educational and major areas of emphasis in the community. Having our golf team members working with The First Tee young people is a wonderful blessing.”
City officials hope the golf course can attract major PGA tour events as well. Rawlings says that having a healthy partnership with the Salesmanship Club could eventually bring the Byron Nelson Championship to South Dallas. The event is currently being held in Irving.
