The city of Blytheville, Ark., will hold a public meeting on June 22 to discuss ways to make the golf course more accessible and environmentally friendly. If the city opts to close the golf course, it will no longer receive funding from the Arkansas Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission.

The City of Blytheville, Ark., will hold a public meeting to discuss re-purposing the Thunder Bayou Golf Links, the Jonesboro, Ark., KAIT 8 reported.

According to Mayor James Sanders, the mission is to make the golf course more accessible and environmentally friendly. The city plans to install a walking and biking trail around the golf course, KAIT reported. 

Thunder Bayou Golf Links was built in the early 2000s. It is currently receiving funding from the Arkansas Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission, but if the city decided to close the golf course, it would no longer receive funding for any of the city’s parks, KAIT reported.

Fisher Arnold, an engineering firm out of Memphis, prepared an “Environmental Assessment for the re-purposing of Thunder Bayou Golf Course” study on behalf of the City of Blytheville and the National Park Service. A meeting will be held June 22, where the findings of the study will be presented, KAIT reported. 

Following the public meeting, comments will be received for 30 days. Those comments will be incorporated in the final environmental assessment. The city council will make the final decision on whether to re-purpose the Thunder Bayou Golf Links, KAIT reported.