The 120-year-old, 100-acre Riverside Golf Course will now be developed for “other recreational uses” by the city’s Parks department. The New Year’s Hangover Open, a city tradition that had been held at Riverside for 69 years no matter the weather, was moved to another public course as 2020 rang in. Indianapolis still has 12 other municipal courses.
The arrival of the new year brought the closing of the oldest municipal golf course in Indianapolis, Ind., WRTV 6-ABC of Indianapolis reported.
The Indy Parks department officially shut down Riverside Golf Course on January 1, WRTV reported, although golf hadn’t been played there since winter weather set in.
Riverside opened in 1900 and was one of three municipal courses stretching over about two miles on the west side of the city, WRTV reported. The others, Coffin Golf Club and South Grove Golf Course, remain in operation.
Golfers who were loyal to Riverside hoped it could be saved, but the city had other plans, WRTV reported. “Riverside Golf Course will be redeveloped with new amenities and programming in 2020,” said Ronnetta Spalding, an Indy Parks spokesperson. But it will not be a golf course, Spalding clarified, with Indy Parks now looking for “other recreational uses” for the property’s 100 acres.
C+RB reported in 2019 on the plans to close the course (https://clubandresortbusiness.com/indianapolis-oldest-public-course-to-close-at-end-of-season/) and on an auction that was held to sell its equipment and other items (https://clubandresortbusiness.com/indianapolis-golf-courses-auction-items/)
One city tradition that lived on, despite Riverside’s closing, was the New Year’s Hangover Open, which had been held at Riverside for 69 years, no matter the weather, WRTV reported. It was moved to South Grove GC for New Year’s Day 2020.
With the closing of Riverside, Indianapolis is now left with 12 municipal courses, and South Grove is on the endangered list, although it will stay in use until at least 2024, WRTV reported.
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