The massive makeover of an aging golf course in South L.A., located within Jesse Owens Park and a few miles from SoFi Stadium, has begun.
Officials broke ground on the L.A. County-run Maggie Hathaway Golf Course, — named for the golfer, actress and civil rights activist who advocated for diversity and inclusion in the sport — on Thursday, Nov. 7.
When completed, the renovation – led by L.A. County Parks and Recreation, with support from the Fore Youth Golf Foundation and American Golf – will make Maggie Hathaway the nation’s largest municipal golf course system, and the “jewel of L.A. County Parks 20 golf courses,” officials said in a news release.
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The massive overhaul will include major upgrades to the course, such as an accessible, expanded driving range, enhanced practice areas, a new community clubhouse, water-saving turf, a computer-controlled irrigation system and an onsite weather station.
Officials said they also hope to expand access to the sport to underserved youth and communities in the area, providing more programming, training and services, and millions in investments towards infrastructure and design.
The 12-acre, par-3 course, originally named the Jack Thompson Golf Course, first opened in South L.A. in 1962. It was renamed after Hathaway in 1997.
Hathaway was known to join local rallies to fight segregation on the greens, advocating for inclusivity in golf through her work with the Minority Association for Golfers and other efforts. She died in Sept. 2001.
“Maggie Hathaway fought against segregation and expanded access to the sport of golf for Black residents and other unrepresented communities,” said L.A. County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who represents South L.A., in the news release. “This multi-million-dollar investment will provide necessary infrastructure enhancements for our local communities to fully enjoy the course and programming for their health and well-being.”
Before Thursday’s groundbreaking, officials praised the course renovation for embodying Hathaway’s vision of representation and inclusion, especially for Black athletes, in golf.
Norma E. García-González, Director of L.A. County Parks, said that it represents the county’s goal of “diversifying and growing the sport…among communities of color, women and girls.”
The project first launched in summer 2023 as part of the Los Angeles Country Club’s hosting of the 123rd U.S. Open. Funds were approved by the county from its budget, anchor donors and supporters, the release said, with a total cost estimated at $15.2 million. Officials hope to reopen the course by the end of 2025.
