The renovated facility will offer an affordable and accessible outlet for the community to play golf and youth development programming.
On Thursday, November 2, elected officials, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks & Recreation, American Golf and Fore Youth Golf Foundation signed an agreement to upgrade the Maggie Hathaway Golf Course in South Los Angeles.
California State Senator Steven Bradford, L.A. Supervisor Holly Mitchell and L.A. City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson joined with city representatives, partners and other organizations to speak about the significance of the project, it’s impact on the community and the woman, whom the park was named after.
“From my perspective, this is what equity in action looks like,” said Mitchell. “So, I really want to acknowledge all of our partners in making this happen.”
She continued, “And we looked to the community to keep Maggie Hathaway elevated so, I am really proud that on my watch, that we are able to recommit as a county, to this amazing asset and to join with these amazing partners in what will be a phenomenal, phenomenal golf course and learning experience for community residents, and all will travel here to see it.”
“From the council office, the people of the 8th district, the people of Los Angeles, please finish this project — get it done,” said Harris-Dawson. “It’s very important to our community that we see it through and that all of us are here to celebrate it when it’s done in development into a new, fabulous facility in the heart of our community.
“So again, thank you all so much for what you have done but, more than that, thank you for what you will do.”
The Foundation is the newly established non-profit to support the renovation, maintenance, and programming at Maggie Hathaway Golf Course. The Fore Youth: 2023 U.S. Open Community Legacy campaign, led by the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA), United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Los Angeles Country Club (LACC), raised $8M for the project to create a community legacy benefiting underserved and underrepresented youth.
“I’ve been working in golf for 19 years and this is by far the largest collaboration I’ve ever seen,” said SCGA Junior Golf Foundation Executive Director Kevin Gigax.
“Youth development through junior golf is a labor of love for us. We’re really excited about the next iteration of what’s going to happen here.”
“Now I can go back to the community today and say, ‘it’s going to happen’—it’s here,” said Glen Porter, president of Western States Golf Association.”
“We appreciate SCGA, American Golf, we really, really, really appreciate you guys allowing us to be here as long as we’ve been here and looking forward to going to a different level.
“We’re ready.”
Gil Hanse, the renowned golf course architect, is leading the restoration project. This is in conjunction with the development of resources to expand Southern Area youth programming and SCGA Junior programming and services, which will enhance the facility’s long-standing role as a gathering place in South L.A. The renovated facility will offer an affordable, accessible outlet to play golf and renew impactful youth development programming.
“I think when we were here last, I met a young girl and [her] mother,” said Norma E. Garcia-Gonzalez, director of L.A. County Parks & Recreation. “She found golf during the pandemic, and she said this became her safe haven.”
She continued, “We’re so excited because this public, private partnership is going to level us up. And it gives us the wings that I think our community so deserves.
“So, in the spirit of Maggie Hathaway, we’re so excited that our commitment to youth and families is going to deepen because of this public, private partnership.”
“This project is particularly close to our heart, municipal golf, in particular, Junior Golf and municipal golf courses, it’s in our DNA,” said Paul Ballam, senior vice president, head of real estate and AGC Strategy.
“Positive traits that are learned through golf and the camaraderie are invaluable and we know that type of development will continue to benefit the community at large here.”
Bradford shared the importance of the woman the facility was named after, noting it was her sacrifices and civil rights activities that made golf facilities open for people of color.
“It’s about honoring the legacy of the individual’s name being on this building, it’s on this golf course and that’s Maggie Hathaway,” said Bradford. “She was an actor, she was a singer, she was blackballed because she refused to play a demeaning role.”
He continued, “She was also, as Holly stated, the biggest advocate outside of Joe Lewis, of integrating L.A. County golf in the late 50s and the early 60s. So, if we’re going to really invest in this golf course, we need to make sure we invest in the legacy and the memory of what Maggie Hathaway stood for, and that was inclusion, that was in equity, that was balanced, that’s who she was.
“Joe Lewis played here, a lot of folks probably didn’t know that Charlie Sifford practiced here, Tiger Woods practiced here, and it’s mainly because of Maggie Hathaway making sure that it was available.
“It’s a great reinvestment, but we also have to honor the person who fought so hard to make sure facilities like this were available to people of color.”
According to officials, a community engagement plan will be implemented by Los Angeles County, American Golf and the Fore Youth Golf Foundation. A project manager will also be hired to prepare full construction plans from the initial designs.
For more information, please visit foreyouth.org
