The Quail Course Is Coming Back: Good News from Midland's Municipal Golf Scene

Here's a small, solid piece of good news out of West Texas: the Quail Course at Hogan Park in Midland is scheduled to reopen by the end of October following extensive renovations, including new greens, irrigation systems, and course layout changes. That's a city-owned course, rebuilt properly, coming back to the people who actually play it — and it's happening within the month.

What happened

As reported by KMID/KPEJ (Yourbasin) in early October, the Courses at Hogan Park and the City of Midland have announced that the Quail Course is expected to open by the end of October. This wasn't a coat of paint. The renovations include new greens, bunkers, and irrigation — the unglamorous underground work that decides whether a course holds up for the next thirty years or limps along for five.

The course's head golf professional, Thomas Brantley, put it plainly: "It means a new start to public play in Midland, Texas" — and he noted the greens will finally have the same grass on greens, not a mixture of grasses. Anyone who has putted on a patchwork muni green knows exactly why that matters.

Why it matters

Municipal courses are where most of us actually learn the game. No initiation fee, no dress-code committee, just a tee sheet and whoever shows up. When a city decides a course like this is worth real investment — new greens, new irrigation, the whole works — it's a bet on ordinary people having somewhere good to spend a Saturday morning. That's the kind of civic optimism we can get behind.

And a golf course is rarely just a golf course in a town like Midland. It's where retirees settle their standing Tuesday game, where high school teams practice, where somebody's kid hits their first decent 7-iron. Getting that back, better than before, is a genuine win.

Part of a bigger comeback

Midland isn't alone. Public golf is having a quiet renaissance across the South and Midwest. This summer, city leaders in Kansas City gathered with course staff for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the grand reopening of Swope Memorial Golf Course at Swope Park after a multi-million dollar renovation project. In the Chicago suburbs, Orchard Valley Golf Course in Aurora, Illinois reopened for public play in September after a 22-month, $8.8 million renovation. Town by town, cities are deciding their public courses are worth keeping — and worth doing right.

Kentucky knows this story well

If there's a state that understands the municipal course as a public good, it's Kentucky. There are 245 golf courses in Kentucky, including 62 municipal courses — eleven of them in Louisville alone — and Bowling Green runs three city courses of its own. Affordable, close-to-home golf is woven into how these places work, the same way it is in Midland. It's part of why we love making shirts about states like this — if that's your home turf, our Kentucky collection is full of designs made for people who'd rather walk nine at the local muni than wait for a tee time anywhere fancy. The Script Kentucky Tee in particular looks right at home riding in a golf cart.

What you can do

If you're anywhere near the Permian Basin, keep an eye on the Hogan Park tee sheet late this month and go play the new Quail Course while the greens are fresh. If you're elsewhere, here's the broader move: go play your own town's muni this fall. Buy the large bucket at the range. Tell the folks at the counter the course looks good. Municipal courses thrive when locals show up, and showing up is the easiest good deed in golf.

Common questions

When does the Quail Course reopen?

The City of Midland has announced that the Quail Course is expected to open by the end of October, per KMID/KPEJ's report in early October.

What was actually renovated?

The renovations were extensive, including new greens, irrigation systems, and course layout changes, along with new bunkers — a full refresh rather than a touch-up.

Is this happening at other city courses too?

Yes — it's a trend. Kansas City's Swope Memorial Golf Course reopened after a multi-million dollar renovation featuring new upgrades and historic charm, and Aurora, Illinois reopened Orchard Valley in September after a 22-month renovation. Public golf is getting real investment again, town by town.

Reported by KMID/KPEJ (Yourbasin). Details as published at the time of writing.