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Since Paducah's Paxton Park Golf Course celebrated it first half-century in 1989, nine golf courses have been added in western Kentucky that are open to the public. Once one of the few public golf courses available in the area, Paxton Park nears its 70th birthday facing more competition for golfers than ever. To keep up with the youngsters, the 68-year-old course has been continuing a series of upgrades over the years and in the winter the course gained even more support from the City of Paducah ad the Paxton Foundation. Those two have pledged financial support to help with a variety of projects to continue the course's renovation. The Paxton Foundation has pledged $450,000 over the next 3 years, while the City of Paducah expects to provide $36,000 this year. Paducah Sun editor and publisher Edwin J. Paxton and the Junior Chamber of Commerce initially helped raise the funds to build the course, which opened in 1940. For the past six years, PGA Tour professionals Kenny Perry and Russ Cochran along with tour caddie Freddie Sanders and businessman Mark Page and Burton Banks have raised nearly $200,000 with the Super Valu Scramble for Paxton Park. The money has helped resurface greens and tee boxes along with other physical improvements. They will host the event again this year, although a date has not been set. Many other upgrades remain. The Paxton Foundation and City of Paducah will help fund replacement of five bridges, installation of perimeter fencing, purchase maintenance equipment, resurfacing of cart paths and renovations of the downstairs clubhouse this year. In the future, an irrigation well and water reservoir will be installed with the excavated dirt used to raise the fairway on the chronically wet 15th hole. Back in business- Late last summer Birmingham Pointe in Marshall County reopened and club professional Tim Dossett believed area golfers will be greatly impressed by the re-furbished course. Opened in 1998 as Kerry Landing, the course has been closed for two years undergoing a variety of improvements since new owners bought it in 2005. "The new owners knew it would take awhile, but were going to do it the right way this time," said Dossett. Nearly everything has been rebuilt, he said. Much of the underbrush and trees around the course has been removed, bunkers have been rebuilt and many greens and fairways have been re-seeded. The course has even added an 18,000 square-foot clubhouse and cart storage. |
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