Golf

The city of Austin says it is close to a deal with the University of Texas that would transfer ownership of Lions Municipal Golf Course, known as Muny, to the city. The agreement, which would amend the 1989 Brackenridge Development Agreement, also involves the West Austin Youth Association and could include an updated UT lease at Mueller, an exchange of city rights-of-way, a "mutually agreed regulating plan," and creation of a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone. City staff plan to brief the Environmental and Planning Commission in October, with a full City Council vote set for November 19; remaining details would go through boards and commissions before final adoption in spring 2027. Officials credited a large donor gift to UT for helping clear the path to the deal.

Muny, opened in the early 20th century, was Austin's first public golf course and the first in the American South to desegregate, in 1950. Preservationists, organized under the Muny Conservancy, have fought development proposals for the site for decades, with the city operating under a month-to-month lease with UT since 2019.

Twin brothers Se Youn "Steve" Kim and Hee Young "Ted" Kim, 42-year-old MRI technicians, have pleaded guilty to federal tax charges after running a scheme that reserved thousands of tee times at public golf courses in Los Angeles and Orange counties and resold them to golfers for a fee. Prosecutors say the pair deposited proceeds into personal accounts even after forming a corporate entity, and deliberately failed to report more than $1.3 million in combined income to the IRS. Steve Kim alone received roughly $810,000 between 2021 and 2023. Both admitted using company funds for personal expenses and cash withdrawals. Sentencing is set for January 12, 2027, with Steve Kim facing up to three years and Ted Kim up to five years in federal prison.

The case highlights broader frustration over tee-time brokering and surge pricing at public courses, which spurred California's new "PAR Act," recently signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, banning unauthorized resale of public tee-time reservations.

The U.S. Secret Service, alongside DuPage County Sheriff's Office, Illinois State Police, PGA Tour officials, and other local agencies, has spent years coordinating security for the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club, now intensified by President Trump's planned attendance. It marks his first visit to the Chicago area since 2019. Illinois National Guard Black Hawk and other military helicopters are staging in nearby Schaumburg, and heightened security measures are visible on the ground in Medinah.

Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Derek Mayer said spectators should expect amplified screening as they enter the course, with agents adapting standard protective measures to the open-air golf venue. Some protests have already occurred ahead of the visit, though officials say it remains unclear if they will grow large. The added protection comes as the Secret Service simultaneously manages security for Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit, a Trump appearance at a Tennessee football game, and upcoming midterm campaign stops.