KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Chris Harris acknowledges he knew little about golf when he decided to build nine holes of putting greens in the rundown Kansas City neighborhood where he grew up.
He set out anyway to build nine holes of putting greens himself, to provide an outlet for children who have little access to sports venues. Word got out before he got too far, and now his project has support from the PGA and some major Kansas City firms. That means his neighborhood will get a much bigger golf course and an updated nearby park, The Kansas City Star reported (https://bit.ly/2rQT8Lh ).
Midwest PGA and the other sponsors say they want to help Harris bring a nonprofit golf course to local youths, mostly black and underprivileged, who live in the neighborhood where his parents settled before it declined into an area with boarded-up homes and vacant lots.
“I was always looking for a sponsor,” Harris said. “It never crossed my mind that the PGA would call. Where would you ever find that the PGA is building a golf course in the hood?”
Other supporters include the advertising agency Trozzolo; the Kansas City office of HOK, a global architecture, engineering and design firm; and the Polsinelli law firm.
Brad Demo, executive director and CEO of the Midwest PGA, said his organization likely will start with programming and equipment support and may eventually help raise money.
“Chris’ heart is just unbelievable. What makes it unique is, No. 1, the location - to take a property that some people might say is not the best. It’s going to be a beautiful park,” Demo said.
When he started, Harris, who is a housing specialist at Truman Medical Center, didn’t even know golf courses were built on sand. He had just bought 20 tons of it when offers to help began.
Harris, who worked a second job at Mission Hills Golf Course to learn how to build the course, said he now plans to have the work done professionally, so it can be “state-of-the-art.” He hopes the course will give kids a chance to play for fun or to take golf lessons. A nearby park, which Harris built 20 years ago, will be upgraded to include new basketball and pickleball courts and a workout center.
“Any kid in that neighborhood can get up in the morning, put on their shoes and go play golf,” he said.
Harris also plans to demolish his childhood home and build a new house on the hill overlooking the course.
If the course is successful, Harris thinks it could be replicated in other blighted neighborhoods.
“When you think about golf, it’s really just grass. Where do you have the most vacant land? In the inner city,” he said.
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Information from: The Kansas City Star, https://www.kcstar.com
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