Wright
The closest Seattle public golf course to Capitol Hill has a new name. Seattle Parks officials announced that Jefferson Park Golf Course will now be known as the Bill Wright Golf Complex.
“Mr. Wright was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Hall of Fame in 2013,” the parks department announcement reads. “He was an original junior member and fixture of Fir State Golf Club and Jefferson Golf Course. He broke the color barrier of American Golf and will be appropriately honored at his home course, Bill Wright Golf Complex.”
The 52-acre Beacon Hill golf facility includes an 18-hole course, a 9-hole 3-par course, and a popular driving range and clubhouse. It is part of four public courses in the city including West Seattle, Interbay, and Jackson Park. The courses are currently operated by Premier Golf Centers under a long-term contract that has been up for renewal.
The renaming comes amid renewed pressures on the city-owned properties including Jackson Park Golf Course where neighbors are organizing to call for more community access to the facility.
Courses around the world, especially those in urban environments, are facing growing scrutiny as land and housing costs climb and due to environmental concerns. In Sydney, Australia, a controversial plan to cut a famed public course in half to make a new city park is slowly moving forward.
Some courses in Washington have invested in environmental programs including “Salmon-Safe” certification.
At Jefferson and the newly named Bill Wright course, the land has also become home to a mix of wild city dwellers. Signs up at the clubhouse frequently advise golfers to please not feed the course coyotes.
In addition to the courses and driving range, the Bill Wright Golf Complex is also home to Seattle’s branch of the First Tee youth golf development program.
For Capitol Hill duffers, the Beacon Hill course is the closest public facility in the city though there are closer greens at hand like the private course in Broadmoor. 11th Ave provides another option. Five Iron brought its mix of food, drink, and sport to the Pike/Pine entertainment scene in 2022 with a boost from neighborhood rapper turned golf nut Macklemore.
Seattle’s sports and community leaders are applauding the name change at Jefferson.
“The renaming of the golf course at Jefferson Park to honor Bill Wright is a powerful testament to his legacy as an athlete and trailblazer. His story is a reminder of the progress we’ve made and the work ahead,” District 3 Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth said in a statement. “The city of Seattle and our Parks department is proud to celebrate his contributions by ensuring his name and impact are forever remembered at this historic golf course.”
The Bill Wright Golf Complex is located at 4101 Beacon Ave S. Learn more about the name change here.
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Hopefully this becomes the Bill Wright neighborhood sooner than later. This fenced off pedestrian & biking inconvenience, eyesore, and waste of public space does more to obstruct than enhance the neighborhood and park.
Quit whining. People love it and it’s booked solid. It gives people in the city a place to get exercise, get fresh air, destress and bond with friends. You need to touch grass. There’s a shit ton of it for you to enjoy on the other side of beacon Ave.
Also with the Seattle law. If this land were turned into something that is not a park (which the city owned golf courses are). This land would have to be offset with a new park somewhere else in the city of the same acreage which is not practical.