CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For years, Clarksville golfers have been waiting for Mason Rudolph Golf Course to reopen. Two years after the city announced it would revive the century-old, nine-hole course, the greens remain largely untouched — and the funding fight is far from over.
Isaac Frost, a Clarksville golfer who learned the game at Mason Rudolph, said the course holds deep roots in the community. "It's where I learned how to play golf, it's where a lot of great golfers in Clarksville learned how to play," Frost said.
The Backstory
In 2024, the city had plans to permanently close the course and convert the land into a park. Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts said at the time the city would remove fencing and erect pavilions on the property.
After significant push back from the golf community, Pitts reversed course and announced the city would reopen Mason Rudolph instead. But progress has been slow. The driving range has remained open on select days, while the course itself has seen little change.
What's the hold up?
Pitts said the delay comes down to money. He said the Clarksville City Council did not approve enough funding in the 2026 Fiscal Year budget to replace the course's outdated irrigation system and restore the greens. "The conversation last year among the council. We asked for enough money to be able to do it, and it wasn't funded," Pitts said.
Pitts said he plans to request the funding again in this year's budget cycle. "Oh absolutely. We're committed to doing it, we just need the money to do it," Pitts said.
If Clarksville City Council approves the funding in the 2027 Fiscal Year budget, Pitts says it may still take some time for the course to reopen. "I’m no technician when it comes to this, but I suspect it’ll be a year, maybe less depending on who we get and how we do it. But we’ll have to do irrigation too because you can’t just plant the grass. You have to water it and maintain it," Mayor Pitts said.
The push to reopen Mason Rudolph comes as Pitts is also asking Clarksville residents to absorb a 31-cent property tax increase to fund priorities for the growing city.
When asked what he would say to residents concerned about paying more in property taxes, Pitts said he understands the burden. "Well I'm not insensitive to it because I'm a taxpayer as well. But I'd just say, you're not paying for nothing. You're getting the high level of service like you're accustomed to," Pitts said.
Patience running thin
Frost said he wants more transparency from city hall about how tax dollars are being spent. "Where are you spending the money? How are you spending it? Are you spending it for Clarksville or are you spending it for out of town companies?" Frost said.
After years of waiting, Frost said his patience is wearing thin — but he hasn't given up. "We're definitely understanding, we've waited this long. We just want to know. We just would like some answers," Frost said.
The Roxy Regional Theatre Project
The city is also moving forward with another major project: renovating the historic Roxy Regional Theatre on Franklin Street and transforming it into a regional performing arts center. That project is being funded by an occupancy tax city council passed a few years ago and is expected to be completed in about two years.
Mayor Pitts says a new Executive Director of the Arts, Culture and Tourism Authority started this week and saw success in his previous position growing community art programs in California.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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