LAFAYETTE, La. (NEWS 15) — The Jay & Lionel Hebert Municipal Golf Course, the public course widely known as “Muni” and considered the birthplace of golf in the Lafayette area, marked its 100th anniversary on Friday, July 31, with a centennial scramble and plans for a gala celebration.
The day began with a three-person golf scramble on the course’s 18 holes — an event that doubled as the official launch of the centennial celebration. Golfers were reminded to circle their birdies on their scorecards as they teed off, with staff sending them off with well-wishes before play began.
“Sigh … I gotta just take a deep breath and say, ‘Wow!'” Chris Arceneaux, head golf professional at the Jay & Lionel Hebert Municipal Golf Course, exclaimed. “Because it’s exciting to see where we are. And as a kid, looking on the other side of the fence and seeing now, this is, this is remarkable, extraordinary, the amazing people I’ve met.”
Golfers on the course Friday morning shared their own sentiments about what the course has meant to the community over the decades.
“Oh, that, that’s great; it’s just fantastic,” one golfer said. “It’s a beautiful course. They’ve got it all in good shape.”
“History, lots of history,” another golfer added. “History, good guys playing good golf.”
A third golfer offered a lighthearted measure of the course’s age.
“Well, this golf course, believe it or not, is older than me and him.” His playing partner quickly chimed in with, “Not by much, though.”
Heart of Acadiana is sponsored by Service Chevrolet Cadillac.
Head professionals from Lafayette’s other public golf courses were also on hand Friday, recognizing what Muni has meant to the broader golfing community in the area.
“It’s been great,” David Gary of Wetlands Golf Club expressed. “A lot of great golf pros over the years taught here. Chris and his staff did a fantastic job to get this thing ready for the day.”
“A golfer growing up in Lafayette back in the — you know, ’50s, ’60s, ’70s — this was the deal,” Todd Robertson of Les Vieux Chenes Golf Course described. “This was the place to play.”
“Historical. That means a legacy has been left, and it continues, and I think this is gonna be a great example of what sports can do,” Byron Starks, director of Lafayette Parks & Recreation explained. “It unifies people, it unifies community, and it gives back. Anytime you can become a part of anything like this, it’s special.”
The centennial celebration will continue with a gala at the Cajundome on Saturday, Aug. 1. The Jay & Lionel Hebert Municipal Golf Course, which set the standard for public golf in the Lafayette area a century ago, remains open and active as it enters its second hundred years.
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