BREC Plans Sunday Golf Closures at City Park

A pilot program would close City Park Golf Course to golfers by 1 p.m. on Sundays from November 29 through February 28.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Golf

Photograph of an empty golf fairway with a green and a line of live oaks under a clear late-autumn sky, lit by low golden sun. — The Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission plans to close City Park Golf Course to golfers by 1 p.m. on Sundays from November 29 through February 28. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should your local parks open golf courses to nongolfers on Sundays?

The Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission plans to start a Sunday pilot program that closes City Park Golf Course to golfers by 1 p.m., with tee times cut off at 11 a.m. The program would open the course to nongolf uses from 1 p.m. onward and is scheduled to run from November 29 to February 28.

Why it matters

The change follows a final master plan for City-Brooks Community Park that aims to open the park to more people and add uses beyond golf. Programming such as movie nights or food trucks is being discussed to offset expected golf revenue losses.

The master plan keeps par the same while shortening the course by about 200 yards, and tee times will end at 11 a.m. on Sundays under the pilot. Whether the 1 p.m. closure will be extended beyond the February 28 end date has not been determined.

The players

Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission (BREC)

The Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission is the local agency that operates City Park and other public recreation facilities in the city.

Wade Evans

Wade Evans serves as commissioner of the Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission and presented the plan to the Golf Committee.

The details

Under the plan, City Park Golf Course would close to golfers by 1 p.m. on Sundays through tee-time adjustments, without physical changes to the course. BREC Commissioner Wade Evans presented the plan to the Golf Committee in September, and Friends of City Park had advocated leaving the course unchanged during the master plan process.

September 2026: Final master plan for City-Brooks Community Park was finalized and presented to the Golf Committee.
November 29, 2026: Sunday pilot program is scheduled to begin.
February 28, 2027: Sunday pilot program is scheduled to end.

Season Trajectory

The Sunday pilot is an early implementation of the City-Brooks Community Park master plan, which keeps par unchanged while shortening the course by about 200 yards. It signals a shift in how BREC balances traditional golf access against broader public park programming.

Golfers planning Sunday rounds at City Park should note tee times end at 11 a.m. and the course closes to golfers by 1 p.m. during the pilot. Plan morning play accordingly if the program runs from November 29 through February 28.

The takeaway

Golfers who rely on Sunday afternoon play at City Park should adjust their schedules for the pilot period, since the course will be open to nongolf uses from 1 p.m. onward.

What happens next

The Sunday pilot program is scheduled to begin November 29, 2026, and end February 28, 2027, with a possible three-month extension after February under discussion.