Don Knabe Golf Center and Junior Academy

About the Program

Category: Parks and Recreation (Best in Category)

Year: 2019

The Don Knabe Golf Center Center and Junior Academy was resourcefully born out of the struggles widely experienced during the economic downturn over the past decade. With a low-performing golf course hemorrhaging its budget, the City of Norwalk was no longer able to continue the operation of the Norwalk Golf Course. However, with some vision, resolve, and creative strategizing, the County of Los Angeles was able to come to an agreement with the City which saved, reimagined, and reopened this underutilized asset in breathtaking fashion. Today, the facility is a vanguard, not just for the game of golf, but also for the principles of community, serenity and discipline which the game represents. Mitigating the challenges of updating the facility to meet modern standards, addressing community concerns, and widening the appeal of the game to low-income patrons proved to be the core mission of the project. Championed by Supervisor Don Knabe, who oversaw the Fourth District at the time, the newly renovated facility exemplifies the effective result of thoughtful planning and response to changing economic, social and environmental challenges, while also seeking to enrich the lives of Los Angeles County residents by providing enhanced services.