New day dawns on Sunset Youth Golf Center
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Non-profit aims to turn a section of the old golf course into a practice area for students
It was a groundbreaking ceremony with a twist. Or maybe more appropriately, a draw. Members of the Odessa High School and Permian High School golf teams led the ceremonial first shot (which replaced the typical ceremonial shovel turn), breaking ground on the Sunset Youth Golf Center.
“Kids need a place to learn the game of golf, to practice and play,” said Rudy Gatlin, former Odessan and Grammy Award-winning singer and, yes, one of the Gatlin Brothers “I played this course on August 1, 2024, the last day it was open and I asked what they were going to do with this 30 acres? We saw the need.”
That question started a chain reaction of getting in touch with ECISD leaders, then community volunteer Sarah Moore, and gathering other friends who cherished Sunset Golf Course as an Odessa landmark, a track where generations of local golfers learned the game and created lifelong memories. Soon after, the community group created a non-profit organization to preserve the course’s legacy and restore the driving range, practice green, and clubhouse, creating locker rooms and classrooms for ECISD students. This is phase one of the group’s plans and may be completed this summer.
Hispanic Heritage has vowed support and a mural for the exterior of the clubhouse. All with the aim of providing ECISD youth with a safe and accessible place to develop their golf skills along with important life skills like integrity, perseverance, and teamwork.
“This is a monumental occasion for the entire City,” said Odessa Mayor Cal Hendrick. “Not just the City, but our school system and our county, because we are Team Odessa. Together we’re stronger with everyone working together for a better Odessa for a better community.”
“I believe this is going to come back 100-fold one of these days,” added Gatlin. “I’m so proud of our hometown for supporting this.”
ECISD purchased the golf course in 2024 as part of the District’s plan for future growth. The area designated for the Sunset Youth Golf Program is about 30 acres of the approximately 180 acres owned by the school district.
Visit https://sunsetgolf.org/ to learn more about the Sunset Youth Golf Program and how you can get involved with making the project a reality.