BATON ROUGE — City Park Golf Course, a Baton Rouge landmark for a century, will close to golfers on Sunday afternoons starting Nov. 29 through February so the public can use the space for more than just golf. 

The move, announced by the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (also known as BREC), has drawn mixed reactions from the community.

"I'm not happy about it, but it's going to happen, so we're just going to monitor it and see how it goes," said Mitch Evans, who works with Friends of City Park.

While some golfers like Evans expressed disappointment over losing coveted weekend tee times, BREC Superintendent Brooks Williams said the decision is intended to make the park more accessible.

"It gives people the opportunity to go out and enjoy it, and creates a safe space for people who really, I think, need it," Williams said.

Central Mayor Wade Evans, who helped introduce the idea, noted that shared use is common at other courses and said the goal is to balance the interests of all BREC patrons.

"Innovation and collaboration allow us to serve more taxpayers and make better use of public resources than we can by remaining in silos," Wade Evans said.

Some golfers worry the temporary schedule could signal a permanent shift away from the course, but Williams said major alterations, such as those proposed in the controversial Sasaki master plan, are not being considered.

"I have no intention of moving forward with the Sasaki plan and chopping up the course the way it was presented," Williams said.

Williams said he cannot justify spending $100 million on City-Brooks Park while assessing needs across the entire BREC system. Instead, he wants to see improvements across all BREC golf courses and noted that state funding could support other community investments nearby.

"It will involve a pool, it will involve a rec center, it will involve connectivity, revitalizing and bringing back Brooks Park," Williams said.

Golfers hope the schedule change will allow more time for course maintenance. BREC officials said the pilot period could be extended.