01/13/2022
In honor of Mission's very own Golden Grapefruit Golf Tournament est. in 1933, the Mission Historical Museum presents our First Annual Grapefruit Classic! β¨π
The idea for a public golf course in Mission came from Roy Conway (son of Mission founder, John Conway) and two of his golfing buddies, Roy Buckley and E.P. Congdon in the late 1920s. Avid golfers, the trio realized that they and others were spending a fair amount of time and money traveling to other towns to play on their golf courses. They got to work one day and started planning a miniature, 5-hole course that they hoped to build in Mission. They even chose what they felt was the ideal spot, a brushy area just northeast of town. The land was owned by John Shary, and when Roy and his friends met with him to discuss the possibility of leasing the land, not only was Mr. Shary receptive to the idea, but he donated outright enough land that they could create a 9-hole golf course instead of the 5-hole mini-course they originally conceived.
The Shary Municipal Golf Course was officially dedicated in 1933 and as part of the opening festivities, the first golf tournament was held there, appropriately named the Golden Grapefruit Golf Tournament. It was so successful, that the golf tournement became an annual event, and was included as part of the Texas Citrus Fiesta.
As of 2021, Shary Municipal Golf Course is a 27-hole, full-service golf course that is open every day, except for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The golf course is the number one tourist attraction for the City of Mission during the winter months.
The signature hole for the small course is No. 4, a 355-yard par 4 that features an approach shot over water to the green.