As he helped open the new Gleason Park golf range, Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said it’s important to remember the history of the park and golf course.
“A lot of folks will remember how this was once a segregated golf course, North Gleason, that the African Americans had to play many years ago,” Melton said. “So, as we stand here today, we want to acknowledge everyone that fought so hard to integrate, to get the right to participate, to access not just this golf course but so much throughout this entire country.”
Gary officials, including Councilman Dwight Williams, D-6th, and COO Michael Suggs, tee off following the opening of the South Gleason Park Golf Range on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. The $173,000 investment is the second upgrade to Gleason Park. (Maya Wilkins/Post-Tribune)
Melton and other city officials celebrated the opening of the new South Gleason Park Golf Range, a $173,000 investment in local parks and infrastructure.
The facility features more than 300 yards of driving range with a 14-bay artificial tee line and a 30-yard natural grass tee line. It’s also integrated with an AccuRange GPS mobile app, which allows golfers to track real-time yardage to flags and markers from the tee line, and it features an automated golf ball dispenser that accepts credit and debit cards.
The Gleason golf range is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last bucket of golf balls sold at 5 p.m. A small bucket with 35 golf balls sells for $5, a medium bucket with 70 golf balls goes for $9, and a large bucket with 105 balls is $13, according to a city of Gary news release.
A few years ago, Melton said, the South Gleason Park Golf Range was “pretty much like a lost marsh,” covered with overgrowth, vegetation, trees and disrepair. Since then, a lot of volunteer work has gone into clearing the area, he added.
The Gary Sanitary District team assisted in grass maintenance, he said, and the parks department helped maintain the area. City employees also removed a fence that previously lined the park.
“(That) was intentional,” Melton said. “We wanted to make sure folks can begin to see the beauty that’s taking place and the work that’s being put into the facility.”
Gary Common Council President Linda Barnes Caldwell, D-5th, also spoke at the golf range opening. Gleason Park is in Barnes Caldwell’s district.
“Today is about more than opening a golf range,” she said. “It’s about investing in our neighborhoods, improving our parks and creating opportunities for our residents and the young people.”
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton tees off following the opening of the South Gleason Park Golf Range in Gary on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. Melton expressed gratitude for city partners, including Indiana University Northwest and the Gary Sanitary District, for their support. (Maya Wilkins/Post-Tribune)
The investment marks a positive step forward in making Gary a place where families can enjoy recreational facilities, Barnes Caldwell said, adding that she’s excited about the opportunities it will provide for youth to learn golf.
“As president of the Gary Common Council, I believe every district deserves parks that reflect pride, safety and progress,” Barnes Caldwell said. “When we invest in our parks, we invest in our people.”
The golf range isn’t Gary’s only upgrade to Gleason. Last year, Indiana University Northwest students helped repair the Gleason Park playground, which is across the street from the IUN Dunes Medical/Professional Building at the corner of 35th Avenue and Jefferson Street.
According to Post-Tribune archives, the work was funded through a $15,000 grant from the city’s Love Your Block program, which helps bring city leaders and residents together to build stronger neighborhoods.
Upgrades include a new swingset, kid climber, pet waste station and a kindness rock garden with flowers. Gary-based Flourish Community Hub partnered with IUN students for the park upgrades.
Melton also thanked IUN for their help upgrading Gleason Park.
“To me, this is Gary’s central park,” Melton said. “This is our opportunity to really leverage this and unify it.”
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com