If you've ever wondered why some longtime Tucsonans persist in referring to Reid Park as Randolph Park, well, there's a story behind that.
The whole place was once called Randolph Park in honor of Epes Randolph, a Tucson pioneer and railroad executive.
But it was Gene C. Reid, former Tucson Parks and Recreation Department director, who turned the park into the Midtown oasis it is today.
And so the City Council decided to change the name to Reid Park in the 1970s.
But some people didn't like that and feared that changing the name would set a bad precedent.
A compromise was sorely needed, and that's what happened in August 1978.
Here's how the Arizona Daily Star reported the story at the time:
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"The man who helped bring the railroad to town kept the golf course, the former senator kept the ball field and the guy who built the lake, the park and the zoo kept all three.
"In semi-diplomatic fashion yesterday, the City Council solved the great Randolph Park debate by naming everything west of Randolph Way for retired Parks and Recreation Director Gene Reid."
That included the lake, which already was named for Reid, and the zoo. Randolph's name remained on the two golf courses that Reid developed there.
The park's Hi Corbett Field remained named for Hiram Stevens Corbett, the former state senator and lumber company owner credited with bringing spring-training baseball to Tucson.
Today the vast area that people associate with the park includes swimming pools, a basketball court, scores of leisure classes and much more.
Randolph Golf Complex has two 18-hole courses: the Randolph and the Dell Urich.
Known as Randolph South until 1996, Dell Urich is full of rolling hills and has the lower par and slope rating of the two — 123. Randolph's slope rating is 128. The rating is the difficulty level as measured by the Arizona Golf Association.
The Randolph course is relatively flat and 600 yards longer.
Prices drop in the summer.
On one of the hottest days of the year, Dave Strawn sank two putts in a row and barely missed the third on one of the four practice putting greens.
"This course has a lot of trees, and you can stay in the shade," he said. "That kind of mitigates the heat."
If you go
• What: Randolph Golf Complex, which includes two public courses: the Dell Urich (par 70.2) and the Randolph (par 72.1).
• Where: 600 S. Alvernon Way
• When: Sunrise to sunset.
• Summer prices (including cart): $33 weekends and holidays. On weekdays, $30 if you tee off before 10 a.m., $27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., $24 from 1 to 3 p.m., $23 from 3 to 4 p.m. (all you can play) and $19 after 4 p.m. (nine holes).
• Summer walking special: $18.40 (Dell Urich).
• Golf club rentals: $20, or $10 for nine holes.
• Driving range: $5 for 70 balls, $3 for 35.
• Reservations: Call 791-4161 up to six days in advance.
