There are dozens of possible entry points for engaging with Beyond Housing’s comprehensive model for strengthening families and transforming communities. For Russell Brightman, the entry point was golf—specifically, his advocacy for the 125-year-old Normandie Golf Club.
The 120-acre course, situated in the center of the 24:1 Community, is one of the oldest public golf courses west of the Mississippi River. For generations, St. Louisans from across the metro area have converged to play the historic course. Brightman, a competitive golfer, was among them.
When the University of Missouri-St. Louis purchased the Normandie course for $1.4 million in 2015, Brightman reached out to the club’s manager to learn more about the plans for its future. The UMSL staff arranged an introduction to Beyond Housing President and CEO Chris Krehmeyer.
“That meeting with Chris opened a world of possibilities,” Brightman recalled. He immersed himself in helping plan a revitalization effort—and along the way, “I got an eye-opener as to what’s going on in North St. Louis County.”
The Normandie Reimagined project
Ten years and countless meetings later, the result is the Normandie Reimagined project, centered on a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design public course that will serve as a hub for youth and community development.
Programming at the Normandie Golf Club officially launched in early June with an eight-week golf education session for kids. Although the course is currently closed to the public, 12 of its holes are nearing completion, and parts of the course are expected to open for limited play later this summer.
“We have to think innovatively if we want to create true transformation.”
Normandie Reimagined is headed by the Metropolitan Golf Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association, which is working in partnership with Beyond Housing. The project aligns with Beyond Housing’s holistic model, designed to transform the physical environment, strengthen individuals and families, and create change at the systems level.
“Successful communities need an adequate supply of quality housing, local businesses that provide jobs and access to essential goods and services, and all the other things that make communities desirable places to live—from parks to movie theaters, and, yes, even golf courses,” Krehmeyer explained. “We have to think innovatively if we want to create true transformation.”
Other partners in Normandie Reimagined include the global industrial technology company Emerson, which committed $7 million, as well as The First Tee of Greater St. Louis, the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholars Caddie Program, Urban Golf, and many more supporters of the course’s youth and community initiatives.
A family legacy of giving back
Brightman’s involvement during the planning stages of Normandie Reimagined connected him to Beyond Housing’s broader work. He has been particularly impressed by the community events within the 24:1 footprint.
“There is always a clear message of ‘We are here to help. How can we best do that?’ while keeping an open mind,” Brightman said. “The ability of the Beyond Housing team to listen really caught my attention.”
While growing up in St. Louis, Brightman observed his father, a native of Washington, D.C., engaging with nonprofits as a way to meet new people. After retiring, his father became even more active, giving his time to a variety of efforts, such as helping launch the City Academy School.
“I want my children to grow up in a city that’s livable, where they feel like there’s opportunity, where people are trying to get along, where residents cross lines to talk to their neighbors one community over.”
Brightman hopes to encourage a similar spirit in his own children, ages 8 and 10. “There’s something different about community events where everyone comes together and talks to each other, as opposed to getting services or essential items for themselves,” he said. “Beyond Housing has an element of fostering human interaction that is a key part of the equation.”
He recognizes the need for direct services such as in-the-moment emergency relief, but he also believes humans need something more: a sense of hope. “I want my children to grow up in a city that’s livable, where they feel like there’s opportunity, where people are trying to get along, where residents cross lines to talk to their neighbors one community over. We can all benefit from meeting new people, finding out about their worlds, and seeing what else is out there.”
