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GREENSBORO — Until now in southwest Guilford, you had to come to the city to play ball, paddle a boat or fish in a park.

No longer: With the opening of Southwest Park, county residents have 80 new acres to play along the banks of Randleman Lake — and a place to run big and small dogs.

“The residents of this part of the county are overdue for this kind of facility,” County Commissioner Billy Yow said at Saturday’s grand opening of Southwest Park, south of Kivett Drive and I-85.

“Now, you can come to a park that’s a real park without having to drive through town to get to it.”

With a new marina, picnic shelters, baseball fields, hiking trails and walking tracks, Southwest Park runs along the Randleman Dam that crosses the Guilford-Randolph County line south of Greensboro.

The park rents canoes and allows nongasoline craft at the boat launch, but the lake is closed October through March. The park is open until Dec. 15, then reopens March 1.

Saturday’s dedication of the park revealed the community effort the project required: from Southern Guilford High School, which brought its marching band to perform, benches and bird feeders had come from the school’s carpentry shop, as well as wood work for the trails and dog park.

Park manager Berry Bynum said the watch word is “perennial,” and not just in terms of plants — Southwest Park is built to last.

“I went to Southern, my kids all went to Southern,” he said. “Not only is this my community, this is my park, too.”

Kim Venable, a Sumner resident who is on the board of directors of Pinecroft Sedgefield Fire Department, reflected on the key role that community organizations such as the Ruritans have played in youth leagues and athletics facilities.

But as work schedules become more demanding, it becomes difficult to volunteer time to support private efforts.

Along with youth leagues, Bynum said Southwest Park gives Scouts a new gathering place.

Contact Lorraine Ahearn at 373-7334 or lorraine.ahearn@news-record.com