Residents and advisory board members praise recent upgrades at Los Lagos and Ebony golf courses; some public criticism and safety concerns noted
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Multiple speakers during public comment credited recent leadership and parks staff with improvements to golf course facilities and operations while describing social media criticism and an incident requiring security presence at Los Lagos.
Edinburg — Several residents and members of the city’s Golf Advisory Board used the public‑comment period on Aug. 4 to highlight recent capital and operational improvements at Los Lagos and Ebony golf courses, and to call on council to support course management and staff.
Donato “Donut” Amaya Jr., identified himself as a lifetime Edinburg resident and spoke on behalf of current and former golf staff. He listed recent capital work — new cart fleets, replaced bridges, sand trap repairs at Los Lagos and upgraded cart paths — and credited Parks & Recreation leadership for a five‑year improvement plan. “We have replaced a 100 golf carts in the past year. We have replaced decades old bridges at Ebony Golf Course and redone the cart paths,” said Juan Garcia, president of the Golf Advisory Board, during public comment.
Garcia and other speakers also described tensions with a social‑media critic who, they said, attended a golf advisory meeting only after being invited and later was charged with trespassing following a verbal dispute at the clubhouse. Advisory board members said the issue had created staffing and cultural strain; one speaker said the course now maintains a full‑time security guard at Los Lagos.
Why it matters: The comments reflect community pride in city recreation assets and show civic attention to the quality and safety of municipal facilities that serve residents and local businesses.
What officials and commenters said: Donato Amaya described personnel turnover among golf managers and urged that the city retain talent: “I hate losing talent like that,” he said of a past director who left for a position in McAllen. Juan Garcia said volunteers contribute more than 10 hours a week to course upkeep and asked the public to “do what is best for the betterment of our golf courses and our community.”
Council response: Council members acknowledged the public comments and thanked volunteers. No formal council action was taken during the meeting related to course management; commenters asked for continued investment and managerial stability.
Ending: The advisory board members urged residents to weigh positives and negatives before posting online and to attend meetings for direct engagement; staff and council said they would continue collaborating with volunteers and parks leadership to maintain course operations.