Max Mendel Golf advisory committee reviews operations, equipment plans; no quorum halts votes

The Max Mendel Golf Advisory Committee met Jan. 15 in Laredo and received an operations update from city staff and contractors, but the committee did not reach a quorum and therefore took no formal votes.

The operations report — given by Jeremiah, a city staff member — outlined course performance, upcoming events and several maintenance and capital items that staff said will need budget attention. "We're transitioning to online tee time bookings ... Any guest not canceling within 24 hours will be charged a $25 cancellation fee per golfer," Jeremiah said, adding that a credit card is now required for all bookings to curb no-shows. He also reported plans for a Ping demo day Jan. 30, free spring ladies clinics and two junior tournaments the course hopes to keep free for children with sponsor support.

Why it matters: committee members and staff described planned capital work and recurring operating changes that affect daily play and future city budget planning, including an equipment leasing plan the city council has already approved and several facility repairs that could require six-figure funding if replaced.

Key operational updates and costs Jeremiah said the city and management firm have begun a five-year lease-to-own program for golf maintenance equipment after council approval. He said the original equipment package pricing (including interest and payments) came to roughly $1,000,000, and the city expects to take full delivery of the full equipment package by May at the latest. "We are going to be leasing brand new equipment ... at the end of 5 years, we become the owners of it," Jeremiah said.

Staff reported irrigation and pump-house problems. Jeremiah said the existing pump station is obsolete and that replacement parts are not available; staff expect a new pump station would take about eight months to procure and cost in the neighborhood of $150,000, pending a formal proposal from a vendor. He also said one of the course’s larger air-conditioning units is more than 10 years old and may need major repair or replacement in coming years; staff estimated an illustrative figure of about $250,000 for a full replacement (shared as a budgeting example during discussion).

Greens and agronomy Jeremiah reported the new greens are improving and cited a 90-day chemical plan from Dennis Strickland, Troon’s director of agronomy. "New greens are looking healthier every day," Jeremiah said, noting the greens are about six months old and that staff will continue root-growth and soil monitoring. Staff described a program of rolling, sanding and mowing over the next three to four months to smooth surfaces and encourage turf establishment.

Technology, revenue and clubhouse items The committee heard that the course has increased e-mail capture by about 80 percent and is working with Golf Genius and Troon on event registration and web/social promotion. Staff said connectivity and point-of-sale issues remain in the kitchen and that some POS hardware lacks reliable network connectivity; short-term fixes (printer and switch replacement) are being evaluated while longer-term replacements are identified.

Other facility items flagged included replacing the clubhouse outdoor speaker system for events, pothole repairs on the main entrance road (a city road), and a Knox lock cap required for the fire-department hose connection. Staff also noted a defibrillator battery had been dead and has since been replaced.

Staffing and contacts Committee members were told that Gloria, the current clubhouse contact, will retire later this year and that Sylvia Lara and Chris Calderon will serve as the primary liaisons going forward. Staff said they will e-mail committee members with the new contact details within 24 to 48 hours.

Quorum and next steps The meeting opened without a quorum, and members acknowledged that without a quorum the committee cannot make formal approvals or send binding recommendations to city council. Committee members and staff nonetheless reviewed the minutes and materials and set the next meeting by agreement: Feb. 27, 2025, at noon. The meeting was adjourned at about 1:05 p.m.

Quotes are attributed to speakers who appear in the meeting transcript. All other details are drawn from the committee’s Jan. 15 operations report and discussion recorded on the public transcript.