Terra Del Sol advisory board approves December financials, hears update on new carts and irrigation pump

The Terra Del Sol Golf Club Advisory Board in Pharr on Dec. 3, 2024 approved its December revenues-and-expenditures report and a status report on course operations, while staff outlined capital and maintenance work including delivery of a new lithium-cart fleet and plans for a custom irrigation pump, board members said.

The financial report presented by Will Barowski, golf course manager, showed December revenues of $89,016.66 and expenditures of $91,268.82. "For December, we had revenues of $89,016.66 with expenditures of $91,268.82, leaving us with a deficit for the month," Barowski said. He also told the board that year-to-date figures produced a positive balance of $24,096.93 and that rounds were down roughly 825 in December compared with December 2023.

Why it matters: the course's operating margin, condition of irrigation equipment and the new cart lease carry direct budgetary and playability consequences. Board members said the items affect membership satisfaction, maintenance workload and revenue planning.

Board action and financial context Barowski said roughly two-thirds of expenses are payroll-related and praised staffing decisions that used part-time and ARP (American Rescue Plan) associates to manage payroll costs. He told the board that the fiscal-year difference versus the prior year is about $107,003.68 and that the three-month fiscal-year-to-date position was a positive $24,096.93 after adjustments shown on the materials presented.

The board moved and approved the December revenues-and-expenditures report as submitted by Barowski. The advisory board also approved the minutes of the regular December meeting with a correction to the attendance record and approved the broader status report on golf operations, pro shop and kitchen operations (see "Votes at a glance" below).

Staffing, course condition and kitchen Barowski reported the grounds crew is fully staffed after the assistant superintendent returned from FMLA on Dec. 23 and an injured employee returned to work. He and several board members noted improved green conditions: "The greens that we've got at Terra Del Sol are far superior," board member Myla Anderson said, praising the maintenance staff.

Barowski said staff winterized greens with protective treatments after a recent frost that left nonplaying turf in dormancy and described plans to bring fairways up to the greens' condition in spring.

Kitchen manager and concession operations were described as busy in December. Barowski noted the addition of a qualified kitchen hire named Rudy who previously worked at the city deli; board members praised recent menu specials.

New carts, GPS features and sponsorship plan Barowski told the board the facility received a new fleet of golf carts powered by lithium batteries and equipped with Yamaha GPS and fleet-management features. He described advantages of lithium batteries over older lead-acid units and demonstrated GPS functions including geofencing, battery monitoring and an app for players.

The new lease carries a higher cost than the previous carts. To offset the added expense, Barowski proposed advertising and sponsorship on the cart GPS screens and a hole-based sponsorship schedule. He told the board proposed rates of $500 per month for a par-5, $400 for a par-4 and $300 for a par-3, with a discount for multiple-hole packages. He also outlined an annual access plan for using course carts priced at $900 and said the break-even point versus a per-round cart fee would be about 65 rounds. All pricing and advertising proposals were presented as planned approaches to recover increased lease costs; the board did not take a separate formal vote on sponsorship arrangements at the meeting.

Irrigation pump replacement and timeline Board members were told the city has approved procurement of a new irrigation pump but that the purchase must follow the city's procurement chain for purchases over $50,000, which requires city council approval and additional purchasing steps. Barowski said approval drawings for the custom pump will take about four to six weeks, and the manufacturer's build time is about 16 to 18 weeks.

Arturo, assistant superintendent for course maintenance, described the technical improvement the pump will provide: "With the new pump, we're gonna pump about 2,000 gallons a minute for the whole golf course," Arturo said, adding that the current pump can deliver roughly 500 to 700 gallons per minute and that the upgrade will allow more heads to run simultaneously and improve watering efficiency. He also reported ongoing work to locate and repair leaks in an aged irrigation system and the need for continued daily attention to irrigation points.

Board introductions and comments The board introduced two new advisory members: Carlos Alanis, who said he works at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and participates on the Parks and Recreation board, and Rocky Benavides, a Pharr resident who said he is employed by Lowe's. Both were welcomed by the board.

Several members praised maintenance staff for improvements to greens and discussed weather-related declines in rounds; Barowski said a string of poor weather after Thanksgiving contributed to lower weekday play among visiting "Winter Texans," though memberships remain slightly ahead of last year.

Votes at a glance - Motion to excuse absent members: approved (mover/second not specified). - Motion to approve minutes of the Dec. 2024 regular meeting with correction to attendance: approved (mover/second not specified). - Motion to approve the December revenues and expenditures report as submitted by the golf course manager: approved (mover/second not specified). - Motion to approve the status report on golf course, pro shop and kitchen operations: approved (mover/second not specified). - Motion to adjourn: approved (mover/second not specified).

What's next Staff will pursue the city procurement steps for the custom irrigation pump and continue sponsorship outreach to offset the higher cart lease. The advisory board did not set additional formal deadlines at the meeting but will revisit operational and financial items at future meetings.