Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Irrigation And Finances topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Irrigation work begins as Lago Vista golf manager says rounds and revenue are rising and breakeven is possible
Summary
The Golf Course Advisory Committee heard that crews have started laying irrigation pipe and that the course’s rounds and gross revenue have roughly doubled since three years ago; the manager said irrigation completion by mid‑October–Nov. 1 would help move operations toward breakeven even as the city faces a roughly $775,000 property‑tax revenue shortfall.
Greg, the city’s golf course manager, told the Golf Course Advisory Committee on May 26 that crews have begun installing the long‑delayed irrigation system and that the course’s operations are trending markedly better than three years ago.
Greg said rounds rose from about 17,000 three years ago to nearly 36,000 this year and that gross revenue is up roughly 25% compared with last May. He reported the golf operation’s net operating income was about $150,000 “in the red” as of May 21 but said irrigation completion should help him reach breakeven within the next one to two years. “I know how to run golf courses,” Greg said, adding that irrigation completion — he projected mid‑October to Nov. 1 barring equipment problems or subsurface obstructions — is the key to sustaining recent gains.
Jess, the committee’s city council liaison, told members the city is facing an estimated $775,000 decline in property‑tax revenue and is taking a conservative approach to the budget. She said the council intends to treat the golf course and the airport as enterprise funds that must support themselves without subsidies from the general fund. Committee members asked how seasonal revenue variance and year‑end surpluses will be managed; Jess replied that departmental budgets will guide expenditures and that any increased spending should produce corresponding revenue.
Greg reviewed multi‑year figures to show the turnaround: large prior general‑fund losses had been reduced through cost control and increased play, he said. He described the irrigation project’s pre‑construction meeting as positive and confirmed crews had started on peripheral piping; he cautioned that trenching can uncover rock or equipment delays that could push the schedule. “It started last Wednesday — it’s happening,” Greg said when asked whether crews were working regularly.
Committee members asked about staffing and equipment needs as rounds increase; Greg said he has trimmed his budget, is managing higher agronomic costs as the course improves, and will seek targeted equipment investment when operationally justified. Several members urged collecting Greg’s top priorities for clubhouse and course investments so the committee can develop a 3–5 year plan and potential advocacy points for council.
The committee did not take formal action on finances at the meeting; members agreed to continue the budget discussion during the city’s upcoming budget process and to consider a one‑day budget workshop and council retreat reference points. The committee set its next meeting for June 23, 2026.
