[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",7297772,"mediaKeyId","2159099-1ecfb0944a077cf0f02511c68a221ffa","parentId",2159099,"title","Lago Vista golf advisory committee elects officers and hears irrigation timeline as rounds, revenue climb","audioSeconds",1247,"startMs",1576000,"endMs",2823000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159099-1ecfb0944a077cf0f02511c68a221ffa&start=1576&end=2823","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159099-1ecfb0944a077cf0f02511c68a221ffa/thumbnail_1576000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/7297772/Lago-Vista/Travis-County/Texas/Lago-Vista-golf-advisory-committee-elects-officers-and-hears-irrigation-timeline-as-rounds-revenue-climb","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7297772-71b6ddc39c9300d1b1e0300d906be2d4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144781&Signature=XiiZ06sxSfpCf3dKxN8-T0~eK6~as39PLkRL1kCuR8AVwYXlwrl8nC60Gky-ZqGpNGj7RkgKNPd-1E03-IPR9bJvkQ5LyDi7td0mCVx0-Otd8xCh3JuJt4mAqEBt343xSk2nvHwGHGx2JvtXah8lLxJXMz64d76NcASD4PuxNVVItQLjmUepv0Nqce5dBVkdcFwS6bIyBF8SQj7NooG5KAPHEja2TzaV0KoSiv24B~H8Y4jNhmFNYWdBeNwUmTObCFZYkzBkFE1dWPozLr9MuIJD1ZkqLtcDRTKD60G0Vmcj4P68JsexwB4iQk1sAr-0qZEzTyS~e2pgUa7GtP2~Cw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lago Vista","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","The Lago Vista Golf Course Advisory Committee on Jan. 16 elected Larry Russell as chair, Jack Desjardins as vice chair and Susie Mumford as secretary, and heard from city staff that a contractor pre-construction meeting for a long-planned irrigation replacement is scheduled for Feb. 11.

The committee’s city council liaison, Paul Prince, and Greg, a golf operations staff member, told members the irrigation project and a related pond contract approved by the City Council should allow staff to irrigate more reliably and improve course condition. \"We have our pre construction meeting February 11th,\" Greg said. \"We will probably start sometime before March 1 on the irrigation side.\" He added that the project is expected to be staged so only one or two holes are out of play at a time and expressed a goal of having irrigation work mostly wrapped by Labor Day of this year.

The timeline matters because Greg said course play and revenue have risen sharply after changes to maintenance and staffing. \"We're up approximately 53% in rounds and revenue year to date,\" he told the committee, citing year-to-date comparisons that include data through January. He said the course handled about 18,000 rounds per year when he arrived and that recent months have shown gains that could bring the course close to breaking even in fiscal 2026 if trends hold.

Why it matters: city officials and committee members told the group the irrigation replacement is the next practical step to stabilize turf conditions and free staff time for routine maintenance tasks—work that Greg described as necessary before larger renovation projects such as tee-box or bunker rebuilds. Prince, the council liaison, urged committee members to consider the golf course’s role in the city’s broader master plan and to review the consultant’s draft because there is a short window to provide input before the plan is finalized.

Committee business and votes
The committee opened with introductions of several new members and moved immediately to elections. The panel approved officer positions by voice vote; there was no roll-call tally recorded in the meeting minutes. After elections, the committee approved minutes from its previous meeting.

Irrigation, ponds and operations: what staff told the committee
Greg and the course superintendent, George, described several technical and operational points about the irrigation plan:
- The irrigation contractor team is scheduled to begin site work in late February to mid-March, with a Feb. 11 pre-construction meeting confirmed.
- Work will be staged by hole so the most holes closed at one time will be one or two; that approach is intended to preserve tee-time revenue and reduce disruption.
- The project will use portions of the existing system and temporary water tanks to maintain watering during construction; staff said the plan reduces the risk that old lines and debris will compromise the new system and that head-cleaning and prioritization of green complexes are already improving conditions.

Prince reminded members that City Council recently approved a separate contract for pond work that supplies water to the course; staff said the first pond (identified in council materials as Pond 2) could take about four to six months after construction begins to deliver usable water.

Course condition and next steps
Greg told the committee that greens have improved and that once irrigation is complete, staff can focus on tee boxes, fairways and other maintenance practices. He said that bunkers remain a longer-term, labor-intensive item.

Several committee members urged the advisory group to consider the golf course’s role in the city’s economic development and in the draft comprehensive/master plan. Prince said he would ask Council whether the committee should provide formal input on the draft plan before it is finalized.

What the committee directed or will do next
- Committee members agreed to review the consultant’s draft comprehensive/parks master-plan materials in the weeks before the next meeting and to use an email discussion thread to prepare any formal input to City Council.
- Prince said he would ask Council for any specific tasks it wants the committee to address this year and report back.

Context and constraints
Prince reminded members that the advisory committee is advisory only; the committee cannot bind the city, award contracts or direct staff on personnel matters. He also summarized recent Council guidance that advisory committees have more flexibility than decision-making boards under the Texas Open Meetings Act, but he recommended prudence in scheduling public meetings and field visits.

The committee set a plan to reconvene next month to finalize a work plan that could include short-term items (master-plan input, marketing and non-golf clubhouse uses) and longer-term capital priorities (irrigation completion, tee-box and bunker work).

Ending note: members praised the recent rise in rounds and expressed optimism that the irrigation work, if completed on the timeline presented, will allow the course to continue improving and reduce the city’s subsidy over the next two fiscal years.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lago Vista - Golf Course Advisory Committee - Jan 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its Jan. 16 meeting the Lago Vista Golf Course Advisory Committee elected officers, heard staff say rounds and revenue are rising, and received a firm timeline for a planned irrigation replacement and related pond work.","taxTitle","Lago Vista, Travis County, Texas","taxId",69620,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},7297769,"Lago Vista advisory committee hears timeline for irrigation work and course operations update",1141,1279000,2420000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159099-1ecfb0944a077cf0f02511c68a221ffa&start=1279&end=2420","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159099-1ecfb0944a077cf0f02511c68a221ffa/thumbnail_1279000.jpg","/articles/7297769/Lago-Vista/Travis-County/Texas/Lago-Vista-advisory-committee-hears-timeline-for-irrigation-work-and-course-operations-update","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7297769-14dbfbb89c701f393f98e51cccba2a3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144781&Signature=J5uuKGZnGMGJcD7FJm-LnqiBmcSDe6ZmutyQ60p-23pS1ZGv9IBfRaE3HjJ6P7bTQv69WbdzEmUbGpK4kxya1YiiiOLRkVyvLNA9jtqc2-duZAb-w9LSmgJG5QpGKNvAx36U6vJ7tntATvO4sbcquvHXRtJrtRp0XJQXJYN4GAKEK~VAbKoXzGVrf2Y69Y9CYuY3F2u0Bpaqo-7mxcEeaWym1FeCBJ7KXNHZBDgkVvx2UKaQ0WG3PyMwB1vI-RSVm7uStfH7huTsliJ26UNE8OfprDw5jIafEE99mRX5nR2pCJwva4Rx0e7G~Ukd2FgYAHPEezBrYoeDMvNSHRe51Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lago Vista Golf Course Advisory Committee members on Tuesday heard staff outline a timeline for the course's long‑planned irrigation replacement, an operational plan to limit course closures during construction and early signs of improved revenue and rounds.

Greg (staff member, golf operations) said the irrigation contractor will hold a pre‑construction meeting on Feb. 11 and the installation will likely begin between late February and mid‑March. \"We will probably start sometime before March 1 on the irrigation side,\" Greg said. He described a phased construction approach that will take each hole in turn so the most holes closed at once will be one or two, and said the project is expected to take about six months from start to finish with a target of substantially completed work around Labor Day.

The superintendent, George (superintendent), and Greg said they have met with the contractor and project managers and have obtained new radio frequencies needed for the system. Greg said the planned sequencing will allow the course to continue irrigating with portions of the existing system and temporary water tanks during construction and that staff and the contractor are coordinating methods to limit debris in old lines from contaminating new components.

Greg provided a business update: he told the committee rounds and revenue are \"up approximately 53% in rounds and revenue year to date,\" citing October through January figures (including the first 26 days of January). He said the course recorded a 23% increase in rounds and revenue the prior year and that, given current trends and the irrigation project, he expects to approach break‑even in the next fiscal year and possibly produce a surplus thereafter if conditions remain stable.

City Council liaison Paul Prince warned members the committee's role is advisory and reviewed how advisory committees differ from decisionmaking boards under state law. Prince said the council has given advisory committees more leeway than boards with decision authority and that committee members may exchange information outside posted meetings but must use public meetings for topics that would lead to formal recommendations to council. \"You have a little bit of a degree of freedom,\" Prince said, while advising prudence on when to post an agenda for on‑site work or site visits.

Several members urged that the committee consider short‑term items the council can act on sooner rather than a full renovation plan, and discussed the draft citywide comprehensive plan and parks master plan. Committee chair Larry Russell asked members to review the draft master‑plan material staff will circulate and said the group should decide by the next meeting whether to make formal recommendations to council about the golf course's priority in that plan.

The committee agreed to continue discussion next month. Staff will circulate the draft comprehensive/parks master plan excerpts and coordinate an email group for members to exchange information ahead of the next meeting.","Staff described a late‑February to mid‑March start for irrigation work, a phased one‑hole construction approach to minimize closures, and year‑to‑date gains in rounds and revenue. Committee members discussed using the city's draft comprehensive plan as input to their 2025 work plan.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6697975,"Golf advisory committee to review city master plan draft and consider work‑plan priorities",1109,5899000,7008000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159099-1ecfb0944a077cf0f02511c68a221ffa&start=5899&end=7008","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159099-1ecfb0944a077cf0f02511c68a221ffa/thumbnail_5899000.jpg","/articles/6697975/Lago-Vista/Travis-County/Texas/Golf-advisory-committee-to-review-city-master-plan-draft-and-consider-workplan-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697975-f90ee32c0b2bc66621cdcc0d92ee512a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144781&Signature=N41QEhSGYE2jeaisYlbWPi4x6W4YtJmmzSUw0JZQbmcZU1rWvHBHp1utrh9LCJV4tq5LDaA0iFBS4J1yC6u1l20kAqdjFQu3H93rVg5U31hHLEifA~2~rhJgRCtkbrEJRiXd761MgCALt29QZ5eyKWlZsfgYruZ0~pFFu~uH~RpswKnSr5IxeD7vIOOpQyAr0Pdwi2OIkH4wWIqS0toQqnhYJmLSP2wCdNpfjHH6-83v8VLZ9TK0s0nuPgjBiJrU7zlwDdGUOdb7QXrtYIfbLSmgkyTE6ziwJcaLWjxDTcq8sgZqdJYnqeajylOMIlEvLPIdyD1jTOuoKuNmIIaBmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lago Vista Golf Course Advisory Committee agreed to review draft material from the city’s comprehensive and parks master plan and to consider whether to provide formal comments to City Council, committee members said.

Paul Prince, the council liaison, explained that the city is finalizing updates to the comprehensive plan and parks master plan and that the draft materials are available; he encouraged the committee to read the sections that mention the golf course and to decide quickly if it wants to provide input because the window to influence the published plan is “not very long.” He estimated a short window of roughly two to three months while the plan is finalized and reviewed by council.

Committee members proposed several potential work‑plan topics for the coming year: marketing the course to outside golfers, developing non‑golf amenities around the clubhouse (a small outdoor event/pavilion area and practice facilities), coordinating with the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) on visitor packages (including possible tie‑ins to short‑term rentals/Airbnb/VRBO), and clarifying whether the council and community view the golf course primarily as a resident amenity or as an economic driver that draws outside rounds.

Greg and other staff said a phased approach makes sense: focus first on irrigation completion and operational stability, then pursue clubhouse and amenity improvements and targeted marketing to attract more outside play. Greg said staff would track rounds and revenue and bring fee‑adjustment recommendations to council when operations and conditions justify changes.

The committee set a near‑term action: staff will distribute a PDF extract of the master plan and parks master plan material to committee members; members will review the documents by email and come prepared to discuss possible comments and a draft work plan at the next regular meeting.

Committee members also discussed closer coordination with Parks & Recreation and EDAC so that golf course recommendations align with the city’s broader economic and parks strategy.","Committee members agreed to review excerpts of the city comprehensive and parks master plan drafts and to discuss whether to make formal recommendations to City Council; suggested topics include clubhouse/amenity improvements, marketing, and coordination with economic development and parks committees.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6697980,"Lago Vista staff: irrigation work to start soon; greens improving and rounds rising",576,1562000,2138000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159099-1ecfb0944a077cf0f02511c68a221ffa&start=1562&end=2138","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159099-1ecfb0944a077cf0f02511c68a221ffa/thumbnail_1562000.jpg","/articles/6697980/Lago-Vista/Travis-County/Texas/Lago-Vista-staff-irrigation-work-to-start-soon-greens-improving-and-rounds-rising","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697980-7029da03bc63277304b4ae94fa2faac0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144781&Signature=nmPPqMUamYfZX9rmFE6jKtzyXWxp5PmV5jQHG6fXDRWHepaG2NWz35TWplTAM1SsDURl5lkX79aBFXODI2i7JeJ1b~onBONfeiPBPjI6kmwDOOYAOMF1oKrB7IsYBxzmoIldEceFTzL1eVADB9vKtV9M6MeWXomKad02vJNmaDPFsBz2jKi3r5ZT9w-YD5wIAZ7oFddytFcL5QRA0oqhIJGKzBbsRT19vqpkrDljWIxWmSfpFBDSBZy37gqYvDM4yVRgGCiODA~DJK8-3aeAC8Fu1UvM8s0Te0kNDzIlgnTZD5wegPPpE3wKTUC26caDOduXprg~g09CTcmOLekBBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City golf staff reported that work on a long‑planned irrigation replacement is scheduled to move toward construction after a pre‑construction meeting in mid‑February, and that the project should be staged hole‑by‑hole to minimize course closures.

Greg, the golf course staff member who spoke for operations, said the contractor plans a pre‑construction meeting on Feb. 11 and that installation is likely to begin between late February and mid‑March. Greg said the project will proceed “home by home,” so at most one or two holes would be closed at a time while the contractor completes irrigation on each hole. He said the contractor has provided new radio frequencies for the control system and that the crew intends to use a combination of the existing irrigation lines (with bypasses) and temporary water tanks during construction to keep the course irrigated.

Paul Prince, the City Council liaison, noted that one of the ponds that will serve as the course’s long‑term source — identified in the meeting as Pond 2 — is expected to take about four to six months to reach the point where it can supply water after construction begins. That timeline means some system elements are interdependent: irrigation trenching and pump/pipeline work will proceed while the pond and pump station work continues.

Greg also reported measurable improvements in course condition and business performance. He said greens are “90% better” than they were and detailed year‑to‑date increases in rounds and revenue he attributed to staffing changes and better maintenance: the committee packet cited roughly a 53% increase in rounds and revenue year‑to‑date, October–November increases of around 60%, and a December improvement that finished up about 8%. Greg said the course saw about 18,000 rounds annually before recent growth and that early 2024 numbers showed higher play; he described a current pace that could bring rounds into a mid‑to‑high 20,000s to low‑30,000 range if the trend continues.

Greg said he will evaluate fee adjustments as operations stabilize, but that any formal change to fees would be a council action; he said staff would bring recommendations and rationale to council for approval.

Committee members asked operational questions about line cleaning and the risk that debris in old pipes could contaminate new components; Greg said staff and the contractor have discussed mitigation steps but did not elaborate further during the meeting.

The committee requested that staff provide updates as construction scheduling is clarified and as the pond/pump station work proceeds, and members agreed to stay engaged as the project moves into construction.","City staff reported that irrigation replacement work is scheduled to start in late February to mid‑March with a hole‑by‑hole construction strategy to limit closures; staff also described improving greens and strong year‑to‑date increases in rounds and revenue.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6697985,"Lago Vista golf advisory committee elects officers, approves minutes",4198,0,4198000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159099-1ecfb0944a077cf0f02511c68a221ffa&start=0&end=4198","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159099-1ecfb0944a077cf0f02511c68a221ffa/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6697985/Lago-Vista/Travis-County/Texas/Lago-Vista-golf-advisory-committee-elects-officers-approves-minutes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697985-152b4830a2f1f51018feca563476c500/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144781&Signature=CLyEKq8Zq3d-Pt743ERtJGXTu6libApfhFSGOdGHQEBAn2TFR~4YgvXWUPTjHhcFpTJ~GOmHMjjwo0PeIFzZisYlZmVSYogUVzV1zBwPqh464PcdHCH7xJ3Xv50-GAq0sxIhccoG3vlb2LOVUS2y0ktiXnFJekUBcJpNVXfUOpG5n3TWwr8NKwXanggghAwKFltgy0aPArsF2iMuhez5Bf3~0QGPuG3s28nkbHR-Szb965PMOUWIuX6kVyZsarrbkVy3lfAzzjL-4ugY6GM0wsAtAr8OjGIlcN--cHZl25Tq0u9nIMEXof~mPWZPMllVyjn6zhX8rsTHr8NTidFZJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lago Vista Golf Course Advisory Committee elected Larry Russell as chair, Jack Desjardins as vice chair and Susie Mumford as secretary during its organizational meeting and approved minutes from a prior meeting, committee members said.

The committee opened nominations for officers after introductions by newly seated members. A member nominated Larry Russell for chair and another member seconded; members voted and the nomination passed with no opposition. Members then nominated and confirmed Jack Desjardins as vice chair and Susie Mumford as secretary by voice vote.

The committee also voted to approve minutes from the previous meeting. Susie Mumford made the motion to approve the minutes; Jack Desjardins seconded the motion, and members voted “aye,” recording the minutes’ approval as unanimous.

Paul Prince, the City Council liaison to the committee, reminded members of the advisory role of the group under the city ordinance that establishes the golf course advisory committee and reviewed practical expectations for the secretary and for meeting frequency. Prince noted that council has relaxed some procedural obligations for advisory committees compared with quasi-judicial bodies and said advisory members may exchange information outside posted meetings but should be careful not to attempt to make formal recommendations outside a properly noticed meeting.

The committee agreed to continue its work at a regular monthly meeting slot and to communicate by email between meetings to prepare a work plan and to consider whether to provide formal input to the city’s comprehensive plan and parks master plan drafts.

Members closed the meeting after scheduling follow-up work on the committee’s draft work plan.","At its organizational meeting, the Lago Vista Golf Course Advisory Committee elected Larry Russell chair, Jack Desjardins vice chair and Susie Mumford secretary, and unanimously approved the previous meeting minutes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lago Vista golf advisory committee elects officers and hears irrigation timeline as rounds, revenue climb

Lago Vista advisory committee hears timeline for irrigation work and course operations update

Golf advisory committee to review city master plan draft and consider work‑plan priorities

Lago Vista staff: irrigation work to start soon; greens improving and rounds rising

Lago Vista golf advisory committee elects officers, approves minutes