Exclusive First Look: Municipal Golf Course Coming Along

By KGNS News

Story Created: Jun 7, 2012 at 5:51 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jun 7, 2012

It was originally set to open up by the end of 2011 but was delayed a few months.
And although the municipal golf course has not opened its doors, city officials say it's on the right track.
They say all that's left is the completion of a clubhouse and guarantee the course will be the best in south Texas.
Our Annette Garcia was given an exclusive first look at the course.
She has the story.
?Most of the golf course has been constructed and is in the growing phase.?
It's not quite finished yet.
Still needs to be manicured and the greens are still getting greener everyday.
But already the Max A. Mandel municipal golf course is making an impression and has city officials excited to show it off.
?I can already imagine the golf tournaments especially with the kids playing here.?
?I can assure you you?re not going to believe you?re in Laredo when you see that fairway.?
The Robert Trent Jones Firm designed the $7 Million project.
The Firm is considered one of the leading golf course design firms in the world.
Their plans coming to life in this serene part of northwest Webb County.
?Seeing it come together with the nice turf and hole by hole its been very exciting.?
Some greens surrounded by creeks, others build around very large trees and still others on flat land that once was used for farming.
A manmade lake takes in river water used for irrigation.
?This is where the clubhouse will be. Overlooking the Rio Grande. And city officials say when it?s complete it will be another wonderful aspect of this hidden gem off mines road.?
?We are about to initiate construction of an 8,000 square foot clubhouse two stories that will have an event room on the second floor.?
It's that clubhouse, officials say, that's delaying the opening of the course.
City leaders say it will take about 7 months to complete but it hasn?t been started.
Pushing the opening date back to the end of the year.
Still they guarantee the course will be worth the wait.
?The view of the river its incredible.?
? This is going to be the best golf course in south Texas I guarantee you that.?
?We?ve had very good reviews golfers come down mines road looking for the course. We want to deliver a course they?re going to be proud of.?
The course is located about 10 miles northwest of Loop 20 on Mines Road.
We asked city leaders if they thought laredoans would drive that far to go to the course.
They told us avid golfers will drive hundreds of miles to the Valley or to San Antonio or even further to play the game.
So they don't think that travel will be an issue.

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