October 2014 South Texas Golf by South Texas Golf

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September 2013

EDDIE SERRANO GETTING IT DONE AT VICC

SPECIAL S. TEXAS’ CHANGING FACE OF GOLF THE NEW HOWLING TRAILS (the old Martin Valley Ranch)

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DINE

STAY

PLAY

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FEATURE Feature NAME name

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Feature name TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER STORY: EDDIE SERRANO FEATURE NAME

and Serrano found himself not only learning on his own, but teaching the first assistant as well. When a new superintendent took over he talked first with Serrano, asking him about the course and what the continuing problems were. Then he asked him what his title was. “I told him second-assistant superintendent and pointed out the first assistant” Serrano said. “The he told me he thought I was the one.” It wasn’t too long before the previous superintendent called on Serrano to take over another project – this time at the then Circle C Golf Club in Austin, now known as the Grey Rock Golf Club. “He called and told me to just come and take a look at it. I didn’t need to apply, if I liked it the job was mine,” Serrano said. “I took a day off and went to see the course. It was in bad shape – you couldn’t see the cart paths, the weeds had grown over it. It needed a lot of work. “I said to myself ‘this is easy, I can get it done.” A week later Serrano was working his magic at Circle C. In his eight years there everything changed – new sprinklers, no more weeds, expanded fairways, grass growing where it never would – and a new name and brand for the golf course, Grey Rock. During his time there he also earned his applicator license. While he wasn’t driving the roads in a big rig, the golf course industry was definitely letting him see new places and meet new people – including pretty much all of the Dallas Cowboys and other NFL stars while in Grapevine. In 2012 Touchstone Management took over Grey Rock and asked Serrano to take on another project – in Brownsville at Valley International Country Club. Once again, it came down to Serrano viewing the course, seeing the challenges and seeing if he thought he could get it done.

GETTING IT DONE Serrano’s biggest lesson in life he shares with his kids: Know your math By Henry Miller If you ever visit Eddie Serrano at his home, you may hear him talking to one or more of his children about the importance of learning math. He knows first-hand how critical that subject could be for their future. Serrano, the Golf Course Superintendent at Valley International Country Club, answers the same questions his kids asked him as he would think while taking classes like algebra and working on percentages. He only needed to be reminded of their importance one time for him to freshen up on that subject. Serrano was working at the Project Manager while building the Dallas Cowboys Golf Club in Grapevine, Texas, and a supervisor gave him a certain set of instructions for one hole. “He said we needed a two-percent drop on the fairway and make the tee box close to 2.5,” Serrano recalled. “I asked him how do you come up with the drop and he said ‘didn’t you go to school Eddie – it’s algebra. “It didn’t take me long to go back and figure it out again. Think about it, when you have to build a lake you just don’t build a hole, it needs to have a certain slope. It’s just like that – the same thing as when they gave you that graph paper with all the squares on it and you had to figure it out.” Serrano, whose known for “getting it done,” when it comes to projects earned that respect over the years. In fact, as a young adult who grew up in Junction, Texas, a small town on Interstate 10 in West Texas, Serrano has always been project minded wher-

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COVER STORY: EDDIE SERRANO

VICC’s Eddie Serrano

Eddie Serrano started out wanting to be a truck driver. He never realized how much he would enjoy working in the golf course industry.

ever he’s worked. Of course, he never imagined a career in the golf course industry. “ I wanted to be a truck driver,” he said. “I wasn’t married at the time, didn’t have any children and just wanted to save some money, get my license and drive all over the place and see different cities, meet different people.” Serrano’s path went from Junction, Texas to Yazoo City, Miss., located 40 miles north of Jackson, Miss., where he worked in fisheries and on a catfish farm. He was there three years when he got a call from a company in Austin that was building a golf course in Columbus, Ohio. “They told me they didn’t need me for

that project, but they would for the next one,” he said. The next one, his first experience with golf courses, was the Dallas Cowboys Golf Course, working with course architect Jeffrey Brauer. The course plays 7,017-yard from the tips and is considered one of the most spectacular in the Dallas/Forth Worth area. Serrano is one of the few who saw it in its previous life. “When we got there, there were Pecan trees all over the place. We had to take everything down, he said. Serrano had experience on big equipment bud didn’t have a lot of course maintenance knowledge or experience. He did about everything else, though, even making the signs at the tee boxes for each hole and landscaping throughout the course. As the years went by Serrano was a sponge, picking up course maintenance knowledge and working toward earning his applicator license at the first NFL-themed golf course. Soon he was named the second-assistant superintendent. The first assistant was a college student

24 GETTING IT DONE Eddie Serrano takes on the challenges of a South Texas golf course - heat, no rain and other barriers - head on at Valley International Country Club.

Meet the Serranos. Front row, left to right, Uriel, Edith, Katy, Adan. Back row, left to right, Jose, Eddie, Claudia

He started at VICC in August 2012. “They know I’m someone who works hard and gets things done. I love the challenges, love to work outdoors and they needed something done here,” Serrano said. Serrano quickly identified areas that needed work and went to it. He sodded fairways No. 7 and No. 9, replaced the dirt in the bunkers with sand, put new maintenance and mowing programs in place, aerified tee boxes, greens and fairways and has been non-stop for two years. In his time at VICC, also under Touchstone Management, Serrano has once again expanded his knowledge. With a budget much smaller than what he had to work with in Austin and Grapevine, Serrano has had to learn how to deal with similar problems in a

more cultural way, the way things were handled before all the chemicals hit the market. But for him, that’s enjoyable. He knows that it’s just more continuing education. “I will never get tired of telling the story about algebra,” he said. “Education is so important and math, especially for me, was even more important. My kids know that – and I’m still going to keep telling them.” Serrano has still another project to complete, earning his official superintendent license. It takes time and money but he plans on taking care of it while at VICC. Call it another project on his list – but gaining more education and completing projects done are what Serrano is known for, so this one should end with similar results.

Serrano and his staff have made significant improvements at VICC the past two years.

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FEATURE NAME FROM THE PUBLISHER

The dreaded “C” word

CHANGE

SOUTH TEXAS GOLF

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FREE EDITION

I spent 26 years working in the newspaper industry. For 20 of those, statistics showed readership shrinking, circulation getting smaller – it was the proverbial “death” to newspapers. If you look at it though, newspapers had faced all sorts of challenges Henry Miller is Publisher of South throughout their history – from the radio Texas Golf. He has more than 25 years to television to magazines to flyers.. to of publishing experience, has written the Internet... everybody wanted a piece sports for more than 150 newspapers, of the information pie. covered the Olympics, NASCAR, Major Golf faces a similar battle. League Baseball and other sports. He Like newspapers, golf faced a recent has been syndicated on radio in more time of enormous growth. But it was than 70 markets and loves to golf. growing too fast – and too much. His 9-year-old daughter Camilla has Courses were being built to put housa wicked left-handed swing and also es on. Courses were being built because enjoys track, volleyball and fashion. Tiger Woods was the most popular They live in McAllen, Texas. athlete since Michael Jordan. Courses were being built because people had extra money to spend and where better to spend it than on a golf course. Today, however, the economy isn’t what it was and golf without Tiger is like boxing became without Mike Tyson or basketball without Michael Jordan. Those courses with houses on it? Many of them are now developments with houses on overpriced lots and a shut down golf course. Golf – as Palmview Golf Course Director Carlos Espinosa said – is facing the toughest of times right now. It takes too long, some critics say. It’s too hard or too expensive, others say. But golf – like newspapers – are making changes. This edition touches on some of those changes – there are management companies taking over, new golf pro faces are emerging all over South Texas, people and companies are still buying golf courses and the industry itself is changing. There’s foot golf at VICC, virtual golf coming to Brownsville Golf Center – and the La Joya school district owns the course formerly known as Martin Valley Ranch, now Howling Trails. They will add golf to the sixth-grade Physical Education curriculum. Topgolf has been a craze in Austin and a few other major cities (check it out topgolf.com/us/). There’s also talk about making the hole bigger to make it easier, and more fun, for players (notice I said “players” and not “golfers” in this case). Director of Golf at Brownsville Golf Center Jaime Rivera said he doesn’t believe there are fewer golfers but admits that changes need to take place. In his opinion, it’s the municipal golf courses’ responsibilities to provide the best prices to make golf affordable and fun for everyone. Brownsville Golf Center is adding a lighted driving range, lengthening a few holes and bringing in virtual golf machines. It’s also looking at lighting the entire course. Tierra del Sol has invested more than $1 million into its course to provide a more pleasant round for golfers. Stuart Place has reopened to the public. Golf courses in South Texas seem to be adjusting and devising plans to keep golf as popular as ever. How are they doing it? By focusing on their customers – after all, customers are what the courses are here for. Golf has survived many challenges. It will thrive after this one too. Remember, the NBA thought its death was near after Michael Jordan retired – both times. But now there’s a guy named LeBron....

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SEPTEMBER 2013

FEATURE NAME FEATURE NAME CART RENTALS

TEXAS NATIONAL FEATURE NAME BANK DRIVING FOR WISHES AT PALM VIEW GOLF COURSE

GOLF COURSE DIRECTORY

Alamo

EDDIE SERRANO

Country Club

GETTING IT DONE AT VICC

SPECIAL

THE NEW HOWING TRAILS

ADDRESS: 920 North Tower Road, Alamo Texas, 78516

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(the old Martin Valley Ranch)

On the cover: Eddie Serrano wanted to be a

PHONE: (956) 787-0907

truck driver. He never dreamed he’d be doing what he’s doing now - and being happier than he could imagine doing it.

EMAIL: accfd@sbcglobal.net

Are you tred of rentng golf carts for your tournament or event that

Photo by: Henry Miller

PETRIDES’

PRO SHOP MANAGER: Lindsey Moravitz

PICKS

ADDRESS: 1800 San Marcello Brownsville, Texas

DON’T SAY IT Change is coming to golf in the RGV and everywhere.

Country of Manufacture: Nicaragua Wrapper: Habano Japala Vintage 2010 Binder: Habano Jalapa Vintage 2009 Fillers: Habano Jalapa Seco Vintage 2008; Habano Ometepe Viso Vintage 2008; Habano Condega Ligero Vintage 2008 Tasting/smoking profile: Medium to full bodied. Rich, majestic, complex and deeply satisfying. Blended by the Grupo de Maestros and crafted by the famed Plasencia Family, this brave new Montecristo combines the knowledge of centuries, the expertise of growing superior tobacco and the art and passion of handcrafting the finest premium cigars,” said Janelle Rosenfeld, VP of Marketing, Altadis U.S.A. Espada by Montecristo is a spicy, 100% Nicaraguan premium cigar with a Habano Jalapa Vintage 2010 wrapper, a Habano Jalapa Vintage 2009 binder and a complex blend of Habano Jalapa Seco Vintage 2008, Habano Jalapa Viso Ometepe Vintage 2008 and Habano Condega Ligero Vintage 2008 fillers.

YARDAGE: Blue - 6,144; White - 5,562; Red 5,091

PHONE: (956) 541-2582

GRASS: Bermuda ROUGHS: Bermuda

WEBSITE: fortbrowngolf.com

Forget the hassle of dealing with people who just don’t understand that the customers experience at your course or event is what brings them back! A GOOD ride may make that difference!

• •

PHONE: (956) 542-9861

GREENS: Champion Bermuda GRASS: Bermuda XICAR COMBO PACK

PAR: 72 COURSE NAME: Harlingen Country Club

Quality Service Great Vehicles The Best Prices

ADDRESS: 5500 El Camino Real Harlingen, Texas 78552

CALL JOEY DOWDEN (956) 607-0853 34 34 [Southtexas GolfGolf #1]#1] [Southtexas OR HENRY MILLER (956) 607-9210

CASA PETRIDES is located at 735 West Dove Ave. in McAllen. Call them at (956) 668-9686. Casa Petrides has a large selection of cigars, tobaccos, lighters, cutters, wines and other accessories. You can also enjoy your cigar, some wine or beer in the Torpedo Bar behind the store!

XIKAR originated from the word sikar, which is said to be the first Spanish spelling of the Taino word for cigar. The company changed the “s” to an “X” (representing two blades) and had the “X” cut the “I” like a cutter clipping a cigar. At right, is the perfect gift for someone (or for yourself) - a matching XIKAR lighter and cutter.

GOLF PRO: Michael Fernuik

YARDAGE: Black - 6,541; Blue - 6,261; White 5,625; Red - 5,035 GRASS: Bermuda

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GREENS: Champion

PHONE: (956) 412-4100

IS THAT YOU? Photos from the Texas National Bank Driving For Wishes.

WHERE TO PLAY The RGV’s golf directory.

0614 STGM.indd 34

6/30/14 9:28 AM

46 ONLY THE BEST Demetrio Petrides highlights some of the newer cigars.

WHATEVER THE REASONS THERE’S DEFINITELY A

CHANGING FACE OF GOLF IN SOUTH TEXAS AND IT’S NOT ALL BAD Story by Henry Miller henry@stexasgolf.com

The Palms at Mid Valley in Mercedes, a beloved course by Mid-Valley Winter Texans, closed its course earlier this year.

BY HENRY MILLER henry@stexasgolf.com The Palms at Mid-Valley closed its golf course in May to the regret of hundreds of regulars, mostly Winter Texans. Joe Powell, long-time golf pro at the Palms, is now the golf pro at Rancho Viejo Resort and Country Club. Rancho Viejo is under the new management of Mosaic Clubs and Resorts of Atlanta, Ga. South Padre Island Golf Club and Valley International Country Club have gone under the management of Touchstone Management, whose corporate offices are in Austin. Two golf courses have been sold, one is still for sale. Those changes barely tell the story of what's been happening to the face of golf in the Rio Grande Valley. One word of caution for you, the reader – you might want to find one of those baseball lineup cards to keep up with all these changes. For example, Martin Valley Ranch – the 27-hole golf course in Western Hidalgo County that mainly served Winter Texans and sits in the middle of six Winter Texan parks – is no long Martin Valley Ranch. Its new name, Howling Trails, reflects its new owner – the La Joya Independent School District. From management companies finding interest and investing in Rio Grande Valley golf courses, to courses being RECENT PRO/DIRECTOR CHANGES AT RIO GRANDE VALLEY GOLF COURSES The facial landscape of who is running what golf course has been completely re-done – in some courses' cases more than once – in less than a year. From not-so-happy separations to new jobs to getting married and moving, many South Texas Golf Pros find themselves either newly in a job, or out. Here's the scorecard (these are as of Friday, Sept. 5, there may have been more since – check out our Facebook Page, South Texas Golf, for the latest): Howling Trails (formerly Martin Valley Ranch) Former: Nigel Carter

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up for sale to a slew of changes in golf pros and golf directors, there's a lot of golf movement going on in South Texas. “We're (golf courses in general) are losing so many golfers and so many golf courses are going under,” said Wendy Werely Bullock, Director of Sports and Wellness at Rancho Viejo Country Club and Resort. “It's important now to be with a brand and have a brand that is extremely strong.” MANAGEMENT GROUPS Touchstone Management operates 31 golf courses around the country ranging from top-tier resorts and private clubs to the $15 per round course. As the name suggests, when their company comes in, they manage every aspect of the course, from operations to maintenance to beverages to marketing and accounting. “As long as it has something to do with golf, we do it,” said Mark Luthman, executive vice-president and chief operating officer for Touchstone. “We bring our experienced golf course operators to come in and use their expertise and knowledge.” Their first and foremost goal is to improve the overall golf experience for the golfers. Improvement of the golf course immediately follows. That's something Touchstone continues to work on, especially in the case of South Padre Island Golf Course. “We overseeded the greens here, took down the high grass that comproCurrent: Raul Gutierrez South Padre Island Former: Kris Garcia Current: Chris Meade Rancho Viejo Former: Robert Lindsley, then Stacy Amann Current: Joe Powell Palms at Mid-Valley Former: Joe Powell Current: Course Closed Monte Cristo Golf Club Former: Ray Pena, then Adolfo Cubriel Current: TBD Shary Golf Course Former: Paul Schaefer Current: TBD

mised the playing conditions and have been working on the bunkers – they had been a disaster. “The first step is to make the product right. You have to make sure the food is good before inviting people in to eat.” By mid-August, Luthman had said there have clearly been “upticks” at both courses and was pleased that the transition had stabilized, a crucial first step. Luthman said he has seen a general improvement in the golf industry as a whole, especially in South Texas as tourism continues on the rise and the economy continues to improve. “I would say it's a very good place (South Texas) to operate a golf course with the growing population, the element of the tourism market and with the weather by and large being good. You can depend on the Winter Texans, those folk coming to town for half of the year. It's a good market and it appears to be growing and gaining momentum.” SPI is owned by International Bank of Commerce. VICC, however, is under private ownership. No matter who or what owns the course, when a management company comes in the rumors start flying. “Every transition is a little bit different. Generally I would say people don't know what the future is going to bring when a management company comes in to operate it,” Luthman said. “They hear rumors about what is going ot happen or they speculate. There can be

Moscato Berry Tiramisu

Sweet Elegance The South Texas Golf Grubbers were blown away by Rancho Viejo’s desserts - the old saying “kill ‘em with kindness” has been edited to “slaughter ‘em with sweetness.” This was awesome!

Los Lagos Golf Course Former: Eddie Anderson Current: TBD The Club at Cimarron Former: Cody Vaughn Current: Ruben Gomez

admit it. Sometimes journalists get spoiled. I know – I’ve been one since back in college in 1986. A dear friend of mine, Russell Branham who was then the public relations director for NASCAR’s Darlington Raceway, gave me the secret to holding a successful press conference - letting the press know there would be free food. After being in the business now for nearly 30 years I’d have to agree at least that it doesn’t hurt. We at South Texas Golf get a little spoiled too – especially when it comes to our Golf Grub reviews each edition. We know that every chef, every cook is working to bring us some “lagniappe” as Joey would describe it, a little something extra. That being said, we’ve been offered some amazing foods – from the most flavor-filled tacos and monstrous burgers to thick, delicious steak and chicken. We haven’t however, been so amazed with a dessert that it climbs its way to the main body of the review. Until now. Rancho’s Food and Beverage Director, the very pleasant Evelyn Lumsden, brought out flan and a moscato berry tiramisu to tickle our taste buds at the end of our meal. The tiramisu was very much an extreme variation from the Italian dessert (tiramisu actually translates to “pick me up” or “lift me up.”), made with fresh blueberries and strawberries within its savory body. Dotted along the outside of the plate were dabs of green apple syrup. These were of perfect proportions because the flavor was immense. It added an amazing contrasting taste to the sweet

and creamy tiramisu. When it comes to flan I’ve become a believer that it’s just... well... flan. Flan is flan is flan. It might change shape, some might wiggle more than others, but those are the biggest variations you will find. I was proven wrong. The flan Rancho served up had the biggest and most wonderful flavor of any flan I’ve ever eaten. It was sweet, but not overbearing, its custard consistency was perfect. It was delicious – it was so good that I’ve written more about flan than I ever dreamed. So, take that for what it’s worth! The meal itself, of course, was great. The biggest highlight was a chipotle chicken pasta made the way chipotle is served best. The pasta, with nice tender strips of chicken and just enough cut up red and green peppers and onions, had a little spicy kick to it. But it wasn’t so overwhelming that you couldn’t savor the very distinct chipotle flavor. In this day and age when everyone wants to brag about eating inferno or lava sauces, we have forgotten flavor. This definitely wasn’t the case with the large serving chipotle chicken pasta. I also have to mention a hearty caldo de pollo. The soup was stocked with vegetables and torn pieces of chicken. The broth could be eaten alone with the flavor it dispensed. I’m a soup guy usually only on cold or rainy days, but this soup was worth it – even on a 95-degree day. Overall, Rancho’s meals were what you would expect – high class and high in taste. The desserts, however, were the sweetest deal.

Above, Chipotle Chicken Pasta (wine in background is Marques de Caceres) Below, Sirloin Steak with Asparagus and Twice Baked Potato

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Flan

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GOLF CHANGES

SWEET ELEGANCE

For sale, sold, bought, closed, renovating, investing - all these words describe the South Texas golfing landscape.

Nothing could be sweeter than being at Rancho Viejo and enjoying their heavenly desserts.

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HOWLING GOOD TIME The course formerly known as Martin Valley Ranch has a new owner and a new name.

Rancho Viejo’s Beverage & Food Director Evelyn Lumsden.

Valley Internation Country Club Former: Derrick Dixon, then Eric Rivera Current Pro: TBD

Course Changes For Sale - Meadow Creek, Mission; Treasure Hills, Harlingen Sold - Howling Trails, Mission Closed - Palms at Mid-Valley New Management - Rancho Viejo; VICC, SPI

GOLF GRUB - RANCHO VIEJJO

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FEATURE NAME

A NEW SEASON The high school golf season is in full swing - and we have the full schedule.

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FEATURE NAME

CLOSED...SOLD... NEW MANAGEMENT...

YARDAGE: Championship tees - 6,150; Men’s tees - 6,020; Ladies Tees: 5,550

WEBSITE: harlingencc.com

•

The Montecristo Platinum series sets new standards for handmade luxury cigars. Crafted with a select San Andres Cubano wrapper grown in the legendary San Andres Valley, along with a rich Dominican binder and a special blend of Dominican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian long filler tobaccos, these exquisite cigars offer a rich, smooth, and sensual smoke.

GOLF PRO: Joseph Lucio

ADDRESS: 300 River Levee Road Brownsville, Texas 78523

WE HAVE THE BEST FLEET IN THE VALLEY GUARANTEED!

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MONTECRISTO PLATINUM Country of Manufacture: Dominican Republic Wrapper: San Andres Cubano Binder: Dominican Fillers: Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian Tasting/smoking profile: Medium bodied. A sophisticated, smoke with hints of spice and nuts.

“Like a sword, Espada is strong, bold and brave, yet still worldly and sophisticated,” she said. “It’s an honor to work with a tobacco family as renowned as the Plasencia Family.”

DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Robert Lucio

Tiki Tillman Photography Photographer

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MONTECRISTO ESPADA

ROUGHS: Bermuda

COURSE COORDINATOR: Jaime Rivera

David DeLeon Henry Miller Designers

Volume 2, Isssue 4. Sept. 2014. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are strictly those of the writers, photographers and contributors, and are not necessarily those of South Texas Golf or its publisher. Every effort has been taken to ensure the correctness and accuracy in the material published in this magazine. South Texas Golf reserves the right to edit, rewrite and refuse editorial materials and assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, omissions or consequence arising from it. South Texas Golf shall be held harmless and indemnified against any third-party claims. Advertisements appearing in South Texas Golf present only the viewpoint of the advertisers. South Texas Golf is printed in the U.S.A. All correspondence to the publication become the property of South Texas Golf Magazine. South Texas Golf Magazine is published by H&J Publications. Copyright 2013. To advertise in South Texas Golf call (956) 607-0853 or email southtexasgolf@gmail.com

Cigars, and other accessories you may want to try, picked by Casa Petrides’ owner Demetrio Petrides

GRASS: Bermuda

PAR: 70

We deliver quality carts on tme. Our feet is all Club Car Precedents, that will represent your course or event in style.

Joey Dowden - Advertising Director joey@stexasgolf.com (956) 607-0853

YARDAGE: Blue - 2,332 (4,664 to play 18) White - 2,216 (4,432 to play 18)

COURSE SUPERVISOR: Hector Brunias

look BAD?

Staff Henry Miller - Publisher henry@stexasgolf.com (956) 607-9210

What’s Inside

FEATURE NAME LIFESTYLE: CIGARS

WEBSITE: myalamocountryclub.com

PAR: 35 (9-hole course)

S. TEXAS’ CHANGING FACE OF GOLF

ALL YEAR Let us remember the victims - and survivors - of breast cancer all year.

48 START THEM YOUNG Get your kids up and going at a young age - everybody will benefit.

50 IS IT TIME? Ready to retire? Here’s a retirement reality check.

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[Southtexas Golf #1] 7

Feature name FROM THE PUBLISHER

The dreaded “C” word

CHANGE

I spent 26 years working in the newspaper industry. For 20 of those, statistics showed readership shrinking, circulation getting smaller – it was the proverbial “death” to newspapers. If you look at it though, newspapers had faced all sorts of challenges Henry Miller is Publisher of South throughout their history – from the radio Texas Golf. He has more than 25 years to television to magazines to fliers and of publishing experience, has written now to the Internet, everybody wanted a sports for more than 150 newspapers, piece of the information pie. covered the Olympics, NASCAR, Major Golf faces a similar battle. League Baseball and other sports. He Like newspapers, golf faced a recent has been syndicated on radio in more time of enormous growth. But it was than 70 markets and loves to golf. growing too fast – and too much. His 9-year-old daughter Camilla has Courses were being built to put housa wicked left-handed swing and also es on. Courses were being built because enjoys track, volleyball and fashion. Tiger Woods was the most popular They live in McAllen, Texas. athlete since Michael Jordan. Courses were being built because people had extra money to spend and where better to spend it than on a golf course. Today, however, the economy isn’t what it was and golf without Tiger is like what boxing became without Mike Tyson or basketball without Michael Jordan. Those courses with houses on it? Many of them are now developments with houses on overpriced lots and a shut down golf course. Golf – as Palmview Golf Course Director Carlos Espinosa said – is facing the toughest of times right now. It takes too long, some critics say. It’s too hard or too expensive, others say. But golf – like newspapers – are making changes. This edition touches on some of those changes – there are management companies taking over, new golf pro faces are emerging all over South Texas, people and companies are still buying golf courses and the industry itself is changing. There’s foot golf at VICC, virtual golf coming to Brownsville Golf Center – and the La Joya school district owns the course formerly known as Martin Valley Ranch, now Howling Trails. They will add golf to the sixth-grade Physical Education curriculum. Topgolf has been a craze in Austin and a few other major cities (check it out topgolf.com/us/). There’s also talk about making the hole bigger to make it easier, and more fun, for players (notice I said “players” and not “golfers” in this case). Director of Golf at Brownsville Golf Center Jaime Rivera said he doesn’t believe there are fewer golfers but admits that changes need to take place. In his opinion, it’s the municipal golf courses’ responsibilities to provide the best prices to make golf affordable and fun for everyone. Brownsville Golf Center is adding a lighted driving range, lengthening a few holes and bringing in virtual golf machines. It’s also looking at lighting the entire course. Tierra del Sol has invested more than $1 million into its course to provide a more pleasant round for golfers. Stuart Place has reopened to the public. Golf courses in South Texas seem to be adjusting and devising plans to keep golf as popular as ever. How are they doing it? By focusing on their customers – after all, customers are what the courses are here for. Golf has survived many challenges. It will thrive after this one too. Remember, the NBA thought its death was near after Michael Jordan retired – both times. But now there’s a guy named LeBron.... 8 [Southtexas Golf #1]

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FREE EDITION

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SEPTEMBER 2013

EDDIE SERRANO GETTING IT DONE AT VICC

SPECIAL S. TEXAS’ CHANGING FACE OF GOLF THE NEW HOWING TRAILS

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(the old Martin Valley Ranch)

On the cover: Eddie Serrano wanted to be a truck driver. He never dreamed he’d be doing what he’s doing now - and being happier than he could imagine doing it. Photo by: Henry Miller

Staff Henry Miller - Publisher henry@stexasgolf.com (956) 607-9210 Joey Dowden - Advertising Director joey@stexasgolf.com (956) 607-0853 David DeLeon Henry Miller Designers Tiki Tillman Photography Photographer

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956.283.2247 PlainsCapital.com [Southtexas Golf #1] 9

Feature name SHORT SHOTS

SHORT SHOTS A collection of tidbits brought to you by...

ing the actual function of “turbulator” technology is easily made visible in PING’s wind tunnel test video. You can see this video and learn more about the new G-30 club line at ping.com or stop by your favorite golf shop to see them and get your hands on them today.

WIZARD’S WORD Every once in a while a new product launch really catches my attention. Right now on my radar are the woods in PING’s new G-30 line of clubs. The main ingredient is the addition of “turbulators” added to the crown of the club. Ping’s new “turbulator” technology is designed to reduce aerodynamic drag therefore speeding the club head up. Pros like Bubba Watson are experiencing an additional 2 mph in speed and a 10 yard gain in

distance. That really got my attention as I believe a good golfer could expect a 1.5 mph speed increase and a 7-8 yard gain! See-

Bill Hayter - Golf Headquarters owner, has been helping RGV Golfers improve their game and their equipment for more than 37 years.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

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HIGH SCHOOL GOLF SEASON Following is the invitational schedule for the first half of the high school golf season, which continues after the Christmas break: Sept. 26-27&29 McAllen ISD at PalmView Oct. 3-4 Donna North Invitational@ Llano Grande Oct. 10-11 Los Fresnos Invitational @ South Padre Oct. 10-11&13 Mission CISD Invitational @ Shary GC Oct. 17,18-20 Weslaco ISD Invitational@ Tierra Santa Oct. 24-25&27 Harlingen ISD Invitational@Tony Butler Oct. 31-Nov. 3 Edcouch-Elsa Invitational@ Monte Cristo GC Nov. 7-8 Sharyland Pioneer Inviational @Shary GC Nov. 14-15&17 PSJA ISD Invitational@ Tierra del Sol Nov. 21-22 Brownsville ISD Invitational@ Riverbend Dec. 5-6&8 Weslaco ISD @ Tierra Santa GC

NEW COACH FOR UTPA The University of Texas-Pan American has hired Rise Alexander, who had been the women's golf head coach at Oregon State University for the last 24 years, as the new Broncs women's golf head coach. Alexander led the Oregon State women's golf program to 11 NCAA Regional appearances. In 1998, she was named the Far West Division I Women's Golf Coach of the Year after leading Oregon State to their first NCAA Championships appearance, where they finished 16th. Alexander set up Oregon State to host the NCAA Championships in 2000 and 2005, and served as the Co-Tournament Director for the NCAA West Regional in 2001. 10 [Southtexas Golf #1]

Above, Alamo Country Club’s Terri Talbot and Barb Bledsoe douse their husbands, Rick and Bob, as part of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Below the husbands douse the ladies. Way to go Alamo Country Clubbers!!

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FED-EX CUP STANDINGS PGA info brought SCHEDULES Feature to you by:name PGA SCHEDULE Oct. 6-12 Oct. 13-19 Oct. 20-26 Oct. 27-Nov. 2 Nov. 3-9 Nov. 3-9 Nov. 10-16

FRYS.com Open, Napa, Calif Shriners Hospitals, Las Vegas McGladrey Classic, St. Simons Island, Ga. CIMB Classic, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia World Golf Champ., Shanghai, China Sanderson Farms Champ., Jackson, Miss. OHL Classic, Playa del Carmen, Mexico

LPGA SCHEDULE Oct. 2-5 Oct. 9-12 Oct. 17-19 Oct. 23-26 Oct. 30-Nov. 2 Nov. 7-9 Nov. 13-16 Nov. 20-23

Reignwood Classic, Beiging, Md. Sime Darby, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia KEB HanaBank, Incheon, South Korea Blue Bay, Hainan, China Fubon Taiwan Champ, Yang Mei, Taiwan Mixuno Classic, Shima -shi, Mie, Japan Lorena Ochoa Invit., Guadalajara, Mexico CME Group Tour Champ., Naples, Fla.

CHAMPIONS SCHEDULE Sept. 19-21 Pacific Links Hawaii Champ., Kapolei, HI Sept. 26-28 First Tee Open, Pebble Beach, Calif. Oct. 10-12 SAS Championship, Cary, N.C. Oct. 17-19 Kia Classic Oct. 24-26 AT&T Championship, San Antonio Oct. 30-Nov. 2 Charles Schwab Cup, Scottsdale Ariz. Nov. 17-22 Champions Tour Q School, LEGENDS SCHEDULE Sept. 25-28 BJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Charity Pro-Am, Plymouth, Mass. Nov. 6-9 Walgreens Charity, Delray Beach, Fla.

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Chris Kirk 4,314 points 2 wins 4 top 10s

Jimmy Walker 3,073 points 3 wins 10 top 10s

Billy Horschel 4,305 points 1 win 4 top 10s

Jim Furyk 3,073 points 0 wins 10 top 10s

Bubba Watson 4,058 points 2 wins 8 top 10s

Matt Kuchar 2,736 points 1 win 11 top 10s

Rory McIlroy 3,735 points 1 win 6 top 10s

Rickie Fowler 2,631 points 0 wins 9 top 10s

Hunter Mahan 3,363 1 win 6 top 10s

Jason Day 2,549 1 win 5 top 10s

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CLOSED...SOLD... NEW MANAGEMENT...

Feature name

WHATEVER THE REASONS, THERE’S DEFINITELY A

CHANGING FACE OF GOLF IN SOUTH TEXAS AND IT’S NOT ALL BAD Story by Henry Miller henry@stexasgolf.com

The Palms at Mid Valley in Mercedes, a beloved course by Mid-Valley Winter Texans, closed its course earlier this year.

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›› BY HENRY MILLER henry@stexasgolf.com The Palms at Mid-Valley closed its golf course in May to the regret of hundreds of regulars, mostly Winter Texans. Joe Powell, long-time golf pro at the Palms, is now the golf pro at Rancho Viejo Resort and Country Club. Rancho Viejo is under the new management of Mosaic Clubs and Resorts of Atlanta, Ga. South Padre Island Golf Club and Valley International Country Club have gone under the management of Touchstone Management, whose corporate offices are in Austin. Two golf courses have been sold, one is still for sale. The Practice Tee on Nolana in Pharr has also been sold. Those changes barely tell the story of what's been happening to the face of golf in the Rio Grande Valley. One word of caution for you, the reader – you might want to find one of those baseball lineup cards to keep up with all these changes. For example, Martin Valley Ranch – the 27-hole golf course in Western Hidalgo County that mainly served Winter Texans and sits in the middle of six Winter Texan parks – is no longer Martin Valley Ranch. Its new name, Howling Trails, reflects its new owner – the La Joya Independent School District. From management companies finding interest and investing in Rio Grande RECENT PRO/DIRECTOR CHANGES AT RIO GRANDE VALLEY GOLF COURSES The facial landscape of who is running what golf course has been completely re-done – in some courses' cases more than once – in less than a year. From not-so-happy separations to new jobs to getting married and moving, many South Texas Golf Pros find themselves either newly in a job, or out. Here's the scorecard (these are as of presstime., There may have been more since – check out our Facebook Page, South Texas Golf, for the latest): Howling Trails (formerly Martin Valley Ranch) Former: Nigel Carter

Valley golf courses, to courses being up for sale to a slew of changes in golf pros and golf directors, there's a lot of golf movement going on in South Texas. “We (golf courses in general) are losing so many golfers and so many golf courses are going under,” said Wendy Werely Bullock, Director of Sports and Wellness at Rancho Viejo Country Club and Resort. “It's important now to be with a brand and have a brand that is extremely strong.” MANAGEMENT GROUPS Touchstone Management operates 31 golf courses around the country ranging from top-tier resorts and private clubs to the $15 per round course. As the name suggests, when their company comes in, they manage every aspect of the course, from operations to maintenance to beverages to marketing and accounting. “As long as it has something to do with golf, we do it,” said Mark Luthman, executive vice-president and chief operating officer for Touchstone. “We bring our experienced golf course operators to come in and use their expertise and knowledge.” Their first and foremost goal is to improve the overall golf experience for the golfers. Improvement of the golf course immediately follows. That's something Touchstone continues to work on, especially in the case of South Padre Island Golf Course. “We overseeded the greens here, Current: Raul Gutierrez South Padre Island Former: Kris Garcia Current: Chris Meade Rancho Viejo Former: Robert Lindsley then Stacy Amann Current: Joe Powell Palms at Mid-Valley Former: Joe Powell Current: Course Closed Monte Cristo Golf Club Former: Ray Pena then Adolfo Cubriel Current: TBD Shary Golf Course Former: Paul Schaefer Current: TBD

took down the high grass that compromised the playing conditions and have been working on the bunkers – they had been a disaster. “The first step is to make the product right. You have to make sure the food is good before inviting people in to eat.” By mid-August, Luthman had said there have clearly been “upticks” at both courses and was pleased that the transition had stabilized, a crucial first step. Luthman said he has seen a general improvement in the golf industry as a whole, especially in South Texas as tourism continues on the rise and the economy continues to improve. “I would say it's a very good place (South Texas) to operate a golf course with the growing population, the element of the tourism market and with the weather by and large being good. You can depend on the Winter Texans coming to town for half of the year. It's a good market and it appears to be growing and gaining momentum.” SPI is owned by International Bank of Commerce. VICC, however, is under private ownership. No matter who or what owns the course, when a management company comes in the rumors start flying. “Every transition is a little bit different. Generally I would say people don't know what the future is going to bring when a management company comes in to operate it,” Luthman said. “They hear rumors about what is going to Valley Internation Country Club Former: Derrick Dixon then Eric Rivera Current Pro: TBD Los Lagos Golf Course Former: Eddie Anderson Current: TBD The Club at Cimarron Former: Cody Vaughn Current: Ruben Gomez Course Changes For Sale - Meadow Creek, Mission; Treasure Hills, Harlingen Sold - Howling Trails, Mission Closed - Palms at Mid-Valley; The Practice Tee, Pharr New Management - Rancho Viejo; VICC, SPI

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Feature name CHANGING FACE OF GOLF happen or they speculate. There can be a level of concern. Our job is to alleviate it. Goals of the golfer and the operator are in total alignment. “Word gets around when it gets better and those things add up to a vastly improved experience for the golf club.” Bullock, Rancho's Director of Sports and Wellness, worked for Mosaic Clubs & Resorts in 2010 and partially in 2011 when it was known as Afiniti Golf. She was the co-director of its golf academy, then director of instruction for their flagship property, the Alpharetta Athletic Club. “I knew they were a solid management club,” said Bullock, who has been named a top 50 U.S. Kids instructor for the past two years. “I also worked for one of the owners for Mosaic back in 1999 when I was first in Georgia so I have a pretty long history with him.” Rancho had been run by a hotel and resort management company. The switch to a golf and resort company made complete sense considering Rancho Viejo's goals.

“We wanted to offer more to our members and now if our members wanted to travel to a different property, play golf, take a lesson, they can do it. As an independent owner you can't offer these things, so members get more perks. We wanted to offer more and bring up level of customer service.” FOR SALE, SOLD, CLOSED For two years Joe Cardenas held the reins tight when it came to marketing or promoting Treasure Hills Golf Club in Harlingen. When an opportunity arose his response generally clung along the lines of “I don't see any reason to spend money on the golf course, they're going to sell it anyway.” Maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophecy or maybe he had the inside scoop but he was right. In April 2014 Treasure Hills hit the market. At presstime there was a deal-in-the-making but no official sale. Treasure Hills' prior owner was the same parent company that owns Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen.

Alan Johnson is the CEO of the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation. He said the idea to sell the golf course revolved around the fact that running it was not part of the company's core business. “It is an asset owned by one of our companies and was acquired when a joint venture was formed,” Johnson said, adding that there has been significant interest in the $1.2 million pricetag for the course only, but no contracts so far. “We've made the decision to sell the assets and take proceeds and put it in the healtcare foundation and do good things with it.” Johnson added that the company had owned the golf course for about 2 ½ years and even though the timing is when the economy can probably call for a higher price on the course, the main reason to see it sold quickley was based on it not being a core business. “I believe by deed restrictions it has to remain a golf course for a certain period of time,” he said. “And it should, it's one of the premiere courses in the Rio Grande Valley.”

1119 WEST HARRISON , HARLINGEN, TX 78550 PHONE: (956) 365-4122 FAX (956) 365-4120 WWW.RGVCARTS.COM

16 [Southtexas Golf #1] AND ONLY AUTHORIZED CLUB CAR GOLF AND XRT DEALER FOR THE OFFICIAL

CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS (SERVING HARLINGEN, SOUTH PADRE ISLAND AND BROWNSVILLE)

›› Late last year, Martin Valley Ranch Golf course creator and owner Jack Martin wasn't sure what he was going to do. He admitted that while the course catered primarily to the Winter Texan parks surrounding the 27-hole course, the summers were getting slower and slower. “We haven't really cultivated the local market,” Martin told South Texas Golf. “We haven't needed to. We may need to start doing that now but I'm not sure what the answer is.” He decided to sell it, and within a few months had struck a deal with the La Joya Independent School District. “We saw this as giving more opportunities to our students,” said Eden Ramirez, La Joya ISD's Director of Communications and Public Relations. “When we started looking at this, it really was a no-brainer.” Joe Powell had been the club pro at The Palms in Mercedes since 1995, when it was a 9-hole course. That November the back nine opened and in 2009 the new clubhouse was built and

opened. A favorite destination for Winter Texans and locals, Powell had been hearing for a few years that the course was going to be sold. “That's just the way the industry is,” Powell said in an interview for South Texas Golf in February. “It has always been like that. We joke that we don't buy our bananas green because we might not be around to see them ripen. “But we're still here.” Powell landed on his feet, however, after the course closed, joining Rancho Viejo Resort and Country Club as its club pro. CHANGE – A BIG PICTURE In a little more than a year the Golf Pro/Golf Director scene has been a volatile revolving door. From country clubs Rancho Viejo and The Club at Cimarron to municipal courses such as Shary and Los Lagos, there have been what many would consider an outlier statistic when it comes to the number of changes. Some of the changes have been of

the personal nature, others directly related to business. The changing face of golf isn't happening only in the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas. “Change happens all the time in all kinds of business – most of the times it's when things aren't working out,” said Palm View Director of Golf Carlos Espinosa. “I don't know the reasons for the changes here but golf as an industry over the past few years has been having a tough time.” Rounds in the Rio Grande Valley have decreased over the past years. Several reasons are cited – the economy was bad, the sport is difficult to learn, expensive of play and takes too much time. Some even cite that the economy is good and now people are working instead of playing golf. “I think the weather this year in the winter played a part too,” Espinosa said. “Every golf course got hit in cold and wet weather and we couldn't optimize our number of rounds. “I can't really pinpoint one thing but it's a combination of things.”

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Feature name CHANGING FACE OF GOLF

...I think there are a lot of golfers...with a passion for golf who still play...and want to see golf move ahead” - Jaime Rivera, Brownsville Golf Center

Espinosa also said too many golf courses have been built as part of highend developments. The lots sell for up to twice their value because of being on a golf course. If the golf course doesn't succeed, however, the only one who wins is the developer. As an example, Espinosa cited an area near Houston where an acre lot cost $1 million and there were 300 lots. Across the road from the course, lots were selling for $500,000. “Those million-dollar lots generated $150 million more dollars than the lots

“We don't like to wait for trends and then follow them,” Ramirez said. “We like to set trends.” Right now the golf industry is in need of a new trend to answer the question of how to stop the decline in rounds. Maybe La Joya's bold move will be a part of the answer. GOOD NEWS In spite of all the changes, many golf courses are undergoing renovatons and other improvements at their courses. Leading that venture is Tierra Del

The Brownsville Golf Center is also making some major investments and changes. Currently they are working on a facelift for the clubhouse. But among their other changes include lengthening the distance for three of their par-3s, building a driving range near No. 1 that will open at night with lights, bringing in new golf carts, and adding three virtual golf machines to the clubhouse. Rivera, the golf course coordinator, is also looking into the cost of lighting the entire golf course for night golf.

across the road,” Espinosa said. “Think about it. To build the golf course it costs $15 million. If it struggles and doesn't succeed, the developers have still made an extra $135 million. Too many people built courses to sell lots. “But that's just one of the things that have gotten the industry in trouble.” Organizations such as the First Tee and courses like Rancho Viejo have worked excessively long hours to create interest in youth golf, hoping to end the cycle of declining numbers. Howling Trails, which brought all of its fifthgraders from every elementary school to visit their new golf course, may have created a trend to help the industy. “We want our students to have access to everything the bigger municipalities have,” Ramirez said. “There's a buzz on our campus and we think our numbers will double or more when it comes to interest in golf.

Sol, run by the City of Pharr. Director of Golf Raul Garza recently oversaw a $1 million renovation project that rejuvenated the course from tee to green. Tee boxes were raised and leveled, spots that no longer had grass were covered, greens were completely torn apart and put back together among other improvements. The new Tierra del Sol has been praised by many golfers for its changes. Garza said they are not done yet. “This just isn't a one-time bang and it's over,” he said. “We are continually working on other areas. We want people to come out here and when they leave say 'hey, that was an enjoyable round of golf.' To do that it takes customer service from the time they park to the time they leave.” Stuart Place in Harlingen reopened with new owners, whose goal is to market the course more to local golfers.

Rivera is an avid golfer and believes that municipal golf courses should take the lead in focusing more on golfers and less on the country club profile. “We have a bad economy and that doesn't support major high-dollar country clubs and we're experiencing private and semi-private clubs competing for the municipal market,” Rivera said. “Those are challenges – prices are dropping all over the place. It's great for the consumer. I believe we (municipal courses) should be the most economical and not try to compete with anybody. We should be where the average blue collar worker can play and afford a round. So we're gearing more toward what a golfer would want to pursue – golf, training and training games. “In the Valley I think there are a lot of golfers, a lot of people with a passion for golf who still play, want to play and want to see golf move ahead,” Rivera said.

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2014 GOLF DIRECTORY

HONORED ONCE AGAIN MillerCoors added to its unmatched collection of brewing honors when the 2014 World Beer Cup awards were announced in Denver earlier this month. Seven MillerCoors beers received individual honors, including a sweep of the “American-Style Lager or Light Lager or Pilsener.” Those wins give the brewer a combined 278 awards in the biennial World Beer Cup and annual Great

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American Beer Festival, both hosted by the Brewers Association. Following is a complete list of brand medals won by MillerCoors:

SILVER Miller Genuine Draft - American-Style Lager or Light Lager or Pilsener Icehouse - American-Style Cream Ale

GOLD Coors Light - American-Style Lager or Light Lager or Pilsener George Killian’s Irish Red - Iris-Style Red Ale Winterfest (AC Golden Brewing Company - American-Style Amber Lager

BRONZE Coors Banquet - American-Style Lager or Light Lager or Pilsener Henry Weinard’s Blue Boar (BlitzWeinhard Brewing) - American Style Cream Ale.

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Feature TRAILS name HOWLING

LA JOY ISD: TRENDSETTERS

Many in golf industry are watching district with hopeful eyes after golf course purchase BY HENRY MILLER henry@stexasgolf.com

When word leaked that the La Joya Independent School District was seriously pursuing the purchase of the Martin Valley Ranch golf course, it sent a buzz across South Texas and beyond. But the buzz wasn't necessarily positive nor negative. This was something unique, something unheard of – one of those “out-of-the-box” ideas and people needed time to digest it. The biggest questions seemed to by “Why?” and “Is this going to be a new trend?” With a sport that reportedly has been in decline, this move may bring a new breath of fresh air – and some younger golfers – with it. At least those are two of the goals the La Joya school district have listed. “We don't like waiting for trends,” said Eden Ramirez, La Joya ISD's Director of Public Relations and Communications. “When we see a need and a new opportunity for our students, we start exploring the possibilities.” It seems to be a near-perfect pairing. The district finalized the purchase with Martin Valley Ranch creator and owner Jack Martin in late summer of this year, paying $4.9 million for the 27-hole course, the clubhouse and more than 200 acres of land. Earlier in the year, Martin acknowledged that he was looking at alternative revenue options for his golf course – whether that meant selling it or marketing more to locals, he wasn't sure. The course, which sits in the middle of six Winter Texan parks, is a hot spot for those temporary visitors After hearing of the purchase, one person heavily involved in the South Texas Golf scene said it probably would have been a good idea for the Donna and Edcouch school districts – and

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maybe one or two others – to have combined to purchase the Palms at Mid-Valley Golf Course, which closed its doors for good in April. During the state Athletic Directors meeting, the topic was of high interest. While some courses have smaller areas to practice on, the school-buying-golfcourse plan lifted many eyebrows.

La Joya ISD Sports & Learning Complex

Two realtors who specialize in the sales of golf course properties, found the idea unique and said they were interested to see the results. One went as far as saying it might lead to a wider array of clients when a course goes up for sale. The La Joya ISD, which encompasses five smaller municipalities, covers a population of nearly the same as McAllen. However, the smaller municipalities don't have the same resources. The district serves on average 29,800 students. “When you see that, you realize the same number of people are at a disadvantage in terms of opportunities for students throughout the year and in the summer,” Ramirez said. “You go to McAllen and there is a strong Boys & Girls Club, there are strong after-school programs and swimming and all these great things – municipal parks and leagues. We encompass four or five municipalities that don't have the resources to provide

WATER RESOURCE CENTER

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A HOLE NEW GOLFING EXPERIENCE

Hours of Operation: Monday-Sunday

7:00am - 6:30pm [Southtexas Golf #1] 21

7400 W. Expressway 83 - Mission, TX 78573 - (956) 585-6330

Feature TRAILS name HOWLING

“What better person or organization to take it over than someone from the same community?” -- Eden Ramirez, La Joya ISD that and the district picks up on a lot of that.” The district already rents the golf course for its three high school teams. The district plans to expand that program to the middle school and Ramirez said there are plans to run summer camps for the students. All district students will be able to play golf at no cost. “We're doing it from the bottom up, exposing kids to this sport. This is a lifelong sport,” Ramirez said. “I think within the next decade you will see state champions in golf coming out of our school district. If we can keep even one fifth-grader to play with us for eight years, anything can happen. “Unlike a lot of the golf courses and country clubs we want to provide an opportunity where you don't have to have that type of money to play. You don't have to be rich to play golf – we want these kids to be able to get rich by playing golf, whether that means as a career or with a scholarship.” There are currently approximately 90 golfers within the district. Ramirez said he envisions that number doubling or more but guaranteed the district would be able to handle the increased interest and involvement. In May the school district bused in their 1,800 fifth-graders to show them the golf course. Students were allowed to drive the golf ball, given tours of the course and practice some putting. They are even tweaking their physical education program for sixth-graders, adding golf to the curriculum. Just last year, La Joya Palmview's Melinda Hernandez signed a golf scholarship to play at UT Brownsville. The hope is for stories like that to become commonplace within the district. “Our goals are to increase the number of participants and improve

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the quality of play now that we own a golf course,” said La Joya ISD Athletic Director Victor Garza. “We've had great individual golfers, but it's been a while since we won a team championship. We want to create more golfers and focus on the team concept. We want more students to be able to play at the college level and pursue that college degree.” GOLF AND MORE The purchase of the golf course at Martin Valley Ranch wasn't just about golf. The land was as enticing as the course was inviting. In fact, it seems that the complete answer about the purchase quelled most of the critics. Not only does the district plan to remove nine holes from the course, making it a standard 18-hole course, but they will add a full student resource center, a nanatorium, a planetarium, tennis courts and walking trails. These will be for use primarily for students, but will also be available at times for the local community. “When the idea started taking hold we had to answer what benefits would there be for the community,” Garza said. “These resources are part of that continuing education and educational planning. It sounded strange we were going to be the sole owners of the golf course – but it's much more than that.” Plans are for the other buildings to be up and running in time for the 201516 school year. Of course, while the district is excited about the opportunities for students, they know that there are additional revenue streams that come with the purchase – number one being the golf course and a clubhouse that will soon be stocked with Howling Trail clothing and other merchandise. The response

from the community since taking over the course has been positive according to Ramirez, with the number of rounds rising. Still in the works are more beautification plans including a dressing area for students and lighted driving range. Garza also talked about adding some sand traps – but all these are more long-range goals. With no golf course west of Howling Trails until Laredo (160 miles) the district has plans to market the course to other schools and the surrounding communities. After all, a lot of business is done on a golf course. There's that old statistic (though nobody seems to have proven it) that 70 percent or more of business deals are done on a golf course. While that percentage is probably not exact, business people across the nation would agree that opportunities for business and growing business relationships are definitely enhanced on a course. “The district came in and trimmed trees, worked on making the greens greener and the fairways softer. People have seen that,” Garza said. “It's exciting times. We're definitely pushing Howling Trails.” Ramirez said that while the golf course itself is the most talked about and main basis of the sale, providing opportunities and making smart moving-forward decisions were the final reason. “We have a motto here that we are here to transform lives and transform communities. We have more than one community living within the La Joya ISD,” Ramirez said. “We heard it was for sale and we already rent it out for our golfers so why not? “What better person or organization to take it over than someone from the same community?”

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COVER STORY: EDDIE SERRANO Feature name

VICC’s Eddie Serrano

GETTING IT DONE Serrano’s biggest lesson in life he shares with his kids: Know your math By Henry Miller If you ever visit Eddie Serrano at his home, you may hear him talking to one or more of his children about the importance of learning math. He knows first-hand how critical that subject could be for their future. Serrano, the Golf Course Superintendent at Valley International Country Club, answers the same questions his kids asked him as he would think while taking classes like algebra and working on percentages. He only needed to be reminded of their importance one time for him to freshen up on that subject. Serrano was working at the Project Manager while building the Dallas Cowboys Golf Club in Grapevine, Texas, and a supervisor gave him a certain set of instructions for one hole. “He said we needed a two-percent drop on the fairway and make the tee box close to 2.5,” Serrano recalled. “I asked him how do you come up with the drop and he said ‘didn’t you go to school Eddie – it’s algebra. “It didn’t take me long to go back and figure it out again. Think about it, when you have to build a lake you just don’t build a hole, it needs to have a certain slope. It’s just like that – the same thing as when they gave you that graph paper with all the squares on it and you had to figure it out.” Serrano, whose known for “getting it done,” when it comes to projects, earned that respect over the years. In fact, as a young adult who grew up in Junction, Texas, a small town on Interstate 10 in West Texas, Serrano has always been project minded wher-

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Eddie Serrano started out wanting to be a truck driver. He never realized how much he would enjoy working in the golf course industry.

Serrano and his staff have made significant improvements at VICC the past two years.

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1119 WEST HARRISON , HARLINGEN, TX 78550 PHONE: (956) 365-4122 FAX (956) 365-4120 WWW.RGVCARTS.COM

THE OFFICIAL AND ONLY AUTHORIZED CLUB CAR DEALER FOR CLUB CAR CARRYALLTM PRODUCTS IN THE RIO GRAND VALLEY!

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Feature name COVER STORY: EDDIE SERRANO and Serrano found himself not only learning on his own, but teaching the first assistant as well. When a new superintendent took over he talked first with Serrano, asking him about the course and what the continuing problems were. Then he asked him what his title was. “I told him second-assistant superintendent and pointed out the first assistant” Serrano said. “The he told me he thought I was the one.” It wasn’t too long before the previous superintendent called Serrano to take over another project – this time at the then named Circle C Golf Club in Austin, now known as the Grey Rock Golf Club. “He called and told me to just come and take a look at it. I didn’t need to apply, if I liked it the job was mine,” Serrano said. “I took a day off and went to see the course. It was in bad shape – you couldn’t see the cart paths, the weeds had grown over it. It needed a lot of work. “I said to myself ‘this is easy, I can get it done.” A week later Serrano was working his magic at Circle C. In his eight years there everything changed – new sprinklers, no more weeds, expanded fairways, grass growing where it never would – and a new name and brand for the golf course, Grey Rock. During his time there he also earned his applicator license. While he wasn’t driving the roads in a big rig, the golf course industry was definitely letting him see new places and meet new people – including pretty much all of the Dallas Cowboys and other NFL stars while in Grapevine. In 2012 Touchstone Management took over Grey Rock and asked Serrano to take on another project – in Brownsville at Valley International Country Club. Once again, it came down to Serrano viewing the course, seeing the challenges and seeing if he thought he could get it done.

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Meet the Serranos. Front row, left to right, Uriel, Edith, Katy, Adan. Back row, left to right, Jose, Eddie, Claudia

more cultural way, the way things were handled before all the chemicals hit the market. But for him, that’s enjoyable. He knows that it’s just more continuing education. “I will never get tired of telling the story about algebra,” he said. “Education is so important and math, especially for me, was even more important. My kids know that – and I’m still going to keep telling them.” Serrano has still another project to complete, earning his official superintendent license. It takes time and money but he plans on taking care of it while at VICC. Call it another project on his list – but gaining more education and completing projects are what Serrano is known for, so this one should end with similar results.

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18 Hole Golf Course ◆ Par 3 Course Full Restaurant and Bar FootGolf Course ◆ Banquets and Events Plus Much More... 95 Country Club Road ◆ Brownsville, Texas 78520 (956) 546-5331 ◆ (956) 548-9199 [Southtexas Golf #1] 27 www.valleyinternationalgolf.com Facebook.com/valleyinternationalcountryclub

TEXAS NATIONAL Feature name BANK DRIVING FOR WISHES AT PALM VIEW GOLF COURSE

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Feature name EDINBURG CITY AMATEUR AT LOS LAGOS

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Feature name

Moscato Berry Tiramisu

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Flan

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GOLF GRUB - RANCHO VIEJO

Rancho Viejo’s Beverage & Food Director Evelyn Lumsden.

Above, Chipotle Chicken Pasta (wine in background is Marques de Caceres) Below, Sirloin Steak with Asparagus and Twice Baked Potato

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SOUTH TEXAS GOLF Feature name FEATURE NAME CART RENTALS

GOLF COURSE DIRECTORY

Alamo

Country Club

WEBSITE: myalamocountryclub.com PRO SHOP MANAGER: Lindsey Moravitz PAR: 35 (9-hole course)

ADDRESS: 920 North Tower Road, Alamo Texas, 78516 PHONE: (956) 787-0907

Are you tred of rentng golf carts for your tournament or event that

EMAIL: accfd@sbcglobal.net

YARDAGE: Blue - 2,332 (4,664 to play 18) White - 2,216 (4,432 to play 18) GRASS: Bermuda ROUGHS: Bermuda

look BAD?

COURSE SUPERVISOR: Hector Brunias

We deliver quality carts on tme. Our feet is all Club Car Precedents, that will represent your course or event in style.

PAR: 70 ADDRESS: 1800 San Marcello Brownsville, Texas

YARDAGE: Blue - 6,144; White - 5,562; Red 5,091

PHONE: (956) 541-2582

GRASS: Bermuda

COURSE COORDINATOR: Jaime Rivera

ROUGHS: Bermuda

WEBSITE: fortbrowngolf.com DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Robert Lucio

Forget the hassle of dealing with people who just don’t understand that the customers experience at your course or event is what brings them back! A GOOD ride may make that difference!

GOLF PRO: Joseph Lucio

ADDRESS: 300 River Levee Road Brownsville, Texas 78523 PHONE: (956) 542-9861

YARDAGE: Championship tees - 6,150; Men’s tees - 6,020; Ladies Tees: 5,550 GREENS: Champion Bermuda GRASS: Bermuda

WEBSITE: harlingencc.com

WE HAVE THE BEST FLEET IN THE VALLEY GUARANTEED! • • •

Quality Service Great Vehicles The Best Prices

CALL JOEY DOWDEN (956) 607-0853 34 34 [Southtexas GolfGolf #1]#1] [Southtexas OR HENRY MILLER (956) 607-9210

GOLF PRO: Michael Fernuik PAR: 72 COURSE NAME: Harlingen Country Club ADDRESS: 5500 El Camino Real Harlingen, Texas 78552 PHONE: (956) 412-4100

YARDAGE: Black - 6,541; Blue - 6,261; White 5,625; Red - 5,035 GRASS: Bermuda GREENS: Champion

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SOUTH TEXAS GOLF Feature name FEATURE NAME CART RENTALS

GOLF COURSE DIRECTORY PHONE: (956) 585-6330 FACEBOOK: Search for Howling Trails COURSE MANAGER: Raul Gutierrez COURSE NAME: Howling Trails (Previously Martin Valley Ranch

Are you tred of rentng golf carts for your tournament or event that

ADDRESS: 1910 Hole In One Dr. Mission, Texas, 78572

look BAD? We deliver quality carts on tme. Our feet is all Club Car Precedents, that will represent your course or event in style.

PAR: 1-18 is par-72; 19-27 is par 36 GRASS: Common Bermuda ROUGHS: Common Bermuda

WEBSITE: edinburggolf.com GOLF SHOP MANAGER: Joe Romero GOLF PRO: TBD

ADDRESS: 1720 S. Raul Longoria Edinburg, Texas 7854

YARDAGE: Black - 7,188; Blue - 6,789; White 6,211; Red - 5,561; GREENS: TifEagle

PHONE: (956) 316-0444

GRASS: TifDwarf 419

FAX: (956) 289-8275

ROUGHS: Bermuda

GENERAL MANAGER: Jeff Lowder

Forget the hassle of dealing with people who just don’t understand that the customers experience at your course or event is what brings them back! A GOOD ride may make that difference! WE HAVE THE BEST FLEET IN THE VALLEY GUARANTEED!

GOLF PRO: Mike Perez ARCHITECT: Jay Riviere COURSE NAME: McAllen Country Club

PAR: 71/72

ADDRESS: 615 Wichita Ave. McAllen, Texas 78503

YARDAGE: Gold- 6,454; Blue - 5,946; White 5.628; Red - 5,164

PHONE: (956) 686-0923

GRASS: Tifsport

WEBSITE: mcallencountryclub.com

ROUGHS: Mini Verde

Meadow Creek in the Valley

GOLF DIRECTOR: Otis Hesteness ANNUAL TOURNAMENTS: 22 PAR: 70

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Quality Service Great Vehicles The Best Prices

CALL JOEY DOWDEN 36 (956) 607-0853 36[Southtexas [SouthtexasGolf Golf#1] #1] OR HENRY MILLER (956) 607-9210

ADDRESS: 1300 Circle Drive Mission, Texas 78592

YARDAGE: Blue - 6,059; White - 5,488; Red 4,747

PHONE: Pro Shop (956) 350-4000; Office (956) 581-6262

GRASS: Bermuda

EMAIL: meadowcreekinthevalley@yahoo.com

GREENS: Bermuda

ANOTHER first at Alamo Country Club!!! In March, the ACC Club Championship Tournament was played. The ACC Golf Committee decided to have a special category for men and women over 80 years of age. The very first over 80 champion for the men is Dave Malueg. Dave, a 20-year resident of ACC, has been an avid golfer since serving four years in the United States Air Force. While stationed in Bermuda he played on two beautiful and his most memorable courses. He is proud to say he has had 4 holes-in-one, including the #1 at ACC- a very challenging hole!! Dave enjoyed a 37-year career with the FAA. He and his wife, Dicey, lived in numerous upper Mid-West communities. Their travels include all seven continents. Dave has enjoyed scuba diving and volunteering. Dave and Dicey have also done disaster relief for the American Red Cross. They have served on many teams, including 9/11 and Katrina. Dave was a 7-year volunteer for Hospice. Congratulations, Dave! Now he is challenging the 80+ of ACC to compete next year!! Life is WONDERFUL at Alamo Country Club, a RESIDENT-OWNED community, is the “Best Kept Secret in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas”! YOU, too can call Alamo Country Club, a 55 Plus Community- “HOME”! Come for a visit----and STAY!!

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SOUTH TEXAS GOLF Feature name CART RENTALS FEATURE NAME

GOLF COURSE DIRECTORY WEBSITE: montecristogcc.com GOLF PRO: Adolfo Cubriel PAR: 71 COURSE NAME: Monte Cristo Golf Club ADDRESS: 2919 N. Kenyon Road Edinburg, Texas, 78542

Are you tred of rentng golf carts for your tournament or event that

PHONE: (956) 381-0964

GRASS: 419 Bermuda GREENS: Tiff Dwarf WEBSITE: palmviewgolf.com

look BAD? We deliver quality carts on tme. Our feet is all Club Car Precedents, that will represent your course or event in style.

YARDAGE: Gold - 6,392; Blue - 6,014; White 5,373; Red - 4,531

DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Carlos Espinosa, cespinosa@mcallen.net ARCHITECT: Charles Howard

PMSADDRESS: 286 blue and 347S.green. 2701 Ware Road McAllen, Texas 78503

PHONE: (956) 681-3444 FAX: (956) 681-3447

PAR: 72 YARDAGE: Middle - 5,779; Back - 6,771 FAIRWAYS: 419 Bermuda ROUGHS: Common Bermuda DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION: Wendy Werley Bullock, Class A LPGA Professional

Forget the hassle of dealing with people who just don’t understand that the customers experience at your course or event is what brings them back! A GOOD ride may make that difference!

DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Joe Powell ADDRESS: 1 Rancho Viejo Dr. Rancho Viejo, Texas 78575

PAR: 70

PHONE: (956) 350-4000

YARDAGE: Gold - 6,821; Blue - 6,315; White 5,979; Red - 5,556

WEBSITE: rvrcc.com FACEBOOK: Rancho Viejo Resort & Country Club

WE HAVE THE BEST FLEET IN THE VALLEY GUARANTEED! • • •

Quality Service Great Vehicles The Best Prices

CALL JOEY DOWDEN (956) 607-0853 38 38 [Southtexas [Southtexas Golf Golf #1] #1] OR HENRY MILLER (956) 607-9210

GRASS: Common Bermuda ROUGHS: Common Bermuda

PAR: 70 (holes 1-18); 36 on 19-27 ADDRESS: 2201 Mayberry, Mission, Texas

YARDAGE: Blue - 5,950; White - 5,575; Yellow - 5,350; Red - 4,700

PHONE: (956) 580-8770

GRASS: Common Bermuda

EMAIL: sharygc@yahoo.com

ROUGHS: Common Bermuda

DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Mario Flores

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SOUTH TEXAS GOLF Feature name FEATURE NAME CART RENTALS

GOLF COURSE DIRECTORY WEBSITE: spigolf.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/spigc GENERAL MANAGER: Chris Meade ADDRESS: 1 Golf House Road Laguna Vista, Texas 78578

Are you tred of rentng golf carts for your tournament or event that

PHONE: (956) 943-GOLF FAX: (956) 943-2361

GOLF PRO: Chris Meade ARCHITECT: Stephen Caplinger YARDAGE: Red - 5,406; White - 5,542; Blue 6,291; Black - 6,420; Gold - 6,931

look BAD? WEBSITE: stuartplacegolf.com

We deliver quality carts on tme. Our feet is all Club Car Precedents, that will represent your course or event in style.

Forget the hassle of dealing with people who just don’t understand that the customers experience at your course or event is what brings them back! A GOOD ride may make that difference!

TWITTER: @stuartplacegolf PAR: 36 (9 holes) YARDAGE: Blue - 6,827; White - 6,266; Gold 5,820; Red - 5,252 ADDRESS: 158 Highland Drive Harlingen, Texas 78522

GRASS: Mixed

PHONE: (956) 428-2000

ROUGHS: Mixed

FAX: (956) 428-1000

GREENS: Champion

DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Raul Garza ARCHITECT: Dave Bennett ADDRESS: 700 E. Hall Acres Pharr, Texas PHONE: (956) 702-2320 FAX: (956) 702-2536 WEBSITE: pharrgolf.com

WE HAVE THE BEST FLEET IN THE VALLEY GUARANTEED! • • •

Quality Service Great Vehicles The Best Prices

CALL JOEY DOWDEN (956) 607-0853 40 40 [Southtexas [Southtexas Golf Golf #1] #1] OR HENRY MILLER (956) 607-9210

PAR: 72 YARDAGE: Blue - 6,827; White - 6,266; Gold 5,820; Red - 5,252 GRASS: Tifdwarf Bermuda ROUGHS: Bermuda 419

DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Joey Rios ARCHITECT: Jeff Brauer, Steve Elkington ADDRESS: 1901 Club de Amistad Weslaco, Texas 78596

PAR: 72

PHONE: (956) 973-1811

YARDAGE: Black - 7,139; Blue - 6,601; White - 6,045; Red - 5,283

FAX: (956) 973-2565

GRASS: Bermuda 419

WEBSITE: tierrasantaweslaco.com

GREENS: Champion

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[Southtexas Golf #1] 41

SOUTH TEXAS GOLF

CART RENTALS Feature name

FEATURE NAME Forget the hassle of dealing with people who just don’t understand that the customers experience at your course or event is what brings them back! A GOOD ride may make that Are you tred of rentng difference! golf carts for your tournament orBEST eventFLEET that WE HAVE THE

GOLF COURSE DIRECTORY WEBSITE: myharlingen.us/default. aspx?name=parks.golf.course DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Eddie Medlin PAR: 71 (Holes 1-18); 35 (Holes 19-27)

ADDRESS: 2640 S. “M” Street Harlingen, Texas PHONE: (956) 216-5970

YARDAGE: (1-18) - Blue - 6,320; White 5,837; Red - 5,113; (19-27) - White 2,881; Red - 2,467 GRASS: Common Bermuda ROUGHS: Common Bermuda

look BAD? IN THE VALLEY

GUARANTEED!

WEBSITE: viccgolf.com

We deliver quality carts • on tme. Our feet is all Quality Service • Club Car Precedents, that Great Vehicles will represent your course • Compettve Prices or event in style.

CALL JOEY DOWDEN (956) 607-0853 OR HENRY MILLER (956) 607-9210

Quality Service Great Vehicles Compettve Prices

CALL JOEY DOWDEN (956) 607-0853 OR HENRY MILLER (956) 607-9210 42 [Southtexas Golf #1] 42 [Southtexas Golf #1]

GOLF PRO: Eric Rivera GENERAL MANAGER: Kevin Sargent ADDRESS: 95 Country Club Brownsville, Texas 78520 PHONE: (956) 546-5331 (office); (956) 5489199 (pro shop)

PAR: 70 YARDAGE: White - 4,924; Black - 5,517; Blue 6,130; Orange - 6,538 GRASS: Bermuda

4 0,02, 021014 . .22 gv ANuo s s e e ir ir Expp

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Expires Nov. 20, 2014

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Feature name JOEY’S CORNER

LET US BE AWARE THIS MONTH & ALWAYS “Hi I’m Madison. I just moved to Vero Beach, Florida and started high school. I’ll just turned 15 in October. Say hi to my dad…he’s in the other pic. Oh, and yes, I still love to shop. Be seeing you.”

I’m a Navy veteran and I often relate everyday life with my past. I also believe that the following military mottos POUND cancer straight in its face. Let us all pray for those with or who have had cancer will find the will to seek guidance through these times. Below you can find guidance in the categories listed through pinkribbonsurvivorsnetwork.org “Honor, Courage, Commitment” U S Navy Motto “In God we trust. All others we monitor.” Naval Intelligence Motto “The only easy day was yesterday!” U S Navy SEALS Motto “Anytime, anywhere, always ready, always there.” Navy Submarine Motto

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-- Joey Dowden is COO and Advertising Director of South Texas Golf.

Categories at pinkribbonsurvivorsnetwork.org Curriculum for Recovery Library Physical Recovery Accepting New Limitations Maintaining Family/Married and Partnered Life Identifying Priorities Your Survivorship Document/Plan Gynecologic Issues: Sexuality/Fertility/ Menopause Fatigue Diet/Exercise/Self-Care Doubt and Hope

Financial Issues Employment Issues Survivorship When Cancer Recurs Leaving a Legacy Resources/ Organizations for Support and Information Hereditary (Genetic) Issues regarding Breast Cancer Peripheral Neuropathy Decisions about Breast Cancer Treatment Breast Cancer in Young Adults

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Feature name LIFESTYLE: CIGARS

PETRIDES’

PICKS

Cigars, and other accessories you may want to try, picked by Casa Petrides’ owner Demetrio Petrides MONTECRISTO ESPADA Country of Manufacture: Nicaragua Wrapper: Habano Japala Vintage 2010 Binder: Habano Jalapa Vintage 2009 Fillers: Habano Jalapa Seco Vintage 2008; Habano Ometepe Viso Vintage 2008; Habano Condega Ligero Vintage 2008 Tasting/smoking profile: Medium to full bodied. Rich, majestic, complex and deeply satisfying. Blended by the Grupo de Maestros and crafted by the famed Plasencia Family, this brave new Montecristo combines the knowledge of centuries, the expertise of growing superior tobacco and the art and passion of handcrafting the finest premium cigars,” said Janelle Rosenfeld, VP of Marketing, Altadis U.S.A. Espada by Montecristo is a spicy, 100% Nicaraguan premium cigar with a Habano Jalapa Vintage 2010 wrapper, a Habano Jalapa Vintage 2009 binder and a complex blend of Habano Jalapa Seco Vintage 2008, Habano Jalapa Viso Ometepe Vintage 2008 and Habano Condega Ligero Vintage 2008 fillers.

“Like a sword, Espada is strong, bold and brave, yet still worldly and sophisticated,” she said. “It’s an honor to work with a tobacco family as renowned as the Plasencia Family.”

XICAR COMBO PACK XIKAR originated from the word sikar, which is said to be the first Spanish spelling of the Taino word for cigar. The company changed the “s” to an “X” (representing two blades) and had the “X” cut the “I” like a cutter clipping a cigar. At right, is the perfect gift for someone (or for yourself) - a matching XIKAR lighter and cutter.

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Feature name LIFESTYLE: FITNESS

GET YOUR CHILDREN UP AND MOVING As children get older it can be a real challenge to get enough physical activity. The increasing demands of school, a feeling among some kids that they are not meant for sports, a lack of role models and busy working parents contribute to much of this. Parents can instill an appreciation for activity and help their children get fit by incorporating exercise in their daily routines. This establishes healthy patterns that will last into adulthood and become a lifestyle. The benefits for children to be active is that their bodies can achieve and meet the demands necessary for healthy and normal growth. Regular exercise builds strong muscles and bones, strengthens the cardiorespiratory system, and reduces risks for Type II diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Getting the right amount of exercise each day also improves sleep patterns along with a more positive look on life. Healthy, physically active children are more apt to be academically Dianna Rojas is a motivated and successful. In general, fitness specialist for physical competence builds selfRancho Viejo Resort esteem for everyone. and Country Club. What motivates your children? She is a Brownsville There is a lot to gain from daily native and South Paphysical activity, but how parents can dre Island resident. achieve this varies from one family Read her bio on the to the next. It varies even more from South Texas Golf Facebook page. one child to another. Choosing ageappropriate activities for children gives them plenty of choices to be active and keep the focus on having fun while becoming fit! Preschoolers need play and exercise that help them continue to develop important motor skills. Preschoolers need to be active doing large movements that develop the motor skills necessary for them to be successful in a wide variety of physical activities and sports later in childhood. School-age children are spending more time in sedentary pursuits playing computer games. The challenge for

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parents is to help them find physical activities they enjoy and feel successful doing. Teens have many choices when it comes to being active. School sports, after school interests such as Yoga, golf, tennis, TRX suspension training, dance , swimming, surfing, and Kangoo jumps are just a few popular activities. It is important to consider your child’s fitness personality. Personality traits, genetics and athletic ability combine to influence kids’ attitudes toward participating in sports and other physical activities as they grow up. There are three types of fitness personalities. The nonathlete, the casual athlete and the athlete. Some want to pursue excellence in a sport, while others may be perfectly happy and fit as casual participants. The athlete will want to be part of a sports team, while the casual athlete might enjoy exercising on their own. The non-athlete is likely to need parents help and encouragement to want and remain to be active. As parents, it is crucial to encourage your children to be active regardless of the situation or environment. Parents need to have positive attitudes to help their children who are reluctant to exercise. As a fitness expert, I recommend every parent to be active themselves and support their childrens’ interest. Remember, role modeling of physical activity by the parents is one of the strongest motivators for the children to be physically active across the lifespan. By starting early, they will come to regard activity as the new normal and especially fun as part of your family’s everyday activity. Make sure to keep your kids active at all times!

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LEISURE Feature- FINANCE name

Here’s a retirement reality check Retire ready If you have already retired or if you can count the number of years until retirement on your fingers then please heed this friendly warning: Unless you’re already making the most of your current retirement planning strategies, then it may be difficult to lay the groundwork for a financially secure future. Is your portfolio on a course that’s destined to lead to a retirement income shortfall? Consider these strategies that can help improve your long-term outlook. DURING WORKING YEARS Determine an appropriate time frame for applying for Social Security benefits. If you plan to apply before your so-called “full retirement age,” then you can expect to receive lower monthly benefits. Delaying your application could increase your benefits. Detailed information about your specific situation is available online from the Social Security Estimator. Contact Social Security at least three months before retirement to apply for benefits. WHEN YOU REACH RETIREMENT Make arrangements for your retirement account distribution strategies. If you participate in a workplace retirement plan, contact your employer’s human resources office to learn what withdrawal options are available to you. Once you have that information handy, you’ll need to decide whether to begin withdrawing money from your taxable accounts first or from tax-deferred accounts first. Keep in mind that the IRS requires

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Harvey Lopez brings more than 15 years experience of Wealth Management, business solutions and Insurance experience serving the entire Rio Grande Valley. His office is located at 801 E. Fern, McAllen, Texas, 78501. If you have questions, you can call Harvey at (956) 874-8750 most retirement savers to begin taking withdrawals known as required minimum distributions (“RMDs”) from employer-sponsored retirement accounts and traditional IRAs after reaching age 70½. If you don’t take your RMDs, you could be forced to pay substantial tax penalties. RMD rules recently became less complex, but it’s still important that you understand them and implement an appropriate distribution strategy. ALL RETIREMENT INVESTORS Review your postretirement medical insurance needs. For example, you might want to think about purchasing coverage to supplement Medicare benefits. Your retirement security is very important. A smart first step to keeping your retirement strategies on track is to contact a qualified financial professional.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax advice. We suggest that you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax advisor. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications or its sources, neither S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications nor its sources guarantees the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or availability of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. In no event shall S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in connection with subscriber’s or others’ use of the content. © 2013 S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications. All rights reserved.

›› Pawleys Plantation

TPC of Myrtle Beach

Heritage Club

Litchfield Country Club

True Blue Plantation

Blackmoor

Willbrook Plantation

Tradition Club

Caledonia

AMERICA’S MOST AWARDED

Located along Georgetown County’s “Hammock Coast” is a collection of award-winning courses, restaurants and accommodations that rival any in America. For a great golf vacation experience that is sure to bring you back again and again, hit the Trail – The Waccamaw Golf Trail. Visit online for preferred rates and tee times, along with recommendations on lodging, dining and more. Request a FREE QUICK QUOTE for the best package rates and receive a complimentary greens fee.

www.MyGolfTrail.com or call toll free 1-800-661-2928

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River Club at Litchfield

Wachesaw Plantation East

Wedgefield Plantation

SALES Feature name & REPAIR

SERVICE & RENTAL

THE OFFICIAL AND ONLY AUTHORIZED CLUB CAR DEALER FOR CAMERON COUNTY, TX (SERVING SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, HARLINGEN & BROWNSVILLE)

BUSINESS ADDRESS: 1119 WEST HARRISON , HARLINGEN, TX 78550 PHONE: (956) 365-4122 FAX (956) 365-4120

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