BCD takes no action on golf course study request

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Board of County Development (BCD) members decided they will need more information before acting on a request for financial help from a local resident wanting to develop a private golf course.

The BCD took no action on a request for $1,500 from Bill Robertson, which would pay for a professional golf course designer to assess the feasibility of constructing an 18-hole golf course at the Windmill Ranch Preserve.

Robertson’s ideas for the course are preliminary in nature, but he told the board he envisions building a “destination” course at the ranch which would attract golfers from across Texas and the nation, who in turn would spend money locally. Also, he envisions a golfing community springing up around the course.

“We in this community spend so much money on each other,” Robertson said. “My idea is to get people to come here from out of town. It’s about bringing thousands, perhaps millions of dollars to the community.”

Robertson said he has been in contact with a representative of Tom Watson Design, which has developed golf courses in the United States, Japan and Europe. The $1,500 Robertson requested would pay for that representative to visit Windmill Ranch and assess whether the site is feasible for an 18-hole course.

The idea of a destination course in a rural area is not that unusual, he said.

“I lived in Nebraska and they built one of these courses practically in the middle of nowhere,” he said. “It has been ranked one of the top 15 golf courses in the country.”

During the public comments section of the meeting, Bonnie Nussey asked several questions, including how much construction would cost and what effect the new course would have on existing golf courses in the county.

“Is this going to take business away from those courses?” she asked.

Robertson said he had no idea what the total project cost would be. 

“That’s why I need to have this man come down here,” he said.

 “We already have two golf courses in Snyder which are already supported by tax money, and I don’t know if its appropriate for us to finance a study for a private course,” said board chairman Wade Warren.

Board member Mike Tyrrell echoed Warren’s comments.

“We need to find out if this request can be financed by us,” he said. “Right now, we just don’t have enough information.”

Warren said he would consult with County Attorney Mike Hartman on the matter and the board could reconsider Robertson’s request at a later date.

Also today, the board voted 4-0, with member Chloeanne Lindsey abstaining, to approve a $1,000 payment to the owners of Uncle A’s BBQ as partial reimbursement for storefront improvements the business recently made. The reimbursement is part of the county’s Business Improvement Program, which provides reimbursement funds of up to $1,000 to county businesses along main thoroughfares that make improvements to their storefronts.

The board took no action on another reimbursement request — from Albert DeLorea, the owner of the building currently occupied by Scott and Reed, Attorneys. DeLoera did not provide the necessary receipts.