Andrea Flores Edinburg- The UTRGV Athletics Department held a ceremony for the grand opening of the men and women’s golf teams’ first own facility, creating what is now the Vaqueros Golf Center.
The nearly $3 million facility is part of a more than $85 million project for renovations across the Athletics department.
The golf teams got its first look at the 4,200 square feet facility that has locker rooms, two hitting bays, a small study lounge and coaches’ offices.
The Vaqueros Golf Center is located at the Champion Lakes Golf Course in Mcallen, which is in partnership with the city.
In an interview, Houston Moore, head coach for men’s team said the facility is a “big piece going forward” and added his team will use the detailed technology to its max potential.
“Those guys work really hard,” Moore said.” I push them to be elite athletes, and we’ve been doing that from the trunk of our car, so getting in here and having them get a locker room for the first time and a place to call home is really special. And like I said earlier, today’s a transformative day for UTRGV men’s golf.”
Head coach for the women’s team Bryan Novoa said the facility will create team unity and will lead to making the ultimate level of golf in UTRGV.
Novoa added he is already setting up three recruitment visits this February and March.
“It’s a weight lift off my back because now I actually have a tangible building and go, ‘This is yours if come here,’” Novoa said.
Before the facility, the golf teams had to use their own cars as locker rooms.
Senior men’s golfer Leonardo Novella says the team is going to use this opportunity to improve.
“Using this facility, it’s going to be different, so it is going to be our home, a place where we can all hang out, all practice together,” Novella said.
