The Devine Golf Association Board, looking for a way to turn around a financial crisis for their 18 hole golf course, looked at two proposals by local business people and then voted 7 to 2 to go with B&S Golf Management Group (Shannon Rackley Rangel) instead of Tommy Ramirez.
B&S Management Group, owner Shannon Rackley Rangel, will take over the operations of the day to day business of the Devine Golf Course this Friday, December 1, 2017. Their offer allowed the board to stay in place and the management group would provide $100,000 up front funding, advice, consultants in the golf business, all part of a three phase professional plan. Experts in the golf field would be brought in to evaluate everything from the grass to the balance sheet and everything in between. Shannon’s brother and Business Advisor Brandon Rackley made the presentation to the board and answered questions during the meeting. Their plan was inspired by local people and investors who wanted to be a part of saving something that matters. The Rackley’s grew up in Devine playing on this course side by side with their dad Ronnie, and when they heard it was in trouble they took their passion and love for golfing, their dad, and the course to heart and took action to try to save it. B&S Golf Management Group was their answer.
Tommy Ramirez also proposed a solution. A petition was presented in support of his purchase by Eileen Woolsey with signatures of many of the members of the Devine Golf Association on it. Several of those members were in attendance at the meeting as well to express their concerns and support. Ramirez wanted to purchase the back 9 holes of the golf course (approximately 52 acres) and lease the front 9 holes of the original golf course from The City of Devine just like The Devine Golf Association has done for the past 50 years. The front 9 hole course (the original 9) is owned by the city and must be used as a park if not a golf course according to a stipulation put on it by Joe Briscoe when the land was donated 50 years ago, according to what Mayor Bill Herring understands. Under Ramirez’s purchase the Devine Golf Association Board would no longer exist. He would take over ownership of the back 9 holes and manage the entire golf course and bring it back into a profitable business within a couple years. Once owned he would have the option to sell it in the future according to his research.
The board was concerned that the land could not be sold at all since the original by laws of the Devine Golf Association Board had not been changed since the beginning, therefore the purchase of the land where the back 9 holes were made would fall under the rules of the original by laws and belong to the city if the golf association went under. Mr. Ramirez assured them that would not be the case in his professional opinion and that of others he sought opinions from that know the laws. He pleaded that he would not have even considered and made an offer if it were not legitimate. He was there to help. And if the board did not want his help, that is fine, he would take it elsewhere, but that he would like to help.
The boardroom was packed and several members expressed concerns and addressed both Rackley and Ramirez throughout the meeting.
Devine Golf Association Board Members are: Stanley Ehlinger, Willie Shelton, Jeff Wisenbaker, Richard Malone, Blake Ceasar, Mike Smith, Ron Richards, Brent Haass, and Jerry Dykowski.
After going into execution session the board returned and voted 7-2 to go with the B&S Golf Management Group’s offer.
By Kathleen Calame
Publisher
The following is a press release from B&S Management Group:
SAVING THINGS THAT MATTER
Press Release
B&S Management Group
We are pleased to announce that the Devine Golf Association Board of Directors voted 7-2 on Tuesday November 21, 2017 to hire B&S Golf Management Group to run the day to day operations of Devine Golf Course starting Friday December 1, 2017. President and owner of B&S Golf Management Group Shannon Rackley Rangel created her firm when she learned that after almost 50 years the Devine Golf Course was in financial distress and was looking for a partner to turn around their struggling business. B&S Golf Management group has put together a team of golf experts to start the rebuilding process of Devine Golf Course. This team is made up of senior managers from the golf operations industry, a $21 billion dollar industry focused on running golf courses. The B&S team is comprised of experts in agronomy, golf technologies, operations, financial audit, marketing, sales and public relations. Starting next month each of these partners will do an evaluation and create a project plan to begin the process of making Devine Golf Course great again! The thing that makes this management team so special is that every single one of them joined the B&S team because they care and want to use their time and resources to SAVE THINGS THAT MATTER. Hence the B&S Mission Statement: “Our mission is to preserve the history of Devine Golf Association while taking the ideas of the nine original forefathers to create a successful atmosphere of fellowship, family, friends, and tradition. Our partners are solely focused on preserving history and saving things that matter.”
What’s next? With the professional opinions of the B & S Golf Management Team and a whole lot of passion, we have a plan in place to make Devine Golf Course GREAT again!!! Regular fun-filled tournaments, Membership drives, implementing a Youth Program and creating a practice facility are just a few things that will not only involve our community but, also bring in the revenue that our course needs to be great again. We are also planning on upgrading/updating our club house, concession choices, greens and overall course improvements.
We are having a Brisket, Burgers and Golf scramble hosted by B&S Golf Management Group Saturday December 30th to benefit the DGA Youth Golf Program!!! Good food, great music, lots of golf and fun!!!! We will have sign up sheets for the youth league and new membership!
Again, our overall focus is to SAVE THINGS THAT MATTER and make our Devine Golf Course great again. For you and with you, our members and community, we are positive this can be done. Stay tuned for continued updates through Devine News and Social Media.
For more information you can contact Shannon Rackley Rangel at 210-367-8303 or shannonrackrangel@outlook.com
