The recent thread on municipal courses led me to check in and see if there were any developements on Butterfield Trail. The El Paso course has a strong arguement as Texas' top muni. There was a thread a few months back related to the closing of the course due to significant losses on the order of $1M per year.
Last week the El Paso city council voted unanimously to lease the facilities to Spirit Golf Management for a ten year period. Spirit also operates Picacho Hills Country Club and Sierra Del Rio Championship Golf in New Mexico. The agreement calls for Spirit to pay the city 10% of revenues from food, 12% from green fees, and 15% from alchohol sales. Minimum payment to the city is $125,000 for years two and three, and $191,000 per year for the rest of the contract.
Spirit plans to open the course as soon as a liquor liscense is granted, likely in the fall. As the course has likely sat unmaintained (at least I assume, don't know) in a pretty harsh environment during a very hot and dry summer, surely the course has suffered during that time.
Good to hear that Butterfield Trail is getting a second lease on life. Hope it works out.