Olympia Hills Golf & Event Center is teeing up for some renovations in Universal City.
In a 4-2 vote Jan. 6, City Council approved entering into a $2.37 million contract with Verde Sports Construction for golf course renovations, which is estimated to contribute $8 million annually to the local economy, according to an analysis by the National Golf Foundation.
Mayor Tom Maxwell said these improvements are necessary for Universal City and that the golf course is an amenity for residents.
“I’m not a golfer, but I understand the importance of golfing. There [are] hundreds of friendships and business deals made on that golf course and around that golf course and at the events center,” Maxwell said.
Digging deeper
The course greens will see upgrades following gradual wear and tear since opening in 2000.
The renovations include expanding the size of Par3 tees, adding 100 new sprinkler heads and upgrading to Premier Pro bunker sand for longevity, drainage and playability.
Par3 players tend to use iron clubs, which create more divots or take more ground off the tee box. Golf course staff would have to re-sand the divots and then add fertilizer to help the grass grow back, causing the tee boxes to concave, Director of Golf Operations Sal Garcia said.
He said they will laser-level the tee boxes to be completely flat and then resurface them using Paspalum grass—a type of grass typically seen on golf courses.
A new control system will also be added so the superintendent can turn the sprinklers on and off using a computer or phone, Garcia said.
“If a sprinkler goes down, it will immediately alert him so he knows that a sprinkler’s not working correctly,” Garcia said. “In the old days, you would have to drive the golf course and look for dying grass in order to kind of know ‘Hey, that sprinkler’s not working.’”
The course, which has contributed $7.94 million to the city’s economy annually, has also been growing in popularity.
The number of rounds played has increased by 59.3% since 2018, according to data provided by Olympia Hills. Garcia said the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and resurfacing the greens in 2024 brought more visitors to the course.
“We really shot up with our rounds of golf and really became one of the sought-after golf courses to play in the San Antonio area,” he said.
In their own words
“It’s a boom for the city of Universal City that 90% of the players are coming from outside of Universal City,” said Council member Bear Goolsby.
“We need to continue to make it an asset to us because it is bringing in money,” said Mayor Pro Tem Christina Fitzpatrick.
The local impact
The course, which is owned and operated by Universal City, attracted nearly 80,000 visitors in 2024, with upwards of more than 85% of those visitors coming from individuals who are not city residents, according to the economic analysis conducted by the National Golf Foundation. Visitors to the Olympia Hills Golf Course & Event Center have generated between $223,000 and $294,000 in sales tax revenue since fiscal year 2022-23, according to data provided by city officials.
The discussion
Council member Bernard Rubal said he was uneasy about the course renovations, despite the assurance from the mayor and others that Olympia Hills was the “last best chance for the city to move into the 21st century.”
Council member Phil Vaughan said he was not comfortable.
“I don’t think we should be putting this kind of money into the golf course. I think it’s a ‘nice to have,’ not a ‘need to have,’” Vaughan said.
Maxwell said the venue tax is a retail sales tax used for parks and recreation projects, along with the golf course.
“No property taxes are going to support the golf course,” Maxwell said.
While renovations are ongoing, the course will remain open. Garcia said they hoping to be completed by the end of July.
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