UTRGV holds grand opening for new Vaqueros Golf Center

Timothy Chapman

It was a hole in one this past Wednesday after UTRGV Athletics held a grand opening for the new Vaqueros Golf Center at Champions Lakes Golf Course in McAllen.

The nearly $3 million facility is a part of the more than $85-million investment in athletic construction projects being completed over the next two-and-a-half years.

Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said the new facility has the latest technology, which will greatly benefit student athletes.

“In that 4,200-square-feet, we have our locker rooms, we have coaches’ offices, we have a study lounge for our student athletes,” Conque said. “We have two hitting bays and a nutrition viewing area that faces the hitting bays.”

Timothy Chapman / Vaquero Radio
The Women’s Team locker room

Head coach for the Women’s Team Bryan Novoa said the purpose of the facility is to give the players the best opportunity to play professional golf in the future, as well as build the future of the golf program.

“They’ve worked extremely hard the last 17 to 23 years of their lives to become golfers,” Novoa said. “And now they have a place to really shine and really develop to an elite level of play and create the ultimate competitive level of Division 1 golf.”

Men’s team player Leonardo Novella said after going from using his own vehicle as a locker room to now having a state-of-the-art locker room with his name above his space, he had a lot of emotions seeing the new facility and all the amenities it has to offer.

“I’m grateful to be part of this team,” Novella said. “I’m grateful to be in the Valley, to represent the Valley with all these guys and seeing my name down there and on my bag … it’s just great, you know?”