2026 STATE OF THE TRAIL REPORT

Dear Friends of the Alamo City Golf Trail – 

As we reflect on the past year, I am proud to share this annual State of the Alamo City Golf Trail Report and to recognize the people, partnerships, and passion that continue to make our Trail one of the most recognized and respected municipal golf systems in the country.

2025 by the Numbers

• 460,721 Rounds of Golf Played
• 32,000 Rounds Played by Junior Golfers
• 10,734 Trail Pass holders
• 1,300 Youth on Course Members
• 474 Golf Carts
• 323 Alamo City Golf Trail Staff Members
• 226 Pieces of Agronomy Equipment
• 70 Holes in One on the Trail  

Capital Projects Completed This Past Year

• Completion of the maintenance facility and on-course restroom at Riverside.
• Re-grass putting greens on the Teddy Bear Par 3 course at Riverside using Platinum Paspalum turfgrass.
• Grand Opening of the San Pedro Putting Course – an 18-hole artificial putting facility built for families and fun!
• Restoration of Willow Springs by re-grassing the facility with Platinum Paspalum turfgrass.
• 75% completion of new concrete cart paths at Mission Del Lago.
• Securing the Bridge on Hole #17 at Olmos Basin from years of creek erosion.  

Planned Capital Projects for 2026

It remains our goal, as stewards of municipal golf in San Antonio, to take bold action to renovate and improve the courses on the Alamo City Golf Trail. Since our founding in 2007, the ACGT has reinvested nearly $40 million in the courses. I am proud of our work and what we have accomplished since then, and look to the future as an opportunity to continue delivering on what remains to be done. In conjunction with our Board of Directors, we have a long-range capital plan that would reinvest an additional $40 million over the next 20 years. I am happy to share that we will not have any courses closed in 2026 for full-scale renovation, but we have several small and mid-size plans to enhance the golfer experience. Below are some of them: 

• Replacement of cart paths at Northern Hills with continuous concrete paths, including curbs at tees and greens.
• Refurbishment and replacement of teeing areas at Northern Hills, including enlarging and leveling all tee boxes.
• The Cedar Creek Snack Shack, which includes restrooms and a snack area by the driving range, will increase access to food and beverages when going from the #9 green to the #10 tee box, with an estimated completion in early spring.
• Outdoor Bar and Grill to include additional restrooms at San Pedro in the current outdoor patio space – coming summer of 2026.
• Tee Box enhancements at San Pedro to help level and reshape heavily used areas.
• Replacement of the mainline irrigation pipe that crosses the bridge at Riverside Golf Course, which will dramatically improve turf quality by delivering more water to the north side of the course. 

Our Operating Standards

At the heart of everything we do, there are clear operating standards that guide our decisions.

• Customer-first service rooted in hospitality and respect. As part of our 2025 Customer Survey, many of our golfers praised the staff across the Trail for their commitment to ensuring everyone is welcomed and appreciated. We are grateful for your feedback, including where we did not meet or exceed expectations. Your feedback is directly driving how we continue to improve in those areas, and we look forward to 2026 as an opportunity to strive for new levels of excellence. 

• Course excellence through sustainable agronomic practices. Subjectively, I believe the ACGT courses are in good shape and continue to improve in quality and consistency. We continue to allocate more resources to staffing, equipment, modern technology, training, and education to improve turf conditions across the Trail system. Closed weeks for aerification, closed mornings for topdressing and verticutting, and increased fertility budgets are helping us deliver improved course conditions to you. We ask for your continued help sanding your divots, fixing your ball marks on the greens, and raking bunkers. As a reminder, you can keep up with all of the ACGT agronomy and maintenance schedules by clicking HERE.

• Financial responsibility that protects the Trail's long-term health. As part of our 501(c)(3) status and agreement with the City of San Antonio, operating proceeds are reinvested in the golf courses, which help ensure better conditions, enhanced amenities, and the preservation of the golf courses for generations to come. We hope that 2026 is a year in which golfers see that every dollar spent at our courses is a continued investment in the betterment of municipal golf in San Antonio — from major capital projects to the experience you have every moment you walk into our facilities. 
• Community stewardship that reflects San Antonio’s values. We continue to be involved and engaged in programming that offers low-cost and accessible golf opportunities, and participate in a wide range of charitable organizations that help grow and enhance the city, including:
  • A $10,000 donation to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country’s Kerr County Flood Relief Fund. When our community needed help, the ACGT golfers stepped up to support. A portion of our proceeds from rounds played at ACGT facilities was donated to provide emergency assistance, essential services, rebuilding efforts, and long-term support for our neighbors in need after the July 4th floods. Together, we ensured that help reached the families and communities who needed it most. 
  • The Alamo City Golf Trail provided 490 complimentary rounds to veterans and active-duty military through our Veterans Day Appreciation Promotion. The initiative is part of our ongoing effort to support the military community in San Antonio — continuing to make our courses welcoming for those who serve.
  • Investing $10,000 in education through the Lee Niles Memorial Scholarship Fund. Honoring Lee Niles, a longtime and highly valued Board Member of the Municipal Golf Association – San Antonio (ACGT), the Lee Niles Memorial Scholarship Fund provided four scholarships to college-bound individuals who are employees or dependents of employees of the ACGT Family.
  • Cultivating the next generation of golfers through our partnership with Youth on Course. The Alamo City Golf Trail provided nearly 20,000 rounds to San Antonio youth through our partnership with Youth on Course, a national nonprofit that is dedicated to keeping golf affordable and accessible to young golfers. The ACGT ranks among the top facilities nationwide for the number of Youth on Course rounds — one of many ways we are dedicated to growing the game. 

These operating standards are upheld daily by an incredible staff who take pride in their work and recognize the responsibility of managing a public asset for generations to come. If you want to review our Rules and Regulations, you can do so HERE.

Goals for the Year Ahead

• Pace of Play standards are at the top of the list! From the 2025 Customer Survey, we heard our golfers loud and clear and recognize that improving the pace of play is essential to the golfing experience. With the elimination of fivesomes and enhanced course monitoring, we expect quicker rounds. Additionally, our marketing team is curating educational materials to help newer golfers learn etiquette and improve their pace of play — just one of many steps the ACGT is taking to improve the experience at our facilities. 
• Clean restrooms and clubhouse facilities are essential to our customer service standards. In addition to our staff's regular cleaning and maintenance, your help in keeping the restrooms clean is always appreciated. Please place trash inside the trash can and keep gum, chewing tobacco, and other products out of the urinals in the men’s room. As always, please notify our team when those facilities need attention.
• Improved turf conditions. While I stand by my earlier comments that our course conditions significantly improved this past year, I also recognize that we can continue to raise the bar. Irrigation delivery is vital for quality turfgrass in the summer, so modifying the mainline pipe at Riverside and working with the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) to improve the pump station will be a step in the right direction. In the fall and early winter of 2025, we overseeded all the greens on the Trail with Poa trivialis, except for Willow Springs, which will keep them green and healthy throughout the winter and early spring. Overseeding is new to the Trail, and we are confident this decision will improve the course experience. Additionally, our agronomy team is continuing to improve on tee box placement and selecting better hole locations on the greens to ensure level lies and fewer three-putts! 
• Increased access to fairways for the players who need it most. As many golfers have noticed this past year, we have been cycling through the courses by designating select holes as Cart Path Only to improve turf conditions. While this has generally been well received, several committed Trail golfers have highlighted the need for assistance getting to their golf ball. We will endeavor to modify the GPS geofencing to ensure all golfers can enjoy their rounds, especially during periods when the turfgrass is actively growing.
• Providing yardage markers on the fairways and cart paths. We recognize that clearly identifiable yardage markers will better support club selection and improve the pace of play. 
• Beverage Carts! Feedback from our 2025 Customer Survey highlighted how important on-course beverage cart service is to the golfer experience, and the Alamo City Golf Trail is investing in that priority in 2026. We will be purchasing two new beverage carts this spring to help ensure you stay hydrated and enjoy your round this coming year. As always, if you do not come across a beverage cart while playing, please call the clubhouse, and we will make every effort to deliver your order to the course.
• Growing the Game by offering high-quality golf instruction and programming for everyone. The Alamo City Golf Trail partners with over 45 groups and associations that play at all ACGT facilities throughout the week. The ACGT also partners with the South Texas Amateur Golf Tour, which hosts competitive events exclusively on ACGT courses throughout the year. Find out more HERE. From an instructional standpoint, the Trail has partnerships at most of our locations, with numerous high-quality professionals committed to helping golfers of all ages and abilities improve. Find out more about golf instruction HERE. 

Gratitude and Appreciation

None of this would be possible without the unwavering support of the City of San Antonio, whose partnership and trust continue to shape the future of public golf in our community. I also want to thank our Board of Directors for their leadership and guidance, and our staff for their dedication and professionalism, which define the Trail every day.

Most importantly, thank you to our customers and Trail Pass holders. Your loyalty, feedback, and enthusiasm inspire us to raise the bar year after year. You are why the Alamo City Golf Trail continues to thrive.

As we move into the year ahead, we do so with optimism, purpose, and a deep sense of responsibility to serve this great city. I look forward to seeing you on the course and continuing this journey together. Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2026 — and, of course, lowering your golf scores!

 

With sincere appreciation,