21 Photos: Shary Municipal Golf Course Shary Municipal Golf Course in Mission, Texas, has reopened following a redesign by Jerry Lemons, and the introduction of new lighting for night play. The City of Mission, close to the border with Mexico, wanted to address ageing infrastructure at the course and decided to invest in a new vision that would reimagine the nine-hole municipal facility and transform it into a more versatile and sustainable destination for the community. “When I arrived, we started evaluating how we could maximise the property and create something unique for the community,” said Michael Fernuik, director of golf. “That process led us to reconfigure the layout into a hybrid short course concept.” Lemons worked with contractor VM Golf Services to redesign the layout, rebuild greens and add lighting from Musco Sports Lighting for evening play. Two par fives were converted into par-three and par-four holes. Two greens and two tee complexes were entirely rebuilt, while the remaining greens were reshaped and expanded. The total putting surface has increased from 20,000 to 52,000 square feet. Greens now feature Lazer Zoysia from Bladerunner Farms, making Shary the first municipal facility in the Rio Grande Valley to use the variety. “The colour stood out immediately, and the putting surface quality was exceptional,” said Fernuik. “The opportunity to introduce something new to the region was exciting. We believe Lazer can help differentiate the facility, while providing the type of playing conditions we wanted to deliver.” Superintendent Efrain Gutierrez oversaw the grow-in. “As it matured, the density really stood out – the surface became extremely tight and uniform,” he said. “You could hit balls onto the greens and barely find a ball mark.” The club has branded its evening golf experience as ‘Starlight at Shary’. “The additional play and revenue generated by night golf creates opportunities for us to continue investing in and improving the facility,” said Fernuik. Shary renovation paves way for evening play The total area of putting surface at Shary Municipal has more than doubled TEE BOX
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