El Paso’s lauded Butterfield Trail Golf Club being shut down due to financial woes

EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso's signature public golf course will not reopen after the coronavirus pandemic eventually ends, officials confirmed to ABC-7 on Wednesday.

In a statement released after inquiries were made by ABC-7, it was announced that the financially-troubled Butterfield Trail Golf Club will permanently cease operations on May 31.

The El Paso International Airport, which owns the course, said the move will save it about $1 million annually.

An insider told ABC-7 that the 18-hole course has never made money and given the current economic situation, the time seemed right to close it. Indeed, airport officials confirmed the airport has subsidized golf course operations since 2008.

Monica Lombraña, El Paso International's chief operations officer, said shutting down the course was being done "in response to the health and economic crisis... in order to reduce expenses and focus on essential airport operations."

Butterfield Trail Golf Club, which opened in 2007, was designed by famed golf course architect Tom Fazio and has repeatedly been named one of the top municipal courses in America by Golfweek magazine.

“It is with a heavy heart that the fiscally-responsible decision to permanently close the course was made," Lombraña said.

El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said Wednesday evening that while he personally would've preferred not to have had to close the course, there was no choice financially.

"Our airport traffic is down so low right now," he explained,"we don't know where we're going to be financially with our airport funding."

ABC-7's insider indicated the water service to the course was shut off in the past couple of days. The source said the club's golf pro and a small staff are staying around for the next 30 days or so to get the operation shut down.

Officials said deposits made on tournaments and special events at the golf course will be refunded.