Vista Hills Country Club to close its doors after nearly 50 years
The Vista Hills Country Club is touted as being home to one of the Premier Golf Courses in West Texas, but after nearly 50 years, the club is being forced to close its doors.
In its peak, Vista Hills had more than 400 equity members, but the once private country club started to lose its memberships and is now feeling the financial strain.
The club reached out to the city for help but said this all could have been avoided with better planning.
Bill Tomberlin, the President of the Board of Directors said, “Foster and Schwartz are very well known El Paso Builders, built this golf course, country club in order to sell the lots around here.”
But Tomberlin said they didn’t require homeowners to pay a monthly fee to live on a golf course, Had they done that we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Vista Hills was at its peak during the late 1970s and 1980s, at one time they had 400 members.
The club played host to many weddings, quinceaneras, and birthday parties. Then memberships started to decline, so Vista Hills opened their private membership requirements to the public in an effort to maintain their financial responsibilities.
Tomberlin said, “but it just wasn’t enough to keep us going.”
Vista Hills is losing about $25,000 – $35,000 a month. “We have our own wells.” Tomberlin said, “but when we start watering the electricity bill last summer we had one bill that was 16,000 dollars in one month”
And now Vista Hills has run out of options. Tomberlin said, “The bankruptcy attorneys are charging $10 grand to get it started and we can’t afford that,” Tomberlin said, “I have approached the city I made my speel to them and I haven’t heard andything back.”
Many people who still go to the East side Country Club have told Tomberlin they are upset with the decision to shut down the community staple.
“I understand their frustration they don’t want us to close but we gotta have the money to operate,” Tomberlin said.
Tomberlin said that Vista Hills would need about 100 equity members to keep The Country Club open.
It is scheduled to close on April 30th.
A phone call made to the City to ask for response on Tuesday, was not returned.
