In March, 1968, Raymond Saenz gathered a group of golfing friends at Riverside Municipal Golf Course with the intentions of organizing a golf club. With sixteen golfers in attendance, a golf tournament was held. Afterwards, a meeting was called to order wherein officers were elected, minutes were recorded and Raymond Saenz became the first president and founder of “The Golf Club”. Along with Raymond Saenz, other charter members of the club were: Ernest Guajardo, Tony Zapata, Ambrosio Briones, Raul Flores, Jimmy Riggs, Sylvester DeLaGarza, John DeLeon, Juan Bazan, Junior Bazan, Julio Gomez, Eloy Garcia, Frank Mendez, Val Ramirez, Richard Moraida and Mike Bernal.
After holding numerous local golf outings and attending various out-of-town tournaments, Raymond Saenz decided to attend and make a proposal for admission into the National Pan American Golf Association (PAGA) at their National Meeting and Convention held in Brownsville, TX, and inquired as to their guidelines.
In May, 1969, upon having met the requirements as set out by the National PAGA, Raymond Saenz submitted his club’s proposal for acceptance into the national organization. National officers and delegates were impressed with Raymond’s presentation and immediately voted to accept “The Golf Club” as one of their chapters. The procedure used was for a club to present their request for admittance and then wait for approval at the next National Meeting the following year. This was the first time any club had ever been admitted as a new chapter on the same day they presented their request. From that day forward, “The Golf Club” would become known as “Victoria Pan American Golf Association”.
In 1975, Victoria PAGA purchased a building on the corner of North and George Streets which was made possible when 23 of the 43 members contributed $103.50 each for a down payment. The building was remodeled and was used as a clubhouse and lounge. Revenue from the lounge was used to pay off the building in 1985.
In September, 1989, Victoria PAGA Board of Directors (Joe A. Flores, Sr., President; Sam Delgado, Vice President; Bobby Saenz, Secretary; Louis Martinez III, Treasurer; and Rudy Galvan, Tournament Director) voted to tear down the old clubhouse and build a new one. With Raymond Saenz spearheading the project, he designed a new building plan and presented these plans to a financial institution. These plans and application for a loan were readily approved. The new clubhouse building was completed in November, 1989.
Since that day in Brownsville, TX, Victoria PAGA has been represented at every National Convention & Tournament. We have traveled throughout Texas as well as many other states and treat this national event as an annual fun vacation for the entire family. We, along with our families, have established friendships that will last a lifetime. This is what we sell our prospective members, that “PAGA is golf and friendship”.