Is AGI (Aquarina Golf, Inc.) the Only Way to Manage Our Amenities?

*** 10/07/2025 UPDATE BELOW, WHICH FOLLOWS THIS CURRENT POST ***

Aquarina Golf, Inc. aka AGI, has been managing Aquarina’s amenities now for several years. It’s basically a group of Resident volunteers and an elected, and in some cases appointed, ACSA Board of Directors, all who have their hands in the pot of the Residents’ funds to feed these amenities to keep them going. The amenities include, but are not limited to, the golf course, the tennis facility, the restaurant, the clubhouses, the Lakeside Pool (a whole story in itself) and the administration building.

Each one of these amenities certainly requires a skillset to run and to maintain in a successful manner. However, politics and egos are certainly possible to occur where human nature may tempt to overcome these Resident Volunteers, where there are control factors and free spending available to use, as temptations.

I am sure there is a dollop of giving to the community with the actions of these Resident volunteers; however, the control of the above amenities and the free spending available to these volunteers, which can be a narcotic, and, again, because of the frailty of human nature, it appears that AGI will not give up its hold on these amenities, in spite of continued loses.

The three amenities that are the consistent drain of the Resident funds are the golf course, the restaurant, and to a lesser degree the tennis complex.  The Resident volunteers who oversee these three amenities are avid supporters and participants of these amenities, and they surely want to keep them going in a manner that maintains their participation. All of Aquarina’s amenities are generally considered common property for all the Residents, and the ACSA, through its AGI machine, oversees and controls the amenities existence, which, again, are common properties to the community. The result of this AGI controlling approach has been yearly losses for these three alleged revenue producing amenities. There never seems to be consternation or regret for the losses, since the Residents’ funds subsidize any losses that occur, which appear continually.

Here is a snapshot review of the history that these amenities have seen.

• The original Aquarina Restaurant, Brassie Grille, which was turned into a now Tavern by the Greens, at a cost rising above $1,000,000, and climbing, has been a mystery. An established restaurant in the area was going to occupy the now renovated restaurant, but this never occurred. Another local restaurant has been running the now Tavern by the Greens. It would be expected that a lease would be in place for the occupying restaurant, where the Residents could collect lease payments and not be in the fragile restaurant business. However, this is not the case, AGI appears to have partnered with this local restaurant. The Residents don’t know if there is a lease in place, and there is no P&L statement available on the restaurant’s performance. The Resident volunteers and AGI are in control.
• The golf course could be the main revenue generator for the Residents, after all, there are apparent ongoing payments on the loan for the purchase of the golf course from almost two decades ago, in addition to the everyday expenses.  AGI has been the group that oversees the golf course, just as it does the restaurant and tennis facility, with the golf course obviously being the big expense and hopeful revenue driver.  Like the other two amenities, the golf course has been hard pressed to run in the black, unless, of course, you factor in the Resident subsidies.  Just recently, the ACSA Board and AGI have proposed another approach to pay for the course, i.e. stating that the Residents’ quarterly fees will be subject to increases to pay for the course, and everyone can play for an undetermined trail and green fee. Apparently, there will be no more Resident golf memberships.  Although, golf memberships will be offered to the public. It would have been helpful during this proposal if a Profit and Loss Statement (year to date and without Resident subsidies) was presented to the Residents to determine golf course costs and revenues.  The Residents would then see what could occur with quarterly maintenance fees. Do you think the fees would be subject to subsidizing the golf course losses?
• The irony here is that the Residents have already been paying for all three amenities, now it’s just spelled out identifying a line-item expense for the Quarterly Fees to cover and pay.  This will then be a clear disclosed expense that certainly will not be a fixed amount expense like a mortgage payment. Trust me, this expense will be fluid and rising.  From being in the restaurant business, the Residents now continue to be in the golf business, but with a different and defined cost  and payment schedule, but still a subsidy.
• The tennis facility is no where near the restaurant and golf expenses, and historically, not been a huge financial concern, i.e. less moving parts, less employees, and maybe less drama.

There is another path to explore other than volunteerism, where volunteerism and its susceptibility with human nature result in having amateurs and egos being responsible for the AGI businesses with apparently no professional experience.  The simple answer to this “another path” is to hire a professional management company to run the golf course, and have an established restaurant or restaurateur lease the renovated building.  The leasing of the restaurant almost worked, but somehow did not materialize.  It should have been further pursued, but was not.  The current Tavern by the Greens still has AGI involved, as an apparent partner.

Unfortunately, having an independent third party, that, of course, would be chosen by the ACSA Board may be a plan of action that the current ACSA Board and AGI do not see in their best interest, since their power and control would be diminished. Contractual arrangements certainly could be agreed upon where the third-party independent business and the ACSA Board could work out a mutual agreement where both entities are satisfied.  However, isn’t the purpose here to serve all the Residents in the best manner, and do it in a cost-effective approach, with professionals in their field taking on the financial risk, and not the Residents?

Consider this – The Residents, among others, are AGI’s customers. AGI is run by a cabal of Residents and, yes, who are also customers. Is this a business arrangement with an arm’s length relationship between the cabal Resident/customers and AGI businesses?  Hmm.  The same can be said about the restaurant. Would an independent, third-party arrangement, from which Aquarina can be paid, i.e. lease payments and percentage of a golf management’s profits be a better way for these two amenities to be funded than what we have now with the AGI in control?

What is apparent is that not having an arm’s length business relationship, which will always be a questionable condition, exists with the current AGI arrangement. The history for AGI has been consistent losses, with Resident subsidies to offset or minimize these losses, and minimal AGI financial disclosure and transparency.

On a constructive and positive note, the maintenance of the golf course appears to be consistent and in acceptable condition, and the ongoing golf newsletter is informative and has an entertaining presentation.  However, the marketing for the golf course and the pro shop, which typically work together, to engage the public, appears to need overall professional help, which is available, since many golf course management companies exist in Florida. A discussion is required to at least determine how a management company would advise the current AGI management in which direction to proceed, either absorption of the current staff or have the management company come in with its own staff. Regardless, a change is needed to generate more revenue to lower the Residents’ subsidies by fostering an arm’s length environment with an outside marketing management team. The current AGI volunteers are too much influenced by a social club atmosphere, where human nature of a good time prevails, and the focus of maintaining a revenue generating golf course can easily be lost. The golf course is a wonderful asset and amenity that Aquarina has, and it should be utilized with professional oversight to maximize its potential as a revenue generator for the whole community.  The Aquarina Bylaws permit public assess and business zoning for the golf course.  Let’s maximize the golf course as a source of community funds rather than having it as a subsidized social club for a few, i.e. “Club AGI”.

Finally, the restaurant matter also needs a new approach. The restaurant was foisted on the backs of the Residents without a vote resulting in a $1M plus expenditure.  It’s initial path after construction was to have, which was thought, an established food service business to take over the restaurant, which eventually fizzled. A second food service business was found, and a bumpy road appears to have occurred on that decision too, and “Club AGI” stepped in to partnership with this second “Tenant”.  I say “Tenant” because do we know if this $1M new Aquarina asset is being leased by the “Tenant”?  Is there a lease? If so, then what is the lease payments to the Residents? This $1M asset should be placed on the commercial market as a new restaurant for lease.  A commercial Realtor should be contacted to secure an established food service business or a restaurant professional.  Again, is having “Club AGI” partner with the current “Tenant” foster an arm’s length business relationship, where generating revenue for the Residents and reducing Resident subsidies are to be the goal? Hmm.

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10/07/2025 Update

Well, it has occurred again, yet another AGI restaurant collapse, as Tavern by the Greens is gone, and a new “partnership” has been established with an apparent ongoing restaurant in the Grant area of Brevard. As expected, AGI continues with its hand in the pot of the Aquarina Residents’ revenues by locating a “partner” to control rather than an independent and arm’s length restaurant owner, who would have the confidence and know-how to run his/her own business, and pay on a lease. As has been previously stated above in this Blog, AGI will not release and give up its control, and ability to spend the Residents funds, which satisfies its selfish nature to keep “Club AGI” running.

AGI’s back pedaling continued, as the proposal to do away with Resident Golf Memberships, and have the Golf Course paid by all the Residents, as a new line item on the Residents’ quarterly maintenance fees, also appeared to collapse. Paid Memberships have returned to those who want to join the Golf Club.

How long will this continued fumbling, and iron fist control by AGI be accepted by the Aquarina Residents? Which has not even been mentioned here is the strong armed tactics performed by the ACSA, AGI’s sponsor, on the three Lakeside Pool Neighborhoods, where the pool was taken away, where an ACSA decision for an unwanted and unneeded renovation was decided, and where the Pool’s extravagant cost was also ACSA decided upon, all without the Pool Residents’ input. These Pool Residents pay for all Pool costs, have total Pool responsibility, and have total Pool liability.

Finally for now, it appears that payment for Aquarina’s amenities’ use costs must be cash or having a credit/debit card on file with AGI. Further, Marching Orders appear to exist on how restaurant reservations are made, and how seating exists. Again, all these control procedures are sourced through “Club AGI” and it’s sponsor, the ACSA.

Aquarina really needs professional management for its golf course, and an established restaurant lease paying tenant for its $1M plus renovated sports bar.