Reopening expected by July 4
The Bobby Jones Golf Club Nature Trails will close temporarily to the public beginning Wednesday, May 10, while demolition crews remove structures in preparation for the golf course renovation, the City of Sarasota has announced.
The trails are expected to reopen by July 4, a city news release says. “During the temporary closure, the public is encouraged to enjoy other nature trail options in the City, including Arlington Park and the recently opened Mangrove Walkway [on the city’s bayfront],” the release adds.
The existing structures at the golf course will be removed to make way for the Bobby Jones Golf Club master plan improvements, including a restored 18-hole Donald Ross course, a 9-hole executive course, new clubhouse, a new nature park with walking and bicycle trails, and a regional playground, the release explains.
The city is soliciting interested parties to negotiate a proposal for the renovation and/or future golf operations, the release notes. “The City Commission is expected to consider proposals and options this summer,” the release says.
“Negotiations also are continuing with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast to place a conservation easement on the nearly 300-acre Bobby Jones property, which serves as a vital regional watershed,” filtering millions of gallons of stormwater before it flows into Sarasota Bay, the release points out. “The easement would preserve the green space in perpetuity for golf, light recreation, and natural lands.”
The Donald Ross course, which opened to the public in 1926, was named after legendary amateur golfer Robert Tyre Jones Jr. in 1927, the release notes.
For more information visit the Bobby Jones Golf Club website.