Golf course work expected to be completed in November
The Bobby Jones Golf Club Nature Trails closed to the public on Feb. 1 to accommodate renovation of the City of Sarasota’s historic municipal golf course, the city announced.
The 18-hole Donald Ross golf course will be restored, and a new 9-hole adjustable course will be constructed, a news release reminds the public. In addition, a player development center, a large driving range, a short-game practice area and a clubhouse featuring a restaurant will be built, the release points out.
“Under the current construction timeline, the Donald Ross course restoration is expected to be completed and open to the public for play as early as this November,” the release adds. The 9-hole adjustable course should be finished in January 2023, the release says.
It is anticipated that the Nature Trails will reopen when the golf course construction has been completed, the release notes.
The City Commission unanimously approved the renovation plans in early January, following extensive discussion and public engagement over the past five years, the release adds. “The reconstructed golf course will be downsized from 45 holes to 27 and will include the framework for a 150-acre nature park designed to greatly improve regional water quality,” the release explains.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District approved a $1.5million grant for a wetlands and water quality improvement project on the site, the release points out. The City Commission approved up to $20 million for the golf course renovation.
The City Commission also unanimously approved a conservation easement for the 261-acre Bobby Jones property in partnership with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast. The agreement means the city-owned property “will remain a protected, preserved green space in perpetuity,” the release notes.