April Update on Palm Harbor Golf Course from Frienda of Golf

April 17, 2008 – Palm Coast, FL – The steering committee of the Friends of Golf has been working to help the City with the Palm Harbor Golf Course project. While significant progress has been made, we’re sure you’re as anxious as we are to get this golf course open. Let us bring you up to date.

 

The City has applied to the St. John’s Water Management District for transfer of the existing permits to the City from the previous owner. The City’s position is that so little work will be done that no new permit has to be issued. To date, SJWMD has not responded to that request. The issue has been escalated in the City and resolution is expected in the next month or so.

 

In the meantime, the City is about to send out (this week) requests for qualifications to prospective contractors. This is to insure that only experienced golf course contracting companies are eventually awarded the construction contracts. As you know in these difficult economic times many contractors are looking for work, but it is essential that the contractors the City eventually picks are experienced not just in earth moving, but golf course construction. If not, Palm Harbor may have more characteristics of I-95 than Augusta National. Those requests for qualifications are due back on May 13th.

 

In the meantime, CEC, the City’s architects are preparing all of the bid specifications (they have already completed the grading plan, irrigation plan, etc..) and it is expected that the request for bids will go to the qualified bidders in late May. The City and CEC expect the bids to be awarded at the second June City Council meeting or at the latest, the first July meeting. That means we should see dirt moving in the July time frame. IF the water management district responds favorably (which the City thinks they will) and in a timely fashion.

 

While this is all good news, the bad news is that its doubtful that all the construction can be completed in time to get the grass in so that there are 100 days in the growing season of 2008. Consequently it is more likely that Palm Harbor will open in the first quarter of 2009 rather than the fourth of 2008.

 

In the meantime, the City is finishing up the scope of work that they will want from any golf course management company hired to run the course on a day to day basis. They expect to circulate bids and award a contract to run the new course in the same timeframe as the construction contracts.

 

As you can see, a fair amount of "behind the scenes" work has been done and the City folks should be applauded for all of their efforts. We’re all anxious to get out there and play a round and while nothing happens as quickly as we’d like, we’re sure it’ll be worth the wait.

 

Friends of Golf