Palm Harbor Golf Course Construction Update

Work has begun on the Palm Harbor Golf Course and progress is visible.

Palm Coast, Florida – December 18, 2008 – The Friends of Golf has issued an update for its members detailing construction progress on the City of Palm Coast’s recently acquired golf course. The course was "gifted" to the city by Centex as part of an agreement facilitating Centex’s departure from the local area. Centex had closed the course, planning to refurbish it as part of a larger condominium and hotel project. The project stalled in the downturn of the real estate market.
 
The communication from the Friends of Golf is so complete, I’ll simply reproduce it here as a public service for GoToby.com readers, with special thanks to the Friends of Golf.
 


 
To all Friends of Golf
 
As you know, the City awarded contracts for the renovation of the Palm Harbor Golf Course in November. Work started several weeks ago. If your day took you over to Clubhouse Drive I’m sure you’ve seen the activity on the old 5th hole as well as 16, 17 & 18.
 
The first stage was the killing of all the grass in anticipation of scraping all the old top soil. This was required to remove the old built-up organic material which would have impeded the growth of the new turf. The scraping has been done and you can see the result on old #5. The next step will be the rough shaping of the fairways, tees, greens and bunkers. Following that, the irrigation system will be installed followed by the final shaping and sprigging (planting grass). If you drive by #5, you may see that there are three strips which were not scraped. We asked and were told it was because of underground electrical cables. They’ll be scraped by hand, a much safer operation.
 
The major work being done right now is the shaping of #’s 15, 16 and 18 and the digging of a pond on #17
 
Florida Palm Coast Palm Harbor Golf Course hole 7The pond on # 17:
 
The dirt from the pond is being used to raise the 15th and 16th fairways to eliminate the drainage problems we used to experience.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Florida Palm Coast Palm Harbor Golf Course hole 15The view down the 15th fairway from the tee. Notice all the material being dumped on the left side.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The 18th green had to be moved because of the Centex property line. Therefore, although the hole will play a bit shorter, the tee was moved back as well and some bunkers added on the right side to give "character".
 
Florida Palm Coast Palm Harbor golf hole 18Here’s a view down the 18th fairway from the tee. Notice the berms on the right side. Those will be the faces of the bunkers.
 
 
 
The construction crew will be on a 2 week hiatus over the holidays and will be back at work after the 1st of the year. We’ve been assured that all is on schedule for a Labor Day opening.
 
The City is in the final stages of selecting a management company and expects to approve a contract with the winning bidder at a City Council meeting shortly after the first of the new year.
7 replies
  1. John
    John says:

    Golf Course

    Based on the current economic sitiuation you would think the city would have tried to do the course on the CHEAP. The course may only be open for 7 years, it was reported initially that the course may revert to other uses in 7 years. The course in my opinion will not generate enough money to support itself. There are golf courses all over the country that are sitting vacant because they can’t cover exoenses. Golf has been declining for the last 10 years. The opening of this course will simply shift money from North Hampton course to this one. The ywo remaining courses will then tank. The course at Grand haven is not being properly maintained and the Matanza Couese was closed, possibly for good. The Grand Club now has 150 + members who are not renewing memberships or are attempting to resign,

    I’m afraid that this will be another tennis type fiasco only on a much larger scale.

  2. George Meegan
    George Meegan says:

    Form weeds to rough grade

    Yes, I’m impressed that things are moving right alone. I drove through yesterday and saw the stacks of piping, ready to be placed before final grade. At this rate it should be sodded and looking good for summer of 2009. The real estate in the immediate area is primed for a jump in value as the course gets ready to reopen. Those three car garage homes are all set for their own golf carts if they are allowed. The new higher elevations will give it a better rating than the flatter grades prior.

  3. ScratchgolferPC
    ScratchgolferPC says:

    Public Golf badly needed.

    It is good to see a public course coming to life for Palm Coast. This will synergistcally inhance the Palm Coast life style that residents expected when moving here. Semi and private clubs aside every community needs this type of facility to teach youth, attract residents, enhance housing and encourage a healthy life style with walking if allowed I hope it is as walkers play faster.Palm Coast needs an affordablely run facility without the fancy club house and without the expense. Run correctly this public facility will turn return revenue to the city and give its citizenship a place to be proud of.

  4. George Edward Chuddy
    George Edward Chuddy says:

    Palm Coast Golf Course

    ….. In 1971 onwards hundreds , if not thousands or people took a ‘Guided Tour’ offered by ‘The Company’. ( offered through 1976 until the FTC stopped them) We all selected after careful and mature thought the specific locations of our homes and or Lots, whether for investment, for a second home , or for retirement. The initial ‘Core’ area cost hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars above DOUBLE the price of a generic/standard lot.
    A five mile Beach, miles and miles of Canals, and Four Golf Course Community ( and yes, Matanzas Golf Course was indentified, advertised and promoted also since it was one of the ‘Four Sisters Golf Courses) The Community was advertised ‘… with a density of 2.5 per acre…less than that of Beverly Hills…’was advertised and promoted with any and all kinds of Advertising. This Advertising was even done internationally. The Community was promoted as the largest planned community in the Nation; the largest planned Community in the world, and according to the Federal Trade Commision ‘Consent Agreement’ of December 1976 prohibited use of these terms along with a lot more. For those new to the area and seek add’tl information it is: Federal Trade Commission Decisions, December 31, 1976. Volume 88, Findings, Opinions, and Orders Docket # c-2854, International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation, etc.al. 933(pg). This is what the sales were all about and which ‘shaped’ the Community if anyone is interested in the ‘Sense of Place’.
    The first Core Owners were promised a Full Professional Rolling Golf Course, a Yacht Club (demolished) , a Swim Club (demolished) , a Tennis Club ( replaced by the hi rise Parking Garage), a ‘Contempoary Clubhouse’ with adjoining putting green ( derelict) , the Swim to Golf Dock ( which enabled peope to boat over to the Course to play Golf or to Socialize with us, now, NO TRESPASSING) (and the Driving Range adjoining the Parking Lot ( now apparantly sold or something, along with the Cooper Lane street Clubhouse and putting Green – also apparently sold ot transformed or some such also). We chose and selected, since we were amongst the first purchasers, the end of Clark Lane. This was selected because it would be less travelled than Casper Drive; because it would be adjacent to the first ‘Neighborhood Park’ ( now derelict ), and within easy walking distance on Casper Drive to our Contemporay Clubhouse, putting green, Boat to Golf Dock, and driving range. ) All the early Pioneers had use of their own Golf Carts, and that was a biggie for many, since as some Pioneers advanced in age and had to surrender their car keys, they were able to use Golf Carts to go to the little store for frech milk and bread and go to the Clubhouse for some Social, thereby postponing or even avoiding Nursing Home Placement. The Emilians and others did this. Al Emilian gave in his car keys to hisvintage Porsche, and they would go around the Core Area, in the Golf Cart, for groceries and for social; it was a very nice thing we had last Centruy. As an aside, the announcement for the Gargantuan development was made at the Princess Place Reserve in June 1969 so that means that in a matter of weeks Palm Coast will be celebrating its legimate 40th Birthday Happy 40th Birthday US!
    The original Tennis Courts, (which we now have that massive Parking Garage) was used when ITT was promoting their ‘Time Shares’ , consequently ‘the Players Club’ was placed in lieu of this, which, The Players Club, the finest Club in the Nation, is now sadly going derelict and yet another component of ‘recreaton’ gone -.
    The above were what were were pledged and promised; and enforced by the FTC ‘Order’. – thats how the Publix Shopping Center came, the FULL paving of St. Joe Grade/Road, now labelled Palm Coast Parkway. the I-95 Interchange was Ordered, and the 40 acres in the Industrial Park, with the 5,000 sq. ft. Buiiding for Commercial Use to attract and be ready for Businesses. ‘… (3) a multi-purpose office structure located within the office and research park area referred to in (2) herein, which shall have a total floor space of at least 5,000 square feet: ( This FTC Ordered Commercial / Business Building was the one occupied for a long time by the city)
    As an aside, if you are at St. Joe Grade/ Road, and look up Florida Park Drive, ( by Joe Corgans’ Home Care Pharmacy) that is the general entrance area to Brigadeers General Jose Hernandez third Plantation – St. Josephs Plantation. So, for those new arrivals living in that area – Congradulations..your living on a ‘Plantation’. Can you imagine travelling by Horse and Wagon from the St. Joe’s Canal going towards Old Kings Road, making a *right* on Florida Park Drive to go to the ‘Plantation’ Imagine how hard that must have been –
    Anyway…For Decades we walked and enjoyed the Core Neighborhood, the Golf Course Pump House on Casper and CooperLane intersection ( apparently now sold too) and the Palm Coast Golf Course, we never saw drainage issues, after all, if there were some minor ones early on, Jim Amick or later, Nancy Lopez, if not ITT ICDC would have corrected them immediately! . For those new to the area, the Golf Course was fed by the Pump House ( apparently sold also ) from pipes from Ribbon Lake.
    We hope you all enjoy the news and information above; and we are overjoyed to hear updates about our Golf Course since no one has ever contacted us or any of the many others who have a warm space in our hearts – a ‘special interest’ in it, who paid for the Contemporary Clubhouse and full Golf Course initially. Oh well, perhaps people have been busy with the Holidays-
    Merry Christmas Everyone!
    A Special ‘Holiday Greenings’ for our neighbours in Matanzas who are in pain – honestly, your horrid situation trouble us alot so – We truly wish you a Blessed Christmas and Holidays – again, remember..you are part of the original Olde Towne Palm Coast…and the positive thing is you are in the area designed and Engineered to withstand a 100 year flood. So..hang in there Matanzas neighbours – one never knows what nice things may be forthcoming –
    George Edward Chuddy
    https://palmcoastcorehomes,tripod.com
    chuddy@bestnetpc.com

  5. George Edward Chuddy
    George Edward Chuddy says:

    Palm Coast Golf Course B

    Oops..we apologize, in our haste to type we did an oops. We apologize. Above should read: ‘…Largest ‘New Town’ in the World..’.**
    ( Brasilia – South America) now has us beat now at 1,000,000 Acres and we think St. Petersburgh, Russia, is still the largest planned Community in the World)
    ** At least the real original 93,000+ Acres Palm Coast held the Title: Largest Planned Community in the Nation’ – until 1976 (when the Federal Trade Commissions’ ORDERS to Stop)
    OH OH OH…even tho’ you are listed as ‘Future Golf Course’ on our Advertising Promotions/Advertising ‘Maps’ you are still special the special of the Four Sisters to us! Why, because we slmost bought a few more extra lots there so we feel you pain –
    Don’t give up just yet Matanzas Friends and Family, ok?
    Happy Holidays Toby!
    Happy Holidays Everyone!
    and…its getting real close: Let us be the first to say: Happy 40th Anniversary Palm Coast!
    Now, European Village or someone…will you please have a Blow Out 40th Party and Parade –
    How about a 40th Anniversary Mad Hatters Party – everyone wears Palm Coast Colors- Blue Jeans, White shirts/Polos T’s and WILD and CRAZY Bright Orange Accented Caps and Hats? Maybe combine it with the opening of the Palm Coast Golf Course?
    Lets’ have a Parade too! after all, Levittown had told us they had a Blow Out Party, Fashion Show, Floats, Parade, etc. for their 40th in prep for the big 5 0.
    Palm Coast needs it!
    TTYL –

  6. Paul
    Paul says:

    Why a management co.?

    Management companies are ,in my and many others opinion,bad for golf.As an example,look at the "Grand Club".The company has made great promises.While the economy is the culprit in many of the failed promises,the bottom line is the mgmnt.wants to sell real estate so golf takes a back seat.What is needed is a good Club Pro. to run the everyday operation and a GOOD greenskeper to work with the pro and maintain the course.The course is NOT going to be profitable for a few years,but if run and maintained properly could be a real asset to the city.Is there a managment co. for the tennis complex?A lot of money was spent there also.However I uderstand it is well run and doing rather well.Perhaps the city should back off a bit and check further into the managment proccess of the golf course. Thank You Paul

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