Palm Harbor Golf Course Gets Final Permit Ruling
St. John River Water Management District permitting process has been holding up Palm Coast’s plans to rehab the Palm Harbor Golf course. Not any longer.
Palm Coast, Florida – August 22, 2008 – Palm Coast Friends of Golf reported to their members today that construction bids for the course renovation will go out shortly. Here is their report.
To All Friends of Golf:
A bit of sunshine on an otherwise dreary day…..St. Johns River Water Management District has made a “no-permit required” determination for the Palm Harbor Golf Course project, which clears the way for the long-awaited beginning of construction. Final plans have been completed and were awaiting only this go-ahead from SJRWMD to get things underway.
Requests for bids will go out in early September to contractors who have been pre-qualified for the first phase of the work (excavating, clearing, irrigation and general shaping of the golf course). Shortly after that, the second round of bid requests will be made for the second and third phases (cartpaths and grassing). All of this leaves us pretty much on track with the timeline which was sent out to you last month …….construction to begin in late October or early November with a goal of opening the course for play on Labor Day 2009.
A schedule has also been developed for the selection of a management company to handle daily operations of the course. A Selection Committee has been formed and includes two members of the Friends of Golf Steering Committee. Proposals from potential candidates are to be received by September 25 and from there a short list will be derived and evaluated with final selection made in mid-October. It is expected that a contract will be finalized by October 31 and reviewed by City Council in mid-November, with a contract start date of December 1.
When Palm Harbor initially opens it will be with a temporary clubhouse located on the existing parking lot. Discussions have been started with the County regarding County involvement in building a permanent clubhouse. The City will present options for the County to consider in this regard. Without County involvement, preferred rates and advanced tee times will be available only to residents of the City of Palm Coast.
Good news at last……….there IS a light at the end of the tunnel!!
Management Company
I would hope that it WOULD NOT be Hampton Golf! They have golf in this area screwed up enough.
See ya! Down the middle — Golf I
Nancys’ Navy, Arnies’ Army, 19th Hole Celebration
Can we ask please who are the ‘Friends of Golf’? We’re guessing members of Nancys’ Navy since Palm Coast is/was the ‘Homeport’ for them? Can you please share a little about yourselves with us?
We ask because we note that you seem very active and have given an ‘opening’ time frame. We note this will almost coincide with the 40th Birthday of Palm Coast.
Can we ask if their will be a Celebration or Parade to mark this or these two occasions? After all, Palm Coast started as the 100,000 + acre Largest Planned Community in the United States.
We also aak because the 19th Hole holds special significance: it was the second place the Original Pioneers met for ‘Town Talk’ and ‘Town Meetings’. The first area was the ‘First Neighborhood Park’ on Cooper Lane.
Colonel Lynn Wickland and his wife Josephine would ring their Town Crier Bells and Raise the Flags on the Flagpole at their home on Clark Lane , indicating the start of the very first ‘Town Meetings.’ ( You could SEE his Flagpole from far away, since there weren’t any large trees in the Core Neighborhood then…BTW his flagpole is still there)
Colonel Wickland would *Ring* his "Town Crier Bell’ and say ‘Oyez..Oyez..Oyez…bring a chair…Oyez…Oyez..Oyez…bring a chair. Then the first several dozen Palm Coast Pioneers would grab their Lawnchairs and walk down Casper Drive and Clark Lane to the "Neighborhood Park" for ‘Town Talk’ carrying usually turquoise or deep forest green or bright yellow webbed aluminum folding lawnchairs. This is how the Palm Coast Civic Association started. Thereafter, more newer Pioneers moved into Collins, Cerrudo, and Carr; then the 19th Hole opened and was used – it had a ROOF! ..and Ceiling Fans! and Seating! Colonel and Jospehine Wickland would use their Golf Cart, along with a few others in the Original Core Neighborhood that owned Carts, to go to the ‘Town Meetings’. Dr. J. Norman Young insisted that the resident Pioneers, who owned Golf Carts, could use them on the Golf Course once it opened. He was very kind, but, it was also very good business acumen since ‘The Companys’ ..’
Guided Tours’ went through the original Core Neighborhood.
Much later on, this Policy was helpful. A few families had to surrender their car keys because of aging. They used theirs or Colonels Wickland Cart for "social visits’ and to go to the little First Convenience store for fresh bread and milk, and occasionally to the 19th Hole for a balanced Meal and Social. They kept their *dignity* that way avoiding or postponing Nursing Home placement that way. It was a very nice Policy we once had.
Later, the Homes in the ‘Exhibit Area’ near the Welcome Center Tower, and the Yacht and Swim Club were used for all sorts of meetings and social activities since the Comminity was growing.
We share all this not to bore you, but rather to ask if perhaps , at the opening celebration of the 19th Hole, and if there is not going to be a Birthday Party Celebration Parade for Palm Coast, can each of the Clergy in Palm Coast perhaps be available for a just little service to pay respect to the ‘Original Pioneers’ that started it all.
Seems so strange that the Pioneers very eagerly awaited , with great anticipation, the opening of the 19th Hole…now its’ happening yet again. Thank You.
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