Palm Harbor Golf Course Reconstruction Moves Forward

The Friends of Golf report construction progress at Palm Coast’s municipal golf course.

Palm Coast, Florida – June 28, 2009 – The Palm Harbor Golf Course moves closer to its reincarnation as the areas only publicly owned golf course. Once one of the four jewels of the original Palm Coast golf venue, Palm Harbor lost its luster when its three sister courses were purchased by The Grand Club, an affiliate of LandMar, a local real estate developer. Ironically, the three sisters now struggle under the cloud of a depressed real estate market and LandMar’s bankruptcy. The Matanzas course remains closed for an indefinite period. Meanwhile Palm Harbor is being reborn.
palm harbor 17th greenThe picture at the right shows a view of the 17th green taken from across the newly dug pond behind 16. This water comes into play on 17 only from the back tee.
Not much more than a year ago, Palm Harbor’s fate was uncertain. It gradually declined as the only remaining course of the Palm Harbor Resort. Along came Centex with plans to build a new resort and reconstruct the golf course to be redesigned by Jack Nicklaus. Down came the old resort and golf clubhouse. The grass on the course was killed. Only one condominium building and a parking garage were built at the old resort site before the declining real estate market caused Centex to abandon their plans.
The angry response of residents (voters) quickly attracted the attention of the city government. Palm Coast worked out a deal with Centex. The city granted some concessions to Centex that would make the uncompleted resort project easier sell to another developer. Centex gave the golf course to the city. Since, Palm Coast has worked closely with citizen groups including the Friends of Golf to realize their goal of municipal golf course for Palm Coast residents.
Friday, three members of the Friends of Golf steering committee joined George Clifton of the Design Group renovating the course on a course tour. They report significant progress. Cart paths and irrigation are complete. Sodding of areas surrounding the tees, berms, and greens in virtually finished on (old) holes 10 thru 18. Fairways are being grassed using a process called sprigging.
palm harbor hand spriggingSprigging is sort of a combination of seeding and sodding. First, a material closely resembling hay is hand spread. After the sprigs are put down, a machine cuts the material into the soil. The area is then rolled. The process is rapid. Progress to date gives the Friends of Golf confidence that a Fall opening is assured.
2 replies
  1. George Meegan
    George Meegan says:

    Centex didn’t give it away

    They transfered title less some parcels they sold seperatly. The city had to give back the non refundable condo impact,($700,000 plus), and building permit fees for the abandoned Palm Harbor Marina land which still sits vacant.The golf course was to be part of the condo project.

  2. George Edward Chuddy
    George Edward Chuddy says:

    The Palm Coast Golf Course

    Such joyous news that things are progressing. For the new arrivals this Golf Course was first called the Palm Coast Golf Course. It was the first Golf Couse in Palm Coast. It was the first of the "FOUR Sisters" Golf Courses in the overall Design for ‘ ThePalm Coast.Project’ or 93,000 – 106,000 acres – first advertised as ‘…The Largest Planned Community in the Nation…’ and ‘…the Largest ‘New Town’ in the World…’. . The Golf Courses were Public and Semi Private, each with their own ‘Build Out ‘ Dates/Years. This way each Prospective Buyer could choose the Years and the ‘Community’ ( Palm Coast is comprised of Eleven Communities ) that they wished considering purchasing – contingent upon their own individual need – i.e. Vacation Home, Weekend- Get Away House, Retirement home, etc. The ‘Four Sisters’ in the original design plan were offered so everyone in Palm Coast could have access to all of the Recreational Areas – the intent of ‘The Palm Coast Project’. . The Palm Coast Golf Course later became known as ‘The Palm Harbor Golf Course’ and was one of the many pledged Amenities and their respective features offered initially by ITT Levitt; later ITT CDC. It was a required component for all Prospective Buyers to take the Companys ‘Official Guided Tour before signing their Florida Land Use/Public Offering Statement and Homesite Purchase Contract Agreements. Generic / Standard Lots started at 3,200; we purchased two of those, and Canal and Golf Course Premium Lots – the highest price for the Golf Course Location was $ 15,000 ( on the loop on Cooper Lane) that we know of for just the Golf Course Lot in 1970/1971. The Golf Course Premium Lots were in the ‘Showcase Neighborhood’ comprised of 164 homesites also known as ‘The Core’ – later Olde Towne Palm Coast. . The ‘Showcase Neighborhood’ was also a required part of the ‘Official Guided Tour’. We helped $ell 36,000 homesites in just a few years by being a component of the official ‘Guided Tour’. . Our Golf Course also brought the ‘Tournament of Champions’ early on; it was also the HOME Course for Golf Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez for many years. Her Home was in the Fairways Condos. On the other side of our beloved Golf Course was ‘The ITT Executive Area’" They are Cole Court and Courtney where the ITT Evecutives lived after the ‘Consent Agreement’ with the FTC of December 31, 1976. The Palm Coast Golf Course allowed us to own our own Golf Carts. We hope this will be restored to all the Golf Courses, after all, we are in competition with The Viillages – ‘Golf Free for Life’….and we should offer future Palm Coasters a little something to attract them here.
    The first Canal Premium Lots were offered on the North side of Clubhouse Drive. Canal Lots and Golf Course Lots initially were close in price; later the Canals jumped quite high. Our Golf Course Lot was $ 6,600 plus Home, now called "jobsite # 35" and recorded last year in the State of Florida Master Site Files as FL 819; the first Bible School, on Cerrudo was just recently recorded with the State of Florida Master Site file as FL 820. ( The FL stands for ‘Flagler County’ and the # is the uniqure site number assigned by the State in progression for Flagler County. ) RE: Matanzas Golf Course, was the last of the Golf Courses to be completed; it being always close to our heart; almost the way an older sister watches protectively out for the youngest sister. Consequently have passed on the information about the ‘Jefferson Davis Waterway’ and ‘Lake Success’ running through Matanzas, in our communications to the Administrator of Scenic A1A and the "National Heritage Area’ group who are now conducting a feasibility Study for ‘National Heritage Area’ recognition by Congress of the United States. We hope the information we passed on, amongst other efforts, will help Matanzas residents with a little Hope.
    As an aside Ms. Raffie Jenko, another Original Palm Coast Pionner, just closed up here summer house here on Casper, and is in her condo in N.J., she is very excited about her return to Palm Coast in the Fall, …she wants a ‘hot dog’ and Brew from the ’19th Hole’ ; as she says….those are the greatest Hot Dogs in Flagler…and we agree!
    It will be nice to have our Cherished and Historic Golf Course and features restored to its former charm and Beauty.
    Wishing everyone a joyous Fourth of July Holiday.
    George Edward Chuddy

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