6 days ago
This Florida city will spend $1.7 million to enhance Bobby Jones Golf Club, nature park
The city of Sarasota plans to spend $1.7 million to improve Bobby Jones Golf Club and supplement the publicly owned course's nature park for the wildlife, residents and the environment as a whole.
Even though Sarasota Parks and Recreation Director Jerry Fogle said Bobby Jones already has 'trails, amazing trees and beautiful wetlands that help filtrate the water,' the nature park improvements approved during the July 7 commission meeting will go toward:
• Shell trails
• Wayfinding signs
• Micro forest
• Boardwalk
• Peninsula overlook
• Trail overlooks
• Pavilion
• Pedestrian connection at 8th Street
• Pedestrian connection to 17th Street Regional Park (a future county park)
Although the city has high hopes for the upcoming improvements, not everyone shares the sentiment.
Martin Hyde, a frequent City Commission critic who has lived in Sarasota for almost 30 years, argued against city supporting the golf course operation with unrelated revenues. 'Bobby Jones has always lost money and the reason it doesn't show up in their accounts that they're losing money is because they take from city budgets and put it in there like it's real money,' he said.
Hyde added that although Sarasota is very wealthy overall, there is a significant part of the city that isn't, including Sarasota City Commission District 1, which includes an area formerly called Overtown, Sarasota's first documented African-American community. 'I've always said that the money would be better spent on District 1 daycare centers, and more help for the people that actively need it.'
The latest improvements, to be funded from park impact fees, follow the downsizing of the golf course and creation of a nature park that was approved in 2022 by the City Commission. The renovation included major drainage improvements and the conversion of nearly 100 acres of golf course into the park.
