SARASOTA – The Sarasota city commission gathered Tuesday afternoon to finalize a decision on the renovation of the 300 acre Bobby Jones Golf Club. The 3 to 2 vote, expands the interest of the community beyond golfers and creates a course for beginners and older adults. The design would also include trail connections and some recreational features such as a disc golf course, a playground and lawn bowling space.
“It reduces the number of holes, while increasing public access, increasing environmental habitat, increasing water quality, as well as flood prevention,” says President of Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, Christine P. Johnson.
The proposed design would feature 27 holes of golf and grow the park footprint to 130 acres. While preserving and enhancing the initial Donald Ross design and place more emphasis on natural features.
“This decision will clean up storm water in a major way, and with over two thousand trees to be planted, it will help clean up the air. So it’s a real statement about this community’s mindset in terms of the importance of cleaning up our environment, protecting Sarasota bay, and the Gulf of Mexico and the quality of life that most people are here to enjoy,” says City Manager, Tom Barwin.
The city is also partnering with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast to designate the site as public parkland in perpetuity.
