Revamped Bob Jones Golf Club and Nature Park to help keep Sarasota waters cleaner
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Bobby Jones Golf Club and Nature Park is made up of 300 acres in the middle of Sarasota, and the grand opening on Friday will welcome golfers and nature lovers alike.
"It’s certainly exciting for me, and I know it’s really exciting for the community that we have this golf course that is not only providing like a giant Central Park in our city," said Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert.
The property is also a significant floodplain, which is connected to the Phillippi Creek Watershed.
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"This carries about 5,800 gallons of urban runoff, comes through here, so putting in the wetlands it’s a great watershed that cleans the water before it goes into Roberts Bay. So it’s extremely important to have this," said Mayor Alpert.
Richard Mandell is the architect who used the original plans by Donald Ross. The course was downsized to 27 holes.
He created nature trails, and with the help of grants from The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 20 acres of wetlands were crafted by planting native grasses and nutrient filtering plants.
"The beginning was, how can we fix the drainage problems, so by the way, fixing those drainage problems will help benefit the community at large," said Mandell.
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A weir was built to divert storm water into the new wetlands, and the water eventually flows into Roberts Bay. It removes nitrogen and phosphorus, which could help with red tide mitigation.
"It’s a crucial piece of property for the City of Sarasota from a water management standpoint, and regardless of grants and permits, it’s my responsibility to bring out the genius in a sense," said Mandell.
Since 1927, the Bobby Jones Golf Course has been part of the community and welcomed those like Babe Ruth, Bobby Jones himself and now, future generations.
"This project benefits people that may not ever step foot on this property or know golf because of the storm water implications," said Mandell.
The community is invited to participate in the grand reopening celebration for Bobby Jones Golf Club and Nature Park from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Dec. 15. It's happening at the restored historic municipal golf course and new nature park located at 1000 Circus Boulevard.
The free, family-friendly event will include:
- Self-guided tours of the 199-acre golf course restored to the original layout as designed by famed golf architect Donald Ross
- Guided and self-guided tours of the 90-acre nature park
- Remarks from local dignitaries committed to enhancing water quality, conservation and recreation
- Ceremonial first ball tee-off and commemorative keepsake for the first 450 attendees