SARASOTA, Fla. — Residents and visitors in Sarasota are getting ready for Friday's grand opening of the new, environmentally friendly Bobby Jones Golf Course.
The renovated course, which previously had 45 holes, now features an 18-hole regulation course, a new concept nine-hole course for new golfers, and plenty of green space and nature trails. Ahead of the opening, it is already making a mark on some locals with new job opportunities before the first tee-off.
For 63-year-old Lawrence Whaley, the reopening of the now-restored historic Bobby Jones Municipal Golf Course is a new lease on life. He just started his new job as an attendant on the 307-acre property where he would spend the day prepping and giving out golf carts to the course's visitors.
"I've always done hard construction work all my life and I haven't worked in five years and to go to work again... I just want to go to work again, and be part of the community and part of life because sitting at home doesn't work," Whaley said through tears.
When he was younger, as a student at Sarasota High School, Whaley said he used to play golf at the course with his friends.
"Oh gosh, I played so much golf here. The first time I played was in 1976. I was in a golf class, me and my buddy who had a 125 Yamaha. I would ride on the back of it, holding our golf clubs and we would come out here and play," Whaley said.
The now improved golf course comes with a 300-yard driving range and lawn bowling as well as ADA-accessible nature trails on 90 acres of green space. Another set of key features is diversion weirs to help filter contaminated stormwater and prevent nutrients from getting into our waterways and causing issues like red tide.
"5800 gallons of urban runoff comes through here, so putting in the wetlands it's a great watershed that then cleans the water before it goes into Roberts Bay so it's extremely important," Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert said.
Renowned golf course architect Richard Mandell said he stayed true to the original 1926 "Don Ross design" and maintained the landscape's character.
"When I design a golf course, I think what about this site can I bring out? What is the genius of the place?" Mandell said.
The city of Sarasota took out a $20 million loan to fund the restoration, which would include the construction of a new clubhouse. Currently, the clubhouse is made of two temporary trailers, but when the new two-story structure is complete, it will come with retail spaces and a restaurant.
"Look how beautiful it is. I mean, good God man, this is like Florida's natural land. You don't find it, especially in downtown Sarasota," Whaley said.
The city of Sarasota is holding a re-opening ceremony at 9 a.m. on Friday. At 7 a.m. on Saturday, the golf course opens to the public but you have to call in your reservations to guarantee a tee-off spot.