Palm Harbor Golf Club – Workshop Update (August 26, 2025)
Key Decisions & Council Direction
Short-term continuation under city management
The City Council voted to keep Palm Harbor Golf Course under municipal oversight through spring 2026, giving recent operational adjustments—such as fee changes and extended hours—a chance to demonstrate positive effects before considering outsourcing or selling.FlaglerLive+7Observer Local News+7Palm Coast Agendas+7Review timeline
Alongside continuing city management, the Council authorized launching a Request for Proposals (RFP) to explore outsourcing operational management. Both city-managed operations and potential proposals from private entities will be evaluated in spring 2026.Observer Local NewsDiverging views among Council members
Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri emphasized giving city staff “a year” to see results from rate and schedule changes.
Councilman Charles Gambaro advocated initiating the RFP process immediately, suggesting a sale or outsourcing, with safeguards to ensure the property remains a golf course. He noted that sale proceeds could include restrictions preventing future development of the land.FlaglerLive+3Observer Local News+3Palm Coast+3FlaglerLive+3Observer Local News+3Observer Local News+3
Mayor Mike Norris and others opposed immediate sale, expressing a preference to see results from the implemented improvements first. Norris notably stated:
“To me, I’m never going to agree to sell the golf course.”FlaglerLiveObserver Local News
Operational enhancements already underway
Staff—led by Recreation Manager Dennis Redican—has enacted several immediate changes:Introduced a 3% credit card surcharge on April 1, 2025.
Increased group rates (e.g., from $43 to $46).
Extended course hours by adding extra morning, afternoon, and twilight tee times.
Submitted plans for extending cart usage and range hours, dropping the league rate, and launching youth programming.Golf & Travel+13Observer Local News+13Palm Coast+13
Community sentiment
Several golfers and residents spoke out in favor of keeping the course public—even if it meant modest rate increases. One attendee remarked:“I think all of us are willing to pay just a little bit more to make it a better golf course.”Observer Local News+10Observer Local News+10FlaglerLive+10
Historical Context & Operational Snapshot
The Council has been reviewing Palm Harbor since January 2025, exploring options like diversifying revenue, conducting maintenance analyses, reviewing budgets, and drafting an RFP for potential sale.FlaglerLive+3Palm Coast Agendas+3FlaglerLive+3
In June 2025, the course’s appraised value was estimated at around $1.8 million. That meeting ended in a deadlock, with some members proposing a sale and others favoring retention.Observer Local News
Since acquiring the course in 2008, the city has recorded substantial operating deficits—e.g., about $436,000 in FY 2022–2023 and $168,000 in FY 2023–2024.FlaglerLive+3Observer Local News+3FlaglerLive+3
However, projections from later this year estimate the course could nearly break even and even generate a $93,000 surplus the following year—assuming operations remain efficiently managed.southernliving.com+3FlaglerLive+3