Drive For Change At Florida Golf Courses
Phil Smith looks across all that green space behind Coral Ridge Country Club in northeast Fort Lauderdale Florida and sees spectacular possibilities.
The Florida golf course's majority owner imagines a small, upscale residential development in the middle of the course in a way that turns more than a handsome profit for his partnership. He sees it offsetting costs of a major renovation of the Florida golf course and returning the dazzle to the tarnished jewel that famed golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. opened 50 years ago.
Smith sees a revitalized world-class country club making the entire Coral Ridge community sparkle while driving up home values in adjoining neighborhoods.
While many of Coral Ridge Country Club's 350 members welcome the prospect of gaining a new course, a giant new clubhouse and new fitness center for substantially less than it would cost them without the housing development, some of Smith's neighbors don't share his vision.
All they see is trouble.
They see more green space disappearing.
They see Coral Ridge Country Club's plan leading to the demise of American Golfers Club, the only golf facility open to the public in Fort Lauderdale.
They see more traffic, congestion and all the problems that come with increased density.
Ultimately, they see anti-development forces rising up as the stakes heighten in a city struggling to control growth.
"People have really strong feelings about this on both sides," Mayor Jim Naugle said. "There are different constituencies, and we're getting letters and e-mails from all of them. It's not the biggest issue we've had, but it's a big one."
That's because development is such a politically charged issue.
"It's our biggest challenge right now," Naugle said.
Smith and his partners propose to build 61 homes valued at $1 million or more on the property north of Oakland Park Boulevard between Federal Highway and Bayview Drive.
They bought Florida golf course Coral Ridge Country Club 18 months ago from Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Rees Jones, the sons of the famed architect who died in 2000. The brothers are accomplished golf course architects in their own right, and Rees is poised to design Coral Ridge's makeover.
Smith's partnership also bought American Golfers Club, which runs along the western boundary of the country club off Federal Highway. Though privately owned by the Jones family, it was a public facility.
While American's driving range remains open, the executive and pitch-and-putt courses have been closed since Hurricane Wilma hit last October. Smith's plan is to close the entire Florida golf course to make room for most of the country club's back nine to be rerouted around the new housing development.
"I've seen the plans for the country club, and I can't imagine it not being the cornerstone of northeast Fort Lauderdale and one of the crown jewels of Fort Lauderdale itself," said Kenny Larsen, a 10-year club member who lives off the seventh hole.
Smith, 58, is seeking to elevate Coral Ridge's reputation. Members complained that Florida golf course's conditions deteriorated significantly under the ownership of the Jones brothers.
Smith owns 17 auto dealer franchises in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. He lives in Coral Ridge and is a longtime member of the club.
His ownership group has proven political clout with minority partners, including Broward County Commissioner Jim Scott, the former president of the state Senate, and Scott's law partner, Norman Tripp, former chairman of Fort Lauderdale's Downtown Development Authority. It also includes Terry Stiles, the prominent developer and CEO of Stiles Corporation, lawyer Matt Morrall and J.J. Sehlke as managing partner.
The Florida golf course's majority owner imagines a small, upscale residential development in the middle of the course in a way that turns more than a handsome profit for his partnership. He sees it offsetting costs of a major renovation of the Florida golf course and returning the dazzle to the tarnished jewel that famed golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. opened 50 years ago.
Smith sees a revitalized world-class country club making the entire Coral Ridge community sparkle while driving up home values in adjoining neighborhoods.
While many of Coral Ridge Country Club's 350 members welcome the prospect of gaining a new course, a giant new clubhouse and new fitness center for substantially less than it would cost them without the housing development, some of Smith's neighbors don't share his vision.
All they see is trouble.
They see more green space disappearing.
They see Coral Ridge Country Club's plan leading to the demise of American Golfers Club, the only golf facility open to the public in Fort Lauderdale.
They see more traffic, congestion and all the problems that come with increased density.
Ultimately, they see anti-development forces rising up as the stakes heighten in a city struggling to control growth.
"People have really strong feelings about this on both sides," Mayor Jim Naugle said. "There are different constituencies, and we're getting letters and e-mails from all of them. It's not the biggest issue we've had, but it's a big one."
That's because development is such a politically charged issue.
"It's our biggest challenge right now," Naugle said.
Smith and his partners propose to build 61 homes valued at $1 million or more on the property north of Oakland Park Boulevard between Federal Highway and Bayview Drive.
They bought Florida golf course Coral Ridge Country Club 18 months ago from Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Rees Jones, the sons of the famed architect who died in 2000. The brothers are accomplished golf course architects in their own right, and Rees is poised to design Coral Ridge's makeover.
Smith's partnership also bought American Golfers Club, which runs along the western boundary of the country club off Federal Highway. Though privately owned by the Jones family, it was a public facility.
While American's driving range remains open, the executive and pitch-and-putt courses have been closed since Hurricane Wilma hit last October. Smith's plan is to close the entire Florida golf course to make room for most of the country club's back nine to be rerouted around the new housing development.
"I've seen the plans for the country club, and I can't imagine it not being the cornerstone of northeast Fort Lauderdale and one of the crown jewels of Fort Lauderdale itself," said Kenny Larsen, a 10-year club member who lives off the seventh hole.
Smith, 58, is seeking to elevate Coral Ridge's reputation. Members complained that Florida golf course's conditions deteriorated significantly under the ownership of the Jones brothers.
Smith owns 17 auto dealer franchises in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. He lives in Coral Ridge and is a longtime member of the club.
His ownership group has proven political clout with minority partners, including Broward County Commissioner Jim Scott, the former president of the state Senate, and Scott's law partner, Norman Tripp, former chairman of Fort Lauderdale's Downtown Development Authority. It also includes Terry Stiles, the prominent developer and CEO of Stiles Corporation, lawyer Matt Morrall and J.J. Sehlke as managing partner.
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