Jax Beach Golf Club hosted a special ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, Nov. 9 to officially reopen the course after undergoing a 10-month, $2 million renovation project.
Located at 605 Penman Road. S. within the Wingate Park Sports Complex, the original course opened in 1960 under architect Sam Snead. Following the renovation — which started in January — the course now features an upgraded turf, an expanded driving range, modern drainage and irrigation systems, new golf carts equipped with GPS, enhancements to the clubhouse locker rooms, a new restaurant and more. Additionally, each of the 18 green sites have been completely reworked to give each hole its own identity.
Course Superintendent Trevor Hughes said he has received positive feedback from golfers on all the changes.
"All the feedback has been great," he said. "Everybody has been excited and ready to have their golf course back with conditions that they had never seen out here before, so it's definitely exciting.”
Jacksonville Beach Interim City Manager Karen Nelson said her role has been to guide the project and make sure it sticks to its allotted budget.
"I could not be more proud of the course," she said. "It's outstanding, it's beautiful, the clubhouse is beautiful."
Nelson went on to say she was also proud of the work the staff have put in over the last 10 months leading up to the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Bruce Mohler, the facility manager, said the new branding was his favorite aspect of the upgrades.
"You've got a local community here that's thirsty for this place to come to life," he noted. "They've been coming here when it wasn't so good, and they are just so excited to be a part of that excitement, to be a part of that restoration. No matter what happens, five years or 10 years, we've all been a part of this and that's something I'll never forget."
Annual memberships for the Jax Beach Golf Club cost $125 for Beaches Energy customers and $175 for non-Beaches Energy customers. Course hours are 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily during the winter and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during daylight savings time.
For more information, visit www.jaxbchgolf.com.
