Bobby Jones Golf Club Nature Trails Close Temporarily Wednesday

SARASOTA, FL — The Bobby Jones Golf Club nature trails will close temporarily to the public Wednesday while demolition crews remove structures in preparation for the golf course renovation, according to a news release from the city of Sarasota.

The trails are scheduled to reopen July 4. During the temporary closure, the public is encouraged to enjoy other nature trail options in the City, including Arlington Park and the recently opened Mangrove Walkway, the city said.

The existing structures at the golf course will be removed to make way for the Bobby Jones Golf Club master plan improvements, including a restored 18-hole Donald Ross course, 9-hole executive course, a new clubhouse, a new nature park with walking and bicycle trails, and a regional playground.

The city currently is soliciting interested parties to negotiate a proposal for the renovation and/or future golf operations. Proposals will be considered by the Sarasota City Commission this summer, the city said.

Negotiations also are continuing with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast to place a conservation easement on the nearly 300-acre Bobby Jones property, which serves as a vital regional watershed filtering millions of gallons of storm water before flowing into Sarasota Bay, the city said. The easement would preserve the green space in perpetuity for golf, light recreation and natural lands.

The Donald Ross course opened to the public in 1926 and was named after legendary amateur golfer Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. in 1927.