DeSantis Cites The Park WPB Course For How Nonprofits Can Benefit From Golf

The state Department of Environmental Protection has withdrawn all proposals for development inside state parks.

The decision comes a day after Governor Ron DeSantis called the plans "half baked" and the agency says it will revisit "any park improvements, if needed, next year."

A nonprofit called "Folds of Honor" stood to benefit from three golf courses that would have been constructed at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound, but DeSantis says they still could find a way to do that.

"Take some of the existing courses that have been run down or abandoned, raise a bunch of money, make it something nice and then use that to help military and first responders. We saw an example of that in West Palm Beach."

He's referring to The Park, off Georgia Avenue. It was built where the city's municipal course once stood and offers special prices for residents.

According to an article in Golf Digest , Arnold Palmer won the 1959 West Palm Beach Open on the same site. But the old West Palm Beach municipal course closed in 2018 after it became dilapidated and there was no funding to fix it.

A group of golfers and golf enthusiasts raised $56 million to renovate the property and the new course opened last year. Tiger Woods was there to take the first commemorative tee shot.

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