A proposal to redevelop a long-closed golf course in Margate is drawing pushback from nearby residents who fear the project could bring pollution, traffic and a loss of open space to their neighborhood.
Neighbors raise environmental and traffic concerns
Jeff Breslin, whose home was built on the now-shuttered Carolina Golf Course on Rock Island Road about 30 years ago, said he worries about what will happen to the property if hundreds of townhomes, commercial space and green areas are built there.
“This is a golf course with 30 years of chemicals on the ground and in the canals,” Breslin said, adding that the added density could worsen traffic in the area.
At a city review committee meeting earlier this year, an attorney for the developer acknowledged residents’ concerns and said the project team would work with the community to address them.
Aging clubhouse reflects years of decline
The Carolina course, once a centerpiece of the community, has been closed for seven years. Its once-storied clubhouse now sits rundown—the clock stopped, windows covered with plywood, and birds roosting on the roof.
As available land becomes scarcer in Broward County and demand for new housing continues to climb, aging golf courses have become prime targets for redevelopment.
Redevelopment trend spreads across Broward
Turning golf courses into housing is not new in Broward. The former Oak Park Golf Course in Oakland Park now has hundreds of homes. In Tamarac, the city’s planning board recently approved 50 townhomes on part of the Woodmont Golf Club.
Meanwhile, residents in Pompano Beach’s sprawling Palm Aire community are worried that one of their courses could also be converted into new housing.
Debate over land use continues
Breslin said he understands the need for more housing in Broward but believes there should still be room for golf.
“I would think it would take $5 million to bring it back as a golf course,” he said. “But to a builder, it’s worth $25 million.”
One Margate city commissioner told CBS Miami that changing the land use could violate the city’s comprehensive plan. The Margate City Commission is scheduled to consider the rezoning proposal on Nov. 5.
