Renovations will modernize the course, improve maintenance and enhance play, all funded through green fees without tapping taxpayer dollars.
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The Delray Beach City Commission approved a $27 million renovation for its historic municipal golf course.Construction could start in November, temporarily closing the course until its expected completion in 2026.The project will be funded by revised green fees, not taxpayer dollars, making the course self-sufficient.Upgrades include renovated tee boxes, fairways, greens, and an updated clubhouse.
DELRAY BEACH — The Delray Beach City Commission has given the green light to a long-awaited renovation of the municipal golf course on Highland Avenue, aiming to preserve its historic character while modernizing facilities and addressing long-standing maintenance issues.
The project, which could begin as early as November, will temporarily close the course during construction and is expected to be completed by 2026. City officials said the $27 million renovation will be funded entirely through revised green fees rather than taxpayer dollars.
The course, originally designed by famed golf architect Donald Ross in the 1920s, will undergo a comprehensive upgrade, including renovated tee boxes, fairways, greens and an updated clubhouse.
City officials said public input played a central role in shaping the renovation plan. Staff noted that two town hall meetings, held in November 2024 and April 2025, provided opportunities to share details with residents and stakeholders about the anticipated project.
City Manager Terrence Moore said the city has also been working with Jupiter-based Sanford Ferris Golf Course Design for several months, with schematic presentations underway since last November.
“We are contemplating the initiation of renovations later this year and much of 2026,” Moore said, “and we will do more to inform the community, golf course residents, stakeholders, etc., so that everybody can be excited about the prospect moving forward.”
The renovation plan presented to the commission on Aug. 12 included a detailed presentation by the city’s financial advisors, Jay Glover and Joe Buckshon of Public Financial Management.
Buckshon walked commissioners through a rate study that analyzed the market for golf, course supply and demand, and comparable courses in the region. He noted that the Delray Beach Municipal Golf Course consistently sees more than 50,000 rounds per year and has active men’s and women’s golf associations.
“The sort of market for golf is very, very hot right now,” he said, noting that interest has surged among younger players even as the number of courses has declined nationally. Renovating existing facilities, he explained, is increasingly seen as the most viable path to maintain quality and competitiveness.
The rate study included a pro forma that incorporated revenues, expenses and projected debt service for the project.
Recommended peak-season fees for 2027 are $82 for residents and $107 for non-residents, roughly a 25% discount for local golfers. Rates for off-peak play and current permit holders are structured to remain competitive.
Buckshon emphasized that the projected revenue from these fees will cover debt service associated with the project, noting that “when you take depreciation out of the picture, 2027 we are sort of cash positive for the course and able to make the savings, the investments into things like future capital expenditures, for example, as part of the budget as well.”
Additional improvements outlined in the study included upgrades to irrigation and turf management, as well as enhancements to the course’s maintenance structure and practice facilities.
Buckshon said these changes would address long-standing maintenance challenges and improve overall course conditions. Commissioners responded positively to the presentation, noting the rate structure appeared feasible and could allow the course to operate self-sufficiently.
During the Aug. 12 commission meeting, Glover emphasized that the renovations would be funded entirely through golf course revenue.
“The main reason behind this study is to put a rate structure in place that will allow the golf course to be self-sufficient and not subsidized by the general fund,” he said.
Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.
