West Palm Beach officials could be just a couple of months away from finalizing lease negotiations with a developer to take over a piece of a city-owned golf course for development, according to a spokesman.
The 25-acre site at the West Palm Beach Golf Course could become a five-story, 80-100 room hotel and a Topgolf destination with a high-tech driving range.
There also would be “a mix of appropriate residential development,” which is likely to be apartments, according to city officials. The remaining 170 acres of the golf course would be left alone.
The contract, now being hashed out with developer West Palm Beach Golf Links, also known as American Links West Palm Beach, calls for construction on the southwestern corner of the course. The city would continue to own the land and lease it to the developer, who would foot the estimated $86 million pricetag to build.
The West Palm Beach Golf Course has been in its present location on Parker Avenue since 1947, according to its website. It was built in the 1920s then purchased by the federal government during World War II to enlarge the Palm Beach Air Force Base. The golf course was restored in 2009 by 10-time PGA Tour Champion Mark McCumber.
It also is a designated “Florida Historic Golf Trail,” part of a program of the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, focused on enhancing awareness of the state’s historic golf courses and appreciation for historic preservation and Florida history.
Topgolf, a Dallas-based company, has 42 locations across the country, the United Kingdom and Australia, according to Topgolf spokeswoman Morgan Schaaf, who confirmed the company is “actively working on securing a venue” in West Palm Beach.
Topgolf opened its first driving range and entertainment center in South Florida late last year, with a 65,000-square-foot facility in Miami Gardens. There, golfers can hit micro-chipped balls inside a three-story structure, and a tracking system tells them when they’ve scored.
Other pending Topgolf locations include Dubai, its first location in the Middle East, which is expected to open next year, Schaaf said.
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