- December 4, 2025
Palm Coast’s City Council has decided to give the Palm Harbor Golf Course until March to get in shape before it considers outsourcing its operations or selling.
The council reviewed options to either begin the request for proposal process to sell the golf course, to send out an RFP to outsource the golf course operations, or to keep the course under city management. Despite the course operating at loss for the majority of the years its been under city ownership, and multiple discussions on potentially selling the golf course, the council decided to keep the course under city management and review operations next March.
“My position is that we give staff that year. Let the new fees and the new hours and all of those things really have a chance to affect change,” Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri said.
At the same time, the city will begin the bid process to see about changing outsourcing operations. In the spring of 2026, the council will evaluate both the RFPs and city management at the same time and then the council will decide how to go forward.
Councilman Charles Gambaro pushed to begin the RFP process for selling the course, just to see what kind of bid the city might receive. He said the city could put in place restrictions on the sale to prevent the course from ever being developed and to keep it a golf course.
“We have an opportunity to finally stop the bleeding of millions and millions of dollars while at the same time we collect uh additional taxpayer dollars,” Gambaro said.
Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri, Mayor Mike Norris, and Councilman Dave Sullivan were against selling the course.
Norris and Pontieri both suggested the city wait and see how the new management and rate changes would affect the course’s losses before going with an RFP. But neither were willing to sell.
“To me, I'm never going to agree to sell the golf course,” Norris said. “It's just not going to happen.”
But the chance will not be without growing pains. Recreation Manager Dennis Redican said in September he intends to bring back a presentation that will propose increases to the green and cart rates.
This is after the city already increased the group rate this year from $43 to $46. In the spring, golfers at Palm Harbor also introduced a 3% credit card processing fee and, effective May 1, an increase to the summer rate and range token.
But Redican has also added two extra morning tee times and three afternoon and twilight times to take advantage of the daylight hours. Redican is also proposing the city extend cart usage and range hours, possibly removing the league rate and adding additional programs for kids.
Many golfing residents showed up at Aug. 26 workshop in support of keeping the golf course under city management. Several said they would not mind paying more to keep the course.
“I think all of us are willing to pay just a little bit more to make it a better golf course,” said Billy Wood, a member of the Palm Harbor men’s golf association.
Councilman Ty Miller said he could see the benefits of pursuing an RFP.
“I'd still be okay with an RFP, either for outsourcing operations or for the entire thing, just so we have more information about it,” Miller said. “Ultimately though, my intent is that it stays a public golf course in Palm Coast.”
Pontieri said she felt putting out an RFP for a sale of the golf course would be a blow to both the staff, who have been “working very hard to show us they can turn things around,” and the residents.
“They treasure this course,” Pontieri said. “Our community has treasured this course for a really long time and it's almost like we're putting a price tag on something that's priceless.”
