- May 21, 2026
Can Ormond Beach reopen its municipal golf course? Should it, even if the Federal Aviation Administration allows it?
These are questions several past and present Ormond Beach City Commissioners have ruminated on for the past almost six years since River Bend Golf Course closed its doors in December 2020, following a declaration of bankruptcy by its last operator.
Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie revisited the conversation at the commission's meeting on Tuesday, May 19, asking if the city could put out a bid document to gauge interest for a new operator.
"Can we just at least have an RFP that we could put out — as is without doing any kind of work to the property, any kind of building or construction — and just finding out if there is somebody out there that might be interested in this, so we can really put this topic to rest once and for all," Leslie said. "And it shows that we at least tried, and then we can kind of move on to whatever we're going to do with the property so that it can generate income that will go back into the Airport Fund."
But the 172-acre golf course sits on airport property, meaning reopening it isn't as simple as seeking a new operator — the Federal Aviation Administration needs to be on board. Before any non-aeronautical use of the property is considered, the FAA wants to see an update to the city's airport master plan projecting 20 years of aviation demand to show that a non-aeronautical use, like a golf course, won't interfere with current or future aviation needs. The city's current airport master plan runs through 2034.
When the golf course closed in 2020, federal policy didn't allow the use to automatically continue or be reestablished, City Economic Development Director Brian Rademacher said in an email to the Observer. The land use reverts back to being reserved for aviation purposes unless and until the FAA approves an alternative.
"In practical terms, that means the city is not in a position to move forward with proposals for non-aeronautical uses — such as a golf course redevelopment — until those FAA-required studies are finished and reviewed," Rademacher said.
And, if an interested operator is found, city officials say they would need to be willing to invest millions of dollars to rehab the golf course, without land ownership rights. A previous appraisal of the property estimated it would need $7 million in improvements.
Leslie asked if the city could sell the property, but that option would also need FAA approval and a master plan update.
"Let's not get too far over the skis, because the FAA is going to have an awful lot to say about it," City Attorney Randy Hayes said. " What they're likely going to want to know, 'OK city, if you sell it, what purpose are you going to sell it for?'"
City staff indicated anything the commission wants to do with the property is subject to FAA approval.
"From the FAA perspective, it's all about the airport — that's the bottom line," Hayes said.
Advisories issued by the FAA in 2020 and 2022 appear to dissuade golf courses near airports. The 2020 advisory states that golf courses attract hazardous wildlife that can pose a threat to aviation safety, and recommended against the new construction of golf courses if determined they would create such hazards.
The 2022 advisory additionally stated that uses such as golf courses that include water or wildlife habitat features "need to be prevented or mitigated."
On attracting a new operator, Leslie said there might be one out that doesn't want ownership of the land to avoid liabilities.
"I just think, though, that we owe it to the community to at least make an attempt to find somebody," he said.
Commissioner Travis Sargent said he asked about two years ago to get a "black and white" response from the FAA on whether or not the golf course can be reopened. Before putting out a bid, he said the city should pursue a concrete answer.
But the commission needs concrete information about future plans before the FAA says yes or no, Hayes said.
"We can ask again, and we'll probably get the same reply, which is going to be a non-answer to the question, really," Hayes said.
After some more discussion, the commission directed staff to send a letter to the FAA asking if the city could have a newly constructed golf course on the property.
"They may come back with a non-answer," City Manager Joyce Shanahan said.
In his email, Rademacher said that city officials' actions since the closure of the golf course have followed federal framework.
"That has included coordinating directly with the FAA, commissioning a professional land-use analysis, submitting required documentation, and avoiding unilateral decisions about the property’s future," he said. "In other words, the process has been driven by compliance requirements rather than local preference."
"At the same time, the city should consider a diverse strategy for the property that could support the airport’s long-term financial sustainability," Rademacher continued. "Dedicating more than 100 acres to a single user at past rental rates — roughly $100,000 annually — may not be the most effective way to maximize revenue, particularly given the airport’s need to repay prior capital investments borrowed from the general fund."
