Sale Of Keys Gate Golf Course Triggers Uncertain Future

  Keys Gate Golf Club is a grand concept that’s fallen on hard times. The course floods often. Mowers interrupt games. The fairways need attention. Poisonous online reviews warn of conditions, calling it ‘a weed farm infested with mosquitos’. For a time, only nine of the 18 holes were open. 

  Purchased for settlement in early October, golfing’s uncertain future at Keys Gate is up for grabs.

  The club buildings appear in good repair and golfers are there on weekends. A new general manager, Burt Webb, was brought in from Indiana in May to run the place. Banyan Tree, the upper level event facility, is leased to the Accursio operation from the Capri restaurant. A lower level taproom and man-cave, Bunkers, is again serving food. It only costs $25 to play 18 holes of golf at Keys Gate which is a bargain compared to other courses. 

  Local developer Wayne Rosen confirmed that he is the property purchaser.

  “Yes, I’m open to the golf course as a community amenity,” he said when asked. “I prefer the course remain open. The neighborhood could pay an association fee to rebuild the course. The Clubhouse is in good shape.”

  Rosen owns or controls most of the acreage still slated for additional development surrounding the golf course. Estimates are the 1987 Keys Gate Clubhouse sits on 140 acres including the lakes and Clubhouse. 

  Kim Green is President of the Keys Gate Community Association (KGCA), the three-member Board that oversees all 15 neighborhoods in the Keys Gate area.  She framed the issue quickly. 

  “The golf course is losing money,” she said. “The company buying the golf course is spending $4.3 million for it, which is more than the assessed value, as it protects the property around it.

  “The issue is: are the residents willing to pay recreation fees to run the Golf Club,” Green said.

  A relevant section of the Keys Gate Declaration of Master Covenants allows the developer to make additional land part of Keys Gate without homeowner consent prior to final turnover to the community. 

  Rosen referred to Patrick Gleber as his spokesman for this project. 

  Gleber is the developer-appointee on the KGCA Board. He explained that the 15 neighborhoods each have a delegate to represent their individual communities before the Board. 

  “I had several meetings with delegates and homeowners in the past weeks,” said Gleber. “I asked two questions, is the golf course important to Keys Gate?  Everyone in the community said it was.

  “The second question is, if it’s important, what is the maximum amount of money any neighborhood is willing to pay to run that Club as a community amenity,” he continued. “That answer isn’t clear.”

  Gleber said his job is representing the communities on the Board.

  “No one expects the golf course to be operated if it’s losing money, but if there is not enough support to fix it up and run it, then it would have to close,” he added.

  “I told them it was their decision,” he added. “There would not be any deal unless the vast majority of folks commit to it.”

  The golf course land is zoned for multi-home development if not maintained for golfing. That standard is 10 units per acre, or about 900 homes in place of Keys Gate Golf Club.

  “We would have to seriously consider hiring legal help and fighting this if the purchaser closes the golf course and plans 900 houses for it,” said William Thibault, a Keys Gate resident and delegate for the Fairways neighborhood. 

  “We contend the golf course is important to the whole community of Homestead,” he continued. “The City would want to be cognizant of what is transpiring and even be a possible purchaser of the land.  Managed correctly, that course could be a profit center as in other towns.” 

  “Wayne may close it all except for the upstairs,” Gleber concluded, referring to Rosen. “But he has choices and that’s what we talked about in the neighborhood meetings.”

  Gleber’s rough estimate is it could cost more than $3.5 million to repair the golf course including reconstruction of ancient irrigation and fixing the landscaping plan of the Canadian golf expert hired for the original design.   

  The community meetings gave voice to what people want to see in a neighborhood facility. 

  “They mentioned a lot of hoopla,” Gleber said. “Ideas ranged from a tot lot, to having a movie house, keeping the golf course, to two different types of pools, a sauna, a functioning gym, and a good restaurant.” 

  “How much you pay as an association assessment in a recreational contract to keep the course is a big issue,” said Thibault.  “I don’t think they have the legal right to require it.”

  Gleber was open to homeowner input in talking about future plans. 

  “Nothing is going to occur without delegate approval,” he said. “I’m meeting with residents of the neighborhoods outside the delegate system again next week.”

  Meanwhile, internet comment has blown up over the issue.

  “The golf course has always been open to the public.  How come it’s a losing financial business these many years? The only way golf clubs survive is through paid membership fees. Why should the burden be placed on the homeowners to fund a private enterprise?” Mary Gasdow

  “Let the market set the price not have Rosen pay a premium to protect his investment that he wants us to subsidize. Here’s a suggestion, have Keys Gate pay $120 a year if they want to use the golf course and get a discount on golf, meals, events, etc.” Ed Powell

  “We are being influenced by vested interests to purchase a ‘white elephant.’  I am sympathetic to those who purchased properties adjacent to the golf course and paid a premium price for the location but the entire area of Keys Gate should not be asked to underwrite their potential loss should Mr. Rosen purchase the land and develop it as residential property,” said Jan Jordan

  “The golf course has added value to the Keys Gate community as a whole, even to residents who have never used the club for anything. The golf club also adds value to the general Homestead area relevant to business and related economic value. Improving the golf club into an upscale golf/country club drawing major events from outside the area while providing event opportunities, would likely add a premium to current valuation thus raising property values.  Status Quo for the homeowner is not an option.” Gunther Karger 

  About 30 Keys Gate residents attended the City Council meeting on September 23. William Thibault acted as spokesman and formally alerted Council to the pending sale of the Golf Course. 

  “A recreational contract cannot be forced on residents,” said Thibault. “If the City is aware of plans to build houses on the golf course, we want to know.”

  City Manager George Gretsas said he’d heard similar rumors. “To keep the whole process as transparent as possible, please designate someone to keep us informed,” said Gretsas. 

  City Councilman and Vice Mayor Steve Shelley said, “We can’t weigh in on a private land sale. But I’m asking staff to prepare a memo for us on whether the land needs to stay a golf course and what the zoning situation is” 

  “Council’s consensus is to pay attention to the issue,” said Mayor Jeff Porter.  

  Discussion of potential plans for the Keys Gate Golf Course is far from over.