Turkey Creek golf course to close

L-R: Turkey Creek residents Dick and Carol Verkeyn have lived in the golf course community for over 10 years and have been regulars on the course that is slated to close at the end of this month.

Turkey Creek Golf & Country Club sent waves of shock, sadness and uncertainty throughout Turkey Creek on Friday when management announced that the course will close at the end of March.

According to the announcement, economic factors are forcing the club, which opened in 1978, to close down.

“It has been a struggle the past couple of years,” officials with the country club wrote in the announcement, which was e-mailed Friday afternoon.

The club attempted to increase membership in January 2010 by offering a “now or never” deal to residents of the roughly 1,200 homes surrounding the golf course. Homeowners were told to join the club or forfeit their membership rights in the future, including any future owners of their properties.

That maneuver, believed by some to be a threat to negatively impact property value, apparently wasn't enough to rescue the financially floundering club.

“It was pretty obvious they were having financial difficulties,” said Jerry Meriwether, who moved to Turkey Creek in 2001.

The property is currently owned by Plantation Oaks GC, Inc., a Florida corporation. Plantation Oaks GC purchased the land in May 2000 for $3 million according to public records. The total value of the property is currently estimated at just over $1.6 million by the Alachua County Property Appraiser.

The Turkey Creek Master Owners Association owned the course, clubhouse and amenities until the early 1990s.

Turkey Creek Golf & Country Club General manager Walter Smith declined to comment about the status of the course.

In 2006 and 2007, golf course owners sought and received approvals from the City of Alachua to rezone 1.43 acres of land from recreation to residential to allow for single-family homes and 8.57 acres from recreation to residential to allow for up to 80 condominiums.  The rezoning was intended to shore up the financial viability of the golf course, but much of that land has remained undeveloped.

The driving ranges, pool, pro shop and tennis courts will also shut down March 31. According to the announcement, memberships paid in advance will be refunded.

The club also includes a sports bar, Mulligan’s, and a catering service, Chef's Brothers. Chef's Brothers will continue to lease kitchen space and the clubhouse, but Mulligan’s will be shut down.

“I'm stressed out, but there's nothing I can do about it,” said a single mother of two who works at Mulligan’s. “All I can do is come to work every day and hope to find another job before we close.”

In all, about 20 employees will be out of work when the club shuts down. Some have already found their next job. Others, like Ashley Sapp, face uncertainty. Sapp, a Santa Fe College student who also works part-time at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, said she has been unsuccessfully searching for another job since she heard the news.

The financial impact of the club closing may go beyond unemployment. Turkey Creek is, after all, a golf course community that attracts new residents with the offer of a beautiful course and like-minded neighbors. If the course stays closed for an extended period, residents expect property values to freefall.

The Turkey Creek Master Owners Association is expected to address the golf course closing and other related problems at its meeting on March 16, but President Terry Morrow declined to comment on how the board will approach the issue.

Several local groups have scheduled fundraising events at the course already, including the Alachua Chamber of Commerce and the Alachua Woman's Club.

Cheryl Hartley, who plans fundraisers for the Alachua Woman’s Club, said they were “very hopeful” that a compromise could be reached that would allow the golf tournament to continue. The Woman's Club raises about $10,000 a year from the annual tee-off at Turkey Creek.

Dot Evans, Alachua Chamber of Commerce administrative assistant, said the Chamber’s plans for a June golf tournament in Turkey Creek are also currently on hold.

Many long-time members of the club spoke fondly of the course. Reactions ranged from sadness to anger to hope.

Jane Hope, who has lived in Turkey Creek since 1978, said she was “heartbroken” by the course closing and believes it is still one of the most attractive courses in the area.

Peggy Radcliffe, a member of the Women's Golf Association, kept her complaint short and simple: “My husband and I retired out here so we could play golf and now we can't play golf.”

Many residents were holding out hope that something will happen to keep the course open, such as a developer buying the land and continuing to operate the golf course.

“We're praying something happens to keep it open,” said Shirley Edelstein, who has been a resident of Turkey Creek since its development in the 1970s.

Alachua City Commissioner Robert Wilford is also a Turkey Creek resident and said he uses the course seven or eight times a year. He believes that the property will be put to use quickly.

“I don't think anyone's expecting it to stay closed,” said Wilford.

Commissioner Ben Boukari, Jr. pointed to the rough economic outlook for Turkey Creek while echoing Wilford's prediction.

“I think Turkey Creek will be back,” Boukari said.

Both commissioners emphasized that the City of Alachua is not interested in purchasing Turkey Creek and maintaining it as a municipal golf course, citing expenses and a need for fiscal responsibility during economic turmoil.

Whether the golf course reopens or not, Turkey Creek residents are getting a sense of how vulnerable their community might be. One Mulligan's employee found herself tearing up as she reflected on the changes coming for Turkey Creek.

“A lot of these people have become my family. This is how our community mingles, by playing golf. When they can't do that, what will they do?”