City to brief golfers on Bobby Jones plans

Before golf architect Richard Mandell lays out his vision for the future of Bobby Jones Golf Club to the City Commission, you’ll have a chance to share your thoughts on his master plan for the city-owned course.

On Tuesday, Mandell will lead two presentations about the master plan at Bobby Jones. The plans are approximately 90% complete.

Mandell has provided two public updates on his work in the past two months. In April, at a City Commission workshop, he shared a plan for the land on which the nine-hole Gillespie Executive Course sits. The proposed changes focused on adding practice facilities while maintaining a short nine-hole course.

On Thursday, Mandell made a presentation to the city’s Parks, Recreation and Environmental Protection Board. The update included a discussion of potential drainage improvements and changes to the layout of the 18-hole American and British courses.

In January, the city agreed to a $115,000 contract with Richard Mandell Golf Architecture to develop a master plan for the course. As the annual number of rounds played at the course has declined, the commission has expressed an interest in refreshing the property.

A citizen study committee suggested the city should invest as much as $14.5 million to update the course.