Q: What is being constructed on the west side of Collier Boulevard about a quarter mile south of Golden Gate Parkway? Huge parcel. – Dennis Hanlon, Naples

Q: Any news on the Arthrex/Golden Gate Golf Course? I thought construction would have started by now. – Finlay White, Naples

A: The future use for the 54-year-old Golden Gate Golf Course was still unknown in 2019 when the property was purchased by Collier County government for $29.1 million. Few people could have envisioned everything planned for the 167 acres at Golden Gate Parkway and Collier Boulevard, but a series of groundbreaking redevelopment projects now underway there are opening eyes.

“This is a very special location. It was the last large piece of open space in the urban area of Collier County. You won’t find another piece of property in the urban area like this,” Collier County Commissioner Burt L. Saunders said. “So, to me, this was a must-purchase, and the board had the foresight to do that.”

Time was ticking at the time of the purchase six years ago because the former owner of the golf course had applied to build about 750 residential units on the property.

“That’s when I jumped in and basically said for the benefit of the Golden Gate community, but also for the entire county, we can do something better with this property,” Saunders said.

That may be an understatement, considering what is in store for that land. For starters, the former 18-hole golf course will become The Gate, a nine-hole, par-35 community course that will operate as a nonprofit entity with discounted rates for Collier residents. The dynamic new course is designed by professional golfer Peter Jacobsen and his Jacobsen-Hardy Golf Course Design. The county and its community partners broke ground Feb. 10 for The Gate.

“It’s going to be a unique golf course. First of all, it’s going to be a full-size, nine-hole course,” Saunders said. “Along with each of the golf holes, they are also designing an area where kids can tee off, but they won’t be in the play of the main course. It will be parallel to the main course.”

MHK Architecture has designed about 18,000 square feet of amenities situated in a campus-style setting. Expect a pro shop, high-tech driving range and an illuminated 18-hole Himalayas-style putting course available for both day and nighttime practice. The Oakwood Grill, a 175-seat casual restaurant, will offer an upscale menu in an open-air, scenic environment; and an events pavilion will have spaces for community gatherings and dining.

“The golf course will remain a Collier County golf course operated by the Arthrex Foundation through contracts with their operator,” Saunders said. “In addition, they are facilitating all the construction of the First Tee facility run by Cindy Darland. It’s going to be a very fine facility for our kids.”

Targeted to open with the new course in 2026, the First Tee Academy and learning center is expected to be among the nicest in the country. Its nonprofit youth golf programs help build a strong foundation for skills, character and confidence on and off the course. Upon having its own facility, First Tee plans to double its enrollment here to serve 2,000 young people, said Darland, executive director of First Tee of Naples/Collier.

“We’re just grateful to be a part of The Gate Golf Club, and we can’t wait to open our doors in 15 months and welcome all the kids and the community of Naples,” she said.

Adjacent to First Tee and the golf center will be the high-tech driving range, expected to be about 300 yards.

“They can order food from there and there will be a sitting area behind each hitting bay, and it will have technology so that you’ll get some kind of a reading as to how good your shot was after you hit the ball,” Saunders said.

Nine holes and more

The old golf course will have many other community components, including a 120-bed veterans nursing home that the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs said will be a model for the nation. More than a nursing home, it will be a long-term healthcare community with rehabilitation and adult day care services, Saunders said.

“We are putting stuff into this nursing home that you don’t find in veterans nursing homes anywhere in the country,” he said.

The county is providing the land and some of the funding for the veterans home, but the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs will own and operate the facility. The project still needs federal funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which the county is confident it will receive this year.

More attainable housing also is part of the former golf course in two multifamily residential projects already under construction at opposite ends of the county acreage.

Renaissance Hall at Old Course, a workforce housing project with some units reserved for seniors and veterans, is being built along Collier Boulevard on more than 25 acres on the southeastern leg of the golf course property. Rural Neighborhoods has contracted with DeAngelis Diamond to build the three-story residential structures, which will have more than 250 one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

Abutting the old golf course along Golden Gate Parkway, the former Golden Gate Inn and Quality Inn & Suites Golf Resort is being transformed into more than 200 rent-restricted contemporary studio apartments by Styx Cos., a South Carolina-based developer.

The long-vacant, two-story building at 4110 Golden Gate Parkway that formerly was home to JD Jags Ribhouse & Grill and banquet center space is planned to be remodeled into a veterans community center. “It will house numerous veterans organizations and provide numerous veterans services to the entire veteran community,” Saunders said.

At one time, The Naples Museum of Military History was going to relocate from the Naples Airport to this golf course property, but it is now planned to move to the county’s Freedom Park, farther west on Golden Gate Parkway in Naples.

The existing Golf Crest of Naples Condominium buildings near the corner of Golden Gate Parkway and Collier Boulevard are privately owned residences and not part of the county redevelopment projects.

The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim.aten@naplespress.com.