Delray Beach Golf Club Renovation: Reopening Plans and Fees
"I've been an advocate for improvement for a long time, and in all honesty, it's looking better than anticipated." Ronnie Dunayer, who has taught golf at the Delray Beach Golf Club for 20 years, told WPTV this after an early look at the construction in June 2026. By then the course on Highland Avenue had been closed since November 2025, and city officials said the work was half done.
As of early October 2026, the project's own website says the course and the clubhouse will reopen in "late fall/early winter." Boca Magazine's September 9 report put the target at late November 2026. No opening day or ribbon-cutting has been announced. Treat late November as a goal, not a tee time.
The course coming back is a restored public course with a long history. Golfers will pay for it through their green fees, and that one choice explains a lot about how the course was rebuilt and what a round will cost.
Most residents know the course as "the muni," the city-run course west of I-95. Fewer know the history. The City of Delray Beach bought the land in 1923, and a nine-hole course by Donald Ross opened in 1926. In the 1930s, Dick Wilson worked there as club pro and greenskeeper until the course closed during World War II. When it reopened in 1945, city leaders hired Wilson, by then a golf architect, to design a second nine. That nine opened in 1950 and plays today as the front nine.
So Delray has one 18-hole course designed by two architects from two eras. The renovation, led by Sanford Ferris Golf Design with support from Kimley-Horn, aims to restore the course in step with the vision of both Ross and Wilson while bringing it up to modern standards. Architect John Sanford explained the difference golfers will see from one nine to the other:
"You see a distinct contrast in the bunkering style from the Ross nine to the Wilson nine. Ross is known for flat bottoms, grass spaces, and simple sand lines. Wilson's bunkers flashed sand on the faces and had a lot of movement. The sand line is very irregular."
The plan calls for a par-72 layout measuring 4,611 to 7,111 yards. The Ross nine would be slightly longer at 3,603 yards, against 3,508 for the Wilson nine. The operator says those numbers could still change before the work is finished.
Much of the money went into parts of the course golfers never see. According to the city, the work includes:
The greens are being rebuilt to USGA specifications and planted with TifEagle Bermuda grass. Drainage is being added under fairways, greens, and bunkers, and bunkers are being repositioned for a longer course. The clubhouse is being updated too. No restaurant or dining concept for it has been announced.
The course is busy enough to justify the work. The Delray Beach Golf Club hosts about 60,000 rounds a year, along with weddings and special events, which makes it one of Florida's busiest municipal courses.
You may have seen this project reported at $28 million, $30 million, $32 million, and $33 million. Each figure measures something different.
How the money is raised matters more than the exact total. Two years before the bond, the city considered a public-private partnership: a developer would have rebuilt the course in exchange for part of the land. Six developers submitted proposals, and the commission rejected them after strong pushback from residents and golfers. A city consultant then suggested a revenue bond repaid from user fees, so taxpayers would not carry the cost. In other words, the course kept all of its land, and golfers will pay off the loan one round at a time.
Because golfers are repaying the debt, the green fees carry the weight. On October 21, 2025, the City Commission adopted Resolution 231-25, which sets a maximum rate structure prepared by the consultant PFM. It has three price tiers and three seasonal bands, and it sets increases every year through 2037.
Here are the 2027 caps for 18 holes, as listed in the adopted rate exhibit:
| 18 holes, 2027 maximum | December–April | November–December | April–November |
|---|---|---|---|
| Existing permit holder | $67 | $53 | $39 |
| Resident | $88 | $69 | $51 |
| Non-resident | $113 | $89 | $65 |
Three details stand out.
These are caps, not posted prices. The resolution sets the most the course can charge. Actual opening prices have not been published, and the table starts in 2027 while the course is expected to reopen in late 2026.
The adopted numbers are higher than the ones first reported. In August 2025, Boca Magazine reported the consultant's proposal of $80 for residents and $105 for non-residents in peak season, and $39 and $47 off season. The exhibit adopted two months later sets the winter cap at $88 and $113 and splits the year into three bands instead of two. If you remember the $80 figure, it has been replaced.
The gap between tiers widens over time. Existing permit holders get reduced rates "in line with the current operating model." PFM modeled them on the share of rounds permit holders played in prior years. In winter 2027, a permit holder's cap is $21 below a resident's. By 2037, the resident winter cap reaches $138.84 and the permit holder cap reaches $91.71, a gap of $47.13. The non-resident winter cap reaches $178.29 that same year. The resolution doesn't create a new resident discount card, and nothing published so far explains how a new golfer would qualify for permit-holder pricing. Ask the pro shop before you assume you qualify.
Golfers will also notice a new operator. In April 2026, the Alpharetta, Georgia-based company Bobby Jones Links was chosen to manage both the Delray Beach Golf Club and Lakeview Golf Club, both owned by the city. The company has a personal tie to the course. CEO and co-founder Whitney Crouse said he learned to play there as a child while visiting his grandparents.
Until the big course reopens, Lakeview is the city's other public option. It's an 18-hole, par-60 executive course with a pro shop, a snack bar, a putting green, and online tee times. It opened in 1972 and averages more than 50,000 rounds a year. With the same company now running both courses, a short game at Lakeview this fall is a good preview of how the new operator works.
The project website posts construction updates, most recently drone footage dated July 28, 2026. It is the place to watch for an opening date.
If you live near Highland Avenue and want to know how a restored city course a short drive away fits into your plans for this season or for a future move, Dina Blau is glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
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