Florida is home to some of the best golf courses in the country.
Not everyone is a fan of adding a new place to hit the links.
And a Florida man was ready to go on a rampage after this scheme to build golf courses.
Controversy ensues over plan to build golf courses at state parks
Florida was rocked by a plan that drew bipartisan outrage over a proposal by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to allow limited development on nine state parks as part of its Great Outdoors Initiative.
The proposal would allow golf courses, pickleball courts, and lodging to be built in the parks.
“The initiative will work to expand public access, increase outdoor activities, and provide new lodging options across Florida’s state parks-reinforcing the state’s dedication to conservation, the outdoor recreation economy, and a high quality of life for Floridians,” said FDEP staff in a statement.
Supporters argued that the amenities would draw more visitors to the parks.
The areas to be developed would be on unused land that would not affect the park’s natural beauty.
The FDEP was not prepared for the backlash it received.
“Over my dead body will there be a golf course at Jonathan Dickinson State Park,” Representative Brian Mast (R-FL) said.
Petitions circulated to stop the development and protesters set up shop outside some of the state parks.
Ron DeSantis weighs in
The FDEP announced that it would hold public hearings on the proposal.
But the agency ended up postponing them with the possibility of them being overrun with angry Floridians looming.
FDEP officials claimed they had to search for new venues.
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, a rumored 2026 Republican gubernatorial candidate, said he may have been contacted by over 1,000 people opposing the proposal shortly after it was announced.
“We’re the Free State of Florida for good reason,” Simpson told Florida’s Voice. “This would be a tragic error to start putting infrastructure in and around these park systems that would then have more growth come to them.”
“We’ve gotten hundreds, maybe thousands of emails and people in my private universe, calling me or texting and saying, ‘hey, please, we cannot do this,’” Simpson added.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that the proposal was being dropped after the backlash.
“They’re going back to the drawing board,” DeSantis said. “I’d rather not spend any money on this. If people don’t want improvements, then we won’t do them.”
He called it a “half-baked” plan that was never run by him.
“This is something that was leaked. It was not approved by me, I never saw that,” DeSantis stated. “A lot of that stuff was half-baked and was not ready for prime time. It was intentionally leaked to a left-wing group to try and create a narrative.”
DeSantis said the proposal was misrepresented to make it seem like the state parks would be bulldozed over.
The Sunshine State is staying out of the golf course business and leaving it to the professionals.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
