Fernandina Golf Course Unveils $7 Million Capital Plan, Including $2.7 Million Irrigation Overhaul

By Mike Lednovich/Editor

FERNANDINA BEACH — A proposed $2.7 million irrigation and drainage renovation headlines a five-year capital improvement plan that could bring more than $7 million in upgrades to the city-owned Fernandina Beach Golf Club.

Golf Club General Manager Jeffrey Biggers presented the project roadmap Tuesday to the city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, outlining major equipment purchases, facility upgrades and course improvements intended to address aging infrastructure and preserve the municipal golf course.

The long-term investment plan comes as the golf course continues to post recent strong financial results.

According to the most recent financial report presented to the City Commission in May, the golf course's primary operations generated $1.67 million in revenue through April against $1.17 million in expenses, producing an operating surplus of approximately $493,000. The city also budgeted a $250,474 transfer from the general fund to support golf operations.

The largest project identified Tuesday in the capital plan is a comprehensive irrigation and drainage renovation estimated at $2.7 million and scheduled for fiscal year 2030-31. The project is designed to address one of the course's most critical infrastructure systems and represents the single largest investment outlined in the long-range plan.

"A complete golf course irrigation and drainage (system). And this is a very expensive, high-end project. But at most golf courses, you get about 25 to 30 years out of this," Biggers said. "This is actual pipes in the ground that water everything."

The plan identifies a series of infrastructure projects beginning in fiscal year 2027.

Those projects include rehabilitation of a 1,200-foot-deep irrigation well estimated at $150,000 and construction of a maintenance lean-to storage shed projected to cost $50,000.

"So, on the capital investment strategy for our capital projects, we're assessing what's most important for the golf course infrastructure improvements that we need, and we're going to move forward with those as the budget allows," Biggers said. "In 2027, the upcoming year, the two biggest needs we have is the (irrigation) well rehabilitation. That's our big well. That was our only source of water up until this past year."

In fiscal year 2028, the golf club proposes upgrading three on-course restroom facilities to city water service at a cost of $105,000, renovating the practice area for $100,000 and resurfacing the parking lot for an estimated $160,000. The practice area renovation was originally planned for fiscal year 2027 but has been moved back one year.

Additional projects planned for fiscal year 2029 include restoration of the clubhouse irrigation system at a cost of $95,000, along with multi-year tee box and bunker renovation programs.

The tee box renovation program is estimated to cost $270,000 over three years, while bunker renovations are projected at $285,000 over the same period.

In addition to the $2.7 million irrigation and drainage project, fiscal year 2030-31, the plan includes $200,000 in golf maintenance building improvements and a $65,000 clubhouse roof replacement.

The presentation also detailed a combination of equipment replacement schedules.

Golf Course GM Jeffrey Biggers

Biggers reported the golf club completed more than $400,000 in equipment purchases during fiscal year 2026, including new golf carts, maintenance vehicles, turf management equipment, an irrigation computer upgrade and a new driving range dispenser.

The completed purchases totaled $402,522.58 and included a John Deere ProGator utility vehicle, rough mower, utility carts, blower, spreader and irrigation system upgrades. Golf carts accounted for an additional $163,407.92 in expenditures.

For fiscal year 2027, the course plans approximately $454,271 in additional equipment purchases, including replacement tee-box mowers, a roller, utility vehicle, terrain-cut mower and a Steiner mower. Replacement golf carts account for another $163,271 of the projected spending.

The proposed equipment replacement schedule continues through fiscal year 2031, with annual purchases ranging from $112,000 to nearly $466,000 as the course replaces aging maintenance equipment used to maintain greens, fairways, roughs and bunkers.

"The goal to this is obviously to get the equipment needs on the equipment side and get a resale value for our older equipment to offset the replacement cost of these new purchases," Biggers explained.

The presentation was informational only, and any future expenditures would still require approval through the city's annual budget and capital improvement planning process.

The Fernandina Beach Golf Club is one of the city's most heavily used recreational facilities and operates as an enterprise fund, generating revenue through greens fees, memberships, cart rentals, food and beverage sales, tournaments, lessons and other golf-related activities. City Manager Sarah Campbell has told city commissioners that the goal is to have the golf course operate on a break-even basis and eliminate the need for transfer from the general fund to operate the facility.