October 28, 2026 · Ormond Beach Buzz

River Bend Petition Tops 3,000 Signatures as Ormond Beach Plans Workshop on Golf Course Future

By Staff report

A green fairway at River Bend Golf Course lined with tall pines, with a pond reflecting the blue sky in the foreground. — River Bend Golf Course. File photo

More than 3,000 Ormond Beach residents have signed a petition asking the city to reopen the River Bend Golf Course, and commissioners say they plan a workshop on the idle property's future. The petition was presented to the City Commission on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

The short version
The petition asking the city to reopen River Bend now has more than 3,000 signatures, up from about 2,600 in June.
The city has three letters of intent for the 172-acre site: two for golf, one for the airport business park.
Because the land is airport property, the FAA has a say in how it can be used.
A workshop is planned, but no date has been set yet.

What Is Being Considered

The city has received three letters of intent for the 172-acre property, which has been vacant since 2020. Two would reopen the course as a golf facility, and one would expand the adjacent airport business park.

According to Mayor Jason Leslie, one of the golf bidders is a company that designed and built courses for Jack Nicklaus. Earlier reporting has identified one golf proposal as coming from PGA professional Gerry James, who wants to buy the site and run it as a public course, and the business park proposal as coming from a Holly Hill contractor.

Officials and residents have also referenced a proposed $2 million purchase price and $18 million in improvements. Which proposal those figures belong to has not been made clear in the reports we reviewed.

What the Mayor Said

Leslie said the petition and the offers make a strong case for action. He said the city could sell or lease the property, keep it as it is, or pursue aeronautical use. He said he saw no clear demand for aeronautical use, noting that the petition signatures favor golf.

Resident Arthur Armstrong told the commission, "It's been closed too long."

Why It Is Complicated

River Bend sits on the city's airport property, so the Federal Aviation Administration has a say in what it can be used for. The city must update its airport master plan and satisfy FAA requirements before a non-aviation use can move forward. Several commissioners said they want to hear directly from the FAA before going further.

What Happens Next

Commissioners plan a workshop on the property, but no date has been set. The city is waiting to hear from the FAA on availability first. Residents will likely want to attend. We will publish the date as soon as it is announced.

This story updates our earlier report on residents' Oct. 16 push for action at the site. The earlier petition count was more than 2,600 signatures as of June.

Ormond Beach Buzz will keep following River Bend.

Sources

Reported by Staff for Ormond Beach Buzz, based on the Oct. 20 City Commission meeting and earlier local news coverage of the River Bend proposals.

City of Ormond Beach