On Wednesday, Aug. 28, Gov. Ron DeSantis distanced himself from a controversial plan to build golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, which has drawn an outburst of anger and protest from the Palm Beaches to the Treasure Coast.

In his first public comments since outrage exploded over state plans to add golf courses, lodges and pickleball courts to nine state parks, DeSantis deflected the issue, briefly saying it was an attempt to build a “narrative” from the political left.

“A lot of that stuff was just half-baked and it was leaked to a left-wing group to try to create a narrative,” said DeSantis from a press conference in Polk County, later referring to it as “obviously a phony narrative” that the state parks were about to become “a big parking lot.”

The governor added the proposal was nowhere near coming to fruition and nowhere near ready for prime time, and he intimated it was not a project he would pursue. He did say that there had been some calls for improvements at state parks, but that the Department of Environmental Protection needs to go back to the drawing board on this.

The state DEP had scheduled a series of meetings on Tuesday to discuss the plan with the public, but those meetings, which included one in Stuart, were postponed.

“Here’s the thing, I’d rather not spend any money on this, right?” DeSantis said. “If people don’t want improvements, then don’t do it.”

He then added: “I’m totally fine to just do nothing and do no improvements if that’s what the general public wants.”

The firestorm over the proposal did not appear to be dying down since news organizations, including The Palm Beach Post, first reported on the state Department of Environmental Protection’s “Great Outdoors Initiative,” triggering an almost universal backlash.

The plan to add the amenities, thus developing pristine areas at some of the most prized state parks, sparked protests and drew rebukes from some of the governor’s most stalwart allies, such as Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Florida Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Wilton Simpson, both of whom may seek to succeed DeSantis.

Republican congressional representatives, including U.S. Rep. Brian Mast of Stuart, slammed the idea as well as U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott.

Mast, in particular, has been sharply critical of the proposal.

He has vowed to get to the bottom of how the plans to put golf courses at Dickinson State Park, which sits on the border of Palm Beach and Martin County, came about with no one from either county alerted. He called it “a proposed plan to bulldoze Jonathan Dickinson State Park.”

Governor Ron DeSantis said criticism of the Florida park proposal overblown, plan misrepresented

DeSantis, however, said the ideas for Dickinson Park have been misrepresented and alluded to a portion of the park’s previous history as a World War II training camp.

“As if they were going to try to take away unspoiled land,” DeSantis said. “No, there was almost 1,000 buildings on that base back in the day. There’s still some remnants of it.”

The swift anger and outrage spurred the mysterious foundation — called the Tuskegee Foundation — that proposed golf courses for Dickinson to announce it was pulling the plug on the plan days after leaked documents revealed how the plan would change the park.

Even after DEP confirmed that Tuskegee was backing away from the proposal, the pile-on against golf courses at Dickinson has continued.

Republican state Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, has filed a bill to specifically define appropriate uses for state parks. Both the Palm Beach County and the Martin County commissions went on record as opposed to the idea.

Golf-related companies, including Nicklaus Companies and Nicklaus Design, took pains to make it known they were not connected in any way with the plan as its founder, golfing legend Jack Nicklaus, had ties with one of the nonprofit charities associated with the Tuskegee Foundation.

What was leaked regarding golf courses planned for Jonathan Dickinson State Park?

Documents were leaked to environmentalists a week ago showing plans for the installation of three public golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson as part of the state’s 2024-2025 Great Outdoors Initiative.

The fervor of discontent that followed led to the state postponing public meetings that were scheduled for earlier this week.

Is the Tuskegee Foundation golf course proposal dead in Florida?

The Tuskegee Foundation withdrew its application for the golf course proposal two days after the foundation’s name was associated with the development plans.

The Delaware-registered foundation, which is not required to list the names of directors and officers in the articles of incorporation, has Florida lobbyists, including a former secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, according to Florida lobbyist records.

Before dropping its bid, the foundation said in a statement sent to The Palm Beach Post last week that the golf courses and other facilities would have told the “inspirational story of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American military pilots and airmen who fought in World War II.”

The anger against the plan prompted the foundation to release a statement through political commentator Daniel Bongino that it was no longer pursuing the proposal.

“Serving God and Country is our daily goal,” said the statement, which Bongino posted on Facebook. “That was the spirit for the idea to bring world class public golf to south east Florida … We have received clear feedback that Jonathan Dickinson State Park is not the right location. We did not understand the local community landscape and appreciate the clarity. We will not pursue building in the beloved Jonathan Dickinson State Park.”

DEP spokeswoman Alex Kuchta said in a statement late Sunday that the proposal was withdrawn.

“The Florida Department of Environmental Protection appreciates the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation’s good-faith proposal for a public golf course at Jonathan Dickinson State Park,” Kuchta wrote. “While they are withdrawing their proposal, the foundation worked with the state to pursue a project that would have created a public, world class golf course for all, while supporting veterans, first responders and their families. Their plan to honor the Tuskegee Airmen was noble.”

What is the Folds of Honor?

In Bongino’s personal note, he mentioned the nonprofit charity Folds of Honor, which had tried previously to push the golf course plan at Jonathan Dickinson but was rebuffed. Oklahoma-based Folds of Honor, which provides scholarships for the families of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders, had not come forward as having been associated with the current plan.

Folds of Honor was founded in 2007 by Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, an F-16 fighter pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard who served in Iraq.

“My good friends at Folds of Honor have also assured me that they do not plan to move forward on this project,” said Bongino, who lives in Palm City. “They are great people, doing great things. They just didn’t understand the local passion for JD Park. They heard us and did the right thing.”

Folds of Honor is also associated with American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Michigan.

The creation of American Dunes in 2018 was led by Nicklaus, a resident of North Palm Beach in Palm Beach County. Nicklaus Companies at the time donated his $3 million design fee to the course, according to the American Dunes website. The American Dunes motto is “The church that Jack built. God. Country. Golf.”

Even as he distanced himself from the golf course plan, DeSantis praised foundation

DeSantis said he was familiar with Folds of Honor’s work and said he was aware that they were in the stages of developing some ideas and “helping the military families and helping the families of first responders.”

“They have operations throughout the country where they’ve given millions and millions of dollars to the families, spouses and dependents of fallen service members, injured service members and then they’ve recently expanded that into first responders and those are the types of things that we worked awfully hard on in the state of Florida,” he said. “And if we can leverage some of these resources to do it, you know, that could have big benefits for the state.”

DeSantis also noted that golf is an expensive sport and although critics of the plan for the sport at the Dickinson Park noted the state is chock full of golf courses, most of them are private, not public. He cited the development of the Park West Palm as a model.

“You had a group of guys in Palm Beach area,” DeSantis said. “They raised $50 million they sunk it in, created a whole new course. They have, like a nine-hole, lighted thing, a driving range. They have all these programs for youth. They have really low rates for local residents.”

A plan to put golf courses in Jonathan Dickinson State Park failed in 2011
In 2011, legislators tried to add golf courses to state parks through bills that would have created the “Jack Nicklaus Golf Trail of Florida.” The only park specifically mentioned in the House’s version of the bill was Jonathan Dickinson, which is nearest Nicklaus’s North Palm Beach home.

The bills were quickly withdrawn after public outcry.

Nicklaus Companies deny any association with the plan

Last week, Nicklaus Companies, which is no longer affiliated with founder Jack Nicklaus, said it was not associated with the recent golf course plans. The statement from Nicklaus Companies emphasized that it was from the firms — Nicklaus Companies and Nicklaus Design — alone, not Jack Nicklaus personally.

Nicklaus Companies reiterated Monday that it had nothing to do with the courses at Jonathan Dickinson and called the project an “ill-conceived plan.”

“We cannot comment on what other parties may be doing, but Nicklaus Companies and Nicklaus Design oppose the development of golf courses in Jonathan Dickinson Park or any other Florida state park,” a statement sent to The Palm Beach Post said. “If asked to participate in such a project, we would decline.”

Jack Nicklaus resigned from Nicklaus Companies in May 2022 when he was 82 years old.

“Nicklaus Companies has no inside information regarding projects he may or may not have pursued over the last two years outside of our companies,” the statement added.

What is the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation?

Because of Delaware’s strict corporate privacy rules, no information about anyone connected to the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation is available. The foundation, incorporated in August 2021, is listed as having $436 in delinquent taxes, according to the Delaware Division of Corporations.

The Tuskegee Dunes statement also does not give information as to where Tuskegee Dunes is based, whether it is a nonprofit organization, a website address, board members, or its history. The website TuskegeeDunesFoundation.com on Sunday had a simple note saying it is “launching soon.” By Monday, the website included its statement about withdrawing the proposal, with the headline reading: “No golf in Jonathan Dickinson State Park.” It then went on to say:

“Serving God and Country is our daily goal. That was the spirit for the idea to bring world-class public golf to southeast Florida, and donate all proceeds to support military and first responders’ families. Working with the state of Florida, we explored Jonathan Dickinson State Park at the location of a dilapidated military facility. We sought improvements that would invite families to enjoy the great game of golf, while honoring minority veterans and enhancing the natural beauty of Florida’s beloved environment. We have received clear feedback that Jonathan Dickinson State Park is the not [sic] the right location. We did not understand the local community landscape and appreciate the clarity. We will not pursue building in the beloved Jonathan Dickinson State Park.”

In the original note from Tuskegee Dunes when it was still promoting the plan, it said it would donate profits from the courses at Jonathan Dickinson to Folds of Honor.

In Florida lobbyist records, Ryan E. Matthews is named as a representative of the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation, which in lobbying records lists the same Owasso, Oklahoma, address as that of Folds of Honor. Matthews, who is now with the law firm of GrayRobinson, was interim secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection under former Gov. Rick Scott. He served for four months in 2017.

Phone and email messages to Matthews have not been returned.

Golf courses would require 600 acres of Dickinson park

According to the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation, the proposed golf courses would have taken up about 600 acres of Jonathan Dickinson State Park’s 10,500 acres and include 36 holes designed by “world-class golf course designers.” The planned design would have included a nine-hole course called Red Tail that would have been fully accessible in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. A practice park would double as an outdoor gathering place for local community events.

Tuskegee Dunes filed for multiple trademarks in June 2023, including for golf course design and development.

Mountain bike and hiking trails would have been incorporated into the plans and “enhancements will be made to the Observation Tower,” according to the statement from the foundation.

“Southeast Florida, including the Jupiter area, has limited public golf,” a statement from Tuskegee Dunes said. “A total of 85% in the Southeast corridor is private golf. This is a dramatic contrast to the national average of 80% public vs. private golf access.”

Eric Draper, who was director of the Florida Park Service for four years through 2021, said he was disappointed that a former DEP secretary may have been involved in trying to “take away our state parks.”

“If it weren’t for everyone expressing their point of view, I think the governor and DEP would have pushed this right through,” Draper said. “So, I am so proud of what everyone has done. This is what the governor doesn’t get: The parks belong to the people.”

Stuart Republican said she was asked last year to sponsor legislation aimed at bringing golf to Dickinson

Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, said Folds of Honor approached her last year and asked if she would sponsor legislation aimed at bringing golf specifically to Jonathan Dickinson State Park. They highlighted the benefits to veterans the golfing venture could mean.

“They had a lovely presentation on what they are doing in Michigan,” Harrell said Saturday. “I told them, ‘It’s a marvelous idea, but you don’t do it in a state park.’

“This is not the appropriate use,” she continued, calling the park “a natural treasure of the Treasure Coast.”

“The state parks are to protect the natural habitat and environment of the area as well as preserve it for future generations,” she said. Harrell said she’s all about helping veterans — her daughter is one and married to another one. But there’s a limit.

“Golf courses are wonderful — somewhere else, not in Jonathan Dickinson State Park.”

Proposals still stand for amenities at state parks such as pickleball courts, lodges and disc golf

Eight other state parks have also been proposed for added amenities including pickleball courts, disc golf and 350-bed lodges.

They are Anastasia Park in St. Johns County, Camp Helen State Park in Bay County, Grayton Beach State Park in Walton County, Hillsborough River State Park in Hillsborough County, Honeymoon Island Stat Park in Pinellas County, Oleta River State Park in Miami-Dade County, Topsail Preserve State Park in Walton County and Dr. Von Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park (Broward County).

Seeking protection forever for Florida state parks

Tequesta resident Jessica Namath wants the state parks protected forever. Namath, daughter of NFL football legend Joe Namath, organized the Protect Jonathan Dickinson State Park Facebook Group and Saturday’s protest at the park.

“I don’t want my grandchildren to have to fight this one day,” she told TCPalm at the Martin County Commission meeting, which she attended to speak out during the public comment period. “I don’t want my children to go through what we’re going through now for the fourth time, the fifth.”

Jupiter resident Kim Knobbe also attended the meeting to oppose the Great Outdoors Initiative and the Jonathan Dickinson golf courses.

“Our state parks should remain in their natural state,” she told TCPalm. “We go to state parks to enjoy nature.”

Knobbe said she mostly enjoys Jonathan Dickinson by boating on the Loxahatchee River, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River, according to the National Park Service. Anytime she has visitors, she takes them to the park, she said.

Palm Beach Post reporter Kimberly Miller and Treasure Coast Newspapers reporter Keith Burbank contributed to this report.

Anne Geggis is the insurance reporter at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at ageggis@gannett.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.