Developers take aim at Hollywood golf courses

Hollywood golf courses are in play among real estate developers.

Homebuilder Pulte Group just bought the Hillcrest Golf & Country Club at 4600 Hillcrest Drive for $9.6 million and plans to build 645 homes there.

The Sunset Golf Course at 2727 Johnson Street sold in March for $2 million. The new owner is “in the recreational sport business,” Hollywood city commissioner Peter Hernandez told the Sun-Sentinel. “Paintball is one of their businesses.”

Now the owner of the Club at Emerald Hills at 4100 North Hills Drive is exploring the possibility of developing condos and rental apartments next to the golf course. But owner Todd Schoenwetter faces resistance from residents of the Emerald Hills neighborhood.

Schoenwetter has explored the development of an 80-unit condominium and a 576-unit rental apartment complex on the country-club property. He disclosed his exploration of residential development at Emerald Hills at a recent community meeting.

Hollywood city commissioner Dick Blattner told the Sun-Sentinel the development was unlikely to materialize: “They had planned to shorten the golf course but keep it open. But the project is dead. The developer could not get community support.”

The City of Hollywood, however, appears to favor redevelopment of city-owned Orangebrook Golf & Country Club at 400 Entrada Drive. Late last year, the city was preparing to solicit proposals to redevelopment the 36-hole, 240-acre golf course.

Voter approval would be required for a redevelopment of Orangebrook to proceed because deed restrictions require that the land remain open space. [Sun-Sentinel] — Mike Seemuth