BOKEELIA, Fla. — A group of neighbors in the Alden Pines community on Pine Island took matters into their own hands to protect their slice of paradise.
Alden Pines is the only golf course on Pine Island, surrounded by about 200 homes. In September, when Hurricane Ian slammed into the Lee County barrier Island, the course suffered extensive damage.
More than nine months after the storm, the course is still closed to the public.
“There’s still trees down on certain areas of the course. The clubhouse roof, part of it, was torn off,” said Lance Van Auken, who lives on the golf course with his wife.
“The owners were waiting on an insurance settlement before really doing anything. So, the Alden Pines residents took it upon themselves to do a lot of the cleanup.”
Then came the news of a major developer with plans to replace the greens and the bunkers with more than 70 homes.
“Everybody here on the golf course bought property to live on a golf course. Not back up into other homes,” said Brandon Reitz, owner of Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, who lives on the golf course.
In April, a group of residents formed together to buy the golf course from the Sarasota-based owner.
A final price tag has not been revealed, but an agreement to purchase the golf course was signed late last week.
“The thing that we wanted to do was hold our own destiny in our hands,” Van Auken said.
Once ownership officially changes hands the plan is to revitalize and lengthen the 18-hole course.
Right now, there’s no timetable for when they will reopen to the public.
“I think everybody needs to protect their way of life, especially in growing areas of the country like this,” Reitz said.
