Ellie’s Notes – August 25, 2025
Hope this note and the summer rains find you happy, healthy and enjoying your summer. Time at the pool has been awesome but hot. The water aerobics classes and the pool at Club Renaissance are my happy place where I get out some of my frustrations, get some exercise, recuperate, relax and find out the local news and events.
I’d like to share with you the saga of Pebble Creek which I think offers inspiration and food for thought. I consider them birds of feather. Another Hillsborough County community dealing with potential golf course redevelopment like us.
The Tale of Pebble Creek’s Redevelopment Saga
The story of the Pebble Creek Golf Course redevelopment reflects changing suburban economies and the conflict between private property rights and community character. The saga, which saw a once-thriving golf course become a flashpoint for grassroots opposition and legal appeals, offers insight for residential communities like ours with an obsolete golf amenity that has been laid to waste.
The Founding and the Flaws
To understand the conflict, one must look back to Pebble Creek’s origins. Opened in 1967, the golf course was designed by Bill Amick. The championship course was known for its player-friendly traditional design, and was both scenic and challenging with water on 16 of 18 holes. The 150 acre property was zoned specifically as a golf course.
The surrounding Pebble Creek neighborhood was zoned and developed as a mixed use community in 1972, five years after the golf course opened. The golf course served as the green centerpiece of the development that sprung up around it five years later. The course was not merely a recreational facility; it was the aesthetic foundation of the neighborhood. The promise of greens, water hazards, and the tranquil life of a golf course community were the main selling points for many homeowners. Property values were tied to the course’s existence, a dependence that would later become the central argument for its preservation. For decades, this model worked. As the surrounding area grew, so too did Pebble Creek, but as time wore on, the financial footing of suburban golf courses across the country began to erode with declining participation, increasing costs, deferred maintenance and lack of capital investment further contributing to deteriorating conditions and less play.
The Ace Purchase and the Turning Point
In 2005, Bill Place of Ace Golf purchased the course for $ 2.1 million from The Fairways Group. Place tried to keep the course profitable, but trends were against him. He attempted to find a buyer to continue operating the course but was unsuccessful.
The closure was the beginning of the battle. The first confrontation came in late 2020 when Place sought a brownfield designation for the property. A brownfield designation would classify the property as contaminated, allowing for tax credits and grants to aid clean up prior to possible redevelopment. The neighborhood saw this as an attempt to stigmatize their community and pave the way for development. Residents organized rapidly, sending emails and letters and gathering signatures on a petition. The community responded swiftly. Leslie Green helped form the “Save Pebble Creek” group, which became the center of the opposition. They launched a campaign, leveraging neighborhood news articles, social media, and petitions to rally their neighbors. Their arguments focused on preserving the neighborhood’s original character, the potential decrease in property values, and the removal of crucial open space.
At the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting in December 2020, the pushback was overwhelming. The BOCC voted against the brownfield designation, an early victory for the grassroots opposition.
GL Acquisition and the Community’s Mobilization
After the brownfield attempt failed, the situation continued to decline. By 2021, facing dwindling membership—reportedly only 73 members remaining at one point—and rising maintenance costs, Place closed the course permanently on July 31, 2021. Place approached local residents about buying the course but the HOA never made a formal offer. Place continued working to find a buyer or developer. Two potential development buyers walked away from potential development deals due to resident resistance – Pulte and KB Homes. Finally, GL Acquisition Group entered the scene, filing a rezoning application (PD 23-0132) in January 2023. Their proposal called for replacing the 150-acre golf course with over 250 single-family homes.
The Hearings and the Stalemate
The rezoning application proceeded through the county’s process, starting with the noticed Land Use Hearing(LUH). The LUH Master as well as the Planning Commission and Development Services all recommended approval, with conditions, after considering the developer’s proposal. The real test was at the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) hearing July 18, 2023. The grassroots opposition presented a unified front. Resident testimony, coupled with public pressure—including over 1,800 letters sent to Commissioner Ken Hagan and the BOCC swayed the commissioners. The BOCC denied GL Acquisition’s rezoning request by a 5-2 vote. The board’s reasoning was that the development was inconsistent with the county’s comprehensive plan and would negatively impact the neighborhood’s character. New Tampa and the Pebble Creek Community did not have a community plan like the BOCC adopted Greater Sun City Center Area Community Plan.
The Legal Roller Coaster and Final Outcome
This LUH zoning decision against development by the BOCC was a major win for the community, but the legal battle continued. GL Acquisition, believing the denial lacked “competent, substantial evidence,” filed an appeal – a writ of certiorari on October 11, 2023 in the 13th Circuit Court to challenge the BOCC’s decision.
The legal process became complex.
- Circuit Court(Case No. 23-CA-015824): On June 19, 2024, the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court judge agreed with the developer – GL Acquisitions, ruling that the BOCC’s denial was not supported by sufficient evidence and set aside the board’s decision stating is was not supported by “competent, substantial evidence”. The judge criticized the BOCC for citing the property’s future potential as a golf course when it had been unkempt and closed since 2021. He noted that the GLA proposal had received approval from the county planning and development staff and the zoning hearing master.
- County Rehearing and Appeal: Hillsborough County, under the guidance of its legal counsel, stood by its initial denial. They requested a rehearing before the circuit court. It was denied.
- Appellate Court and Final Verdict: The county then filed a second-tier certiorari review with the Second District Court of Appeals, appealing the circuit court’s decision. An appellate court sided with the county. The court concluded that the circuit court had mischaracterized the basis for the BOCC’s ruling, overturning its decision. This reinstated the BOCC’s original denial of the rezoning application, stopping the development plan.
The Road Ahead
The appeals court ruling on July 9, 2025 was a victory for the Save Pebble Creek movement. It solidified the community’s right to protect its established character against redevelopment. For GL Acquisition, the ruling was a setback that forced them back to the drawing board.
So, what are the next steps?
GL Acquisition could revise its plan, potentially offering a less dense proposal, though residents are likely to remain vigilant. They could continue to pursue legal options and appeal to a higher court. On the community side, options like the county purchasing the land have been considered, but Place’s asking price would need to be lower. The property also remains a possible purchase target for a different operator, though the profitability concerns that led to the initial closure persist and costs to restore the course to playing condition would be substantial.
The Pebble Creek saga serves as a cautionary tale for developers and suburban communities. For residents, it underscores the importance of organization and total community involvement and support in protecting local interests. For developers, it highlights the increasing risk of acquiring defunct golf courses without securing community buy-in. The resolution of Pebble Creek’s fate will define the legacy of this battle fought over property and the community’s involvement.
What can we conclude from Pebble Creeks Saga?
Each golf course redevelopment situation is unique like a snowflake. How many courses, holes and acres are involved – one course or more, maybe seven like us. Who built the course golf – a specialized commercial golf enterprise, a developer as part of a planned community? How was it zoned? Who owns it now and what is its status? What are the owner’s intentions? Who is the planning and development authority – the town or city, the county? Is there a community plan that provides future guidance on land use or development? What are the owner’s intentions? Would the community be open to acquiring the property and do they have will and funding to do so? Are there any restrictive covenants or other legal impediments to new land uses?
I believe that our position and arguments to preserve our golf courses, community character and open spaces are stronger but that can only potentially prevail if we collectively have the commitment, resources, support and resolve for a protracted fight.
There are two major strategies SaveSCC is pursuing to address the challenge:
- Protective Golf Preservation Overlay District
- A comprehensive case against rezoning and residential development for the Land Use Hearing after ClubLink and their developer file their application for rezoning
We, the residents of Sun City Center and Kings Point, must remain steadfast and vigilant in our efforts to preserve and protect our golf courses in Sun City Center and Kings Point. While I would not say it is the optimum time for ClubLink to proceed, there are a number of ClubLink leases expiring shortly and there have been no indications that they will be renewed even though some of the existing lease holders have sought renewals. These leases include the Toro lease, the Security Patrol lease and the Kings Point Master Association leases for their closed courses – Falcon Watch, Kings Point Executive and the Falcon Watch Clubhouse.
A number of our SaveSCC work groups have also been diligently at work including – Technology, Zoning, Protective Overlay, Flood Management, Golf, Win – Lose, and Communications. We hope to ramp up more in the fall as the snowbirds return.
SaveSCC has been exploring and vetting attorneys lately to assist in aspects of our legal endeavors and representation as we prepare our cases to preserve our community character, lifestyle and open spaces.
On a personal note, I’m spread way thin too and a few things have been less than perfect. However, progress is being made on a number of important fronts thanks to the entire team. It takes a village to protect a village. Resources are the key – time, money, and human capital. We need them all and our only source is you. Please do what you can – donate via our website or volunteer for one of our teams by emailing us at getinvolved@savescc.org.
Hope to hear from you or see you soon.
Also please be sure to attend the upcoming CA meeting on September 9th at 5 pm at the Community Hall about the Pool and Rollins Theatre projects and related finances.
Enjoy and be safe and healthy!
Ellie Anderson
President – SaveSCC
312-282-7337