Arnold Palmer came to town Wednesday, November 12, and as usual, attracted an army. He cracked the traditional club against the side of Matanzas Woods Golf Club's new clubhouse- just as he had done to dedicate Pine Lakes Country Club five years earlier. Then he teed off with 120 fellow golfers- among them local leaders, state legislators, business people and co-designer Ed Seay- in an invitational tourney. The day ended with a reception for members and golfers on the driving range, and then Arnie was off by helicopter, flying low over the crowd. "Florida's next great golf course," in the words of Golfweek magazine, is now officially christened by the golf legend who designed it.

 

Pine Lakes New Members Lounge

Golfers are second only to fishermen in the telling of tall tales, and therin lies the logic behind "Fibber's," resident Jay Bell's winning entry in SunSport Recreation's "Name the Pine Lakes Members Lounge" contest.

With the closing of The Harbour Restaurant for Sheraton hotel construction, Pine Lakes Country Club restaurant-newly - remodeled and renamed "Champions" - opened its doors to the public last summer. Earlier this year Palm Coast Construction started work on a new member-only lounge and restaurant, due for completion this summer. More then 400 contest entries poured in, ranging from the lofty and spiritual - "Treetops" and "Members' Monastery" - to the jazzy and political "Boogie Bar' and "Bourgeois Lounge"  But "Fibber's" came out on top, and earned Pine Lakes charter member Jay Bell a $200.00 gift certificate.

Palm Coast three golf courses, by the way, are looking good and playing even better. Matanzas' Woods and Pine Lakes were the host courses for the $ 80,000.00 Palm Coast Classic, A Tournament Players Association tour event, on February 23 - March 1.

 

The State of Palm Coast
On February 4, 1987, ITT Community Development Corporation President Jim Gardner delivered his State of Palm Coast address to the Palm Coast Civic Association. He reported 'nothing but good news,' and included in that category were challenges ahead for ITT CDC and local citizens. Here are excerpts:
'The taxable value of the Palm Coast Service District has increased almost 600 percent since 1980, from 102 million to 566 million at the end of 1986. During that time the population increased from about 4,500 to almost 10,000 today. In other words, while the population has doubled, the assessed value for tax purposes  has increased almost six times. Economic growth is the primary reason...bringing in more tax revenues       without  additional  burden  on  residents...
Palm Coast emerging personality is a combination of our company activity and the strong, ongoing commitment of residents and local government...Palm Coast has matured to the stage where responsibilities for public services are being picked up by the public- a sign of a healthy, progressive community...
For years, CDC was the only game in town. That isn't true anymore. We have a good balance here now...industry, recreation, outside businesses coming in, healthy competition in the marketplace, government facilities, public services, schools, activities and residents who are making a difference. We remain the major catalyst, but our involvement in the running of this community is demising , as Palm Coast residents move toward self-government and self-reliance...
Palm Coast citizens are moving ahead on many fronts...
The quality of our school system, the physical plant, the instructional staff, are all expanding because of the citizens perceived the need and were willing to meet it:
A group of citizens bucked the many obstacles and went doggedly ahead to create from their own pockets and sweat a new rifle and archery range available to the public;
The Service District Advisory council, the fire department and county staff are engaged with us in a program to establish a new central fire station west of I 95.
the Civic Association  is completing work on a major expansion of the   RV storage compound  - a place that allows the community to enforce rules against parking of vehicles in residential areas;
The Humane Society is pushing for expansion of its center;
The Chamber of Commerce has started work on its new headquarters building;A group of citizens is involved in an intensive study of our local governments with a full public review planned....so we can  mutually  decide on what our government should be in the future;
The Civic Association  has joined in seeking  tougher  enforcement to the covenants and restrictions that help to assure our high quality of life;
and the civic Association is getting primed to initiate a community wide cleanup effort so that the junkers, refuse dumpers and garden-variety litterbugs will, where possible, be prosecuted, and citizens will be enlisted to help clean up their own neighborhood.
The list could go on and on, for with every new project completion, another gets started.
I'd also like to take a look into the crystal ball for 1987 with these predictions:
1,300 new residents are expected to arrive;
FAA classes will begin in the fall;
Construction on the bridge will be well underway;You'll be shopping and dining out at St. Joe Plaza, eating chicken from The Colonel, seeing Wal Mart nearing completion, stopping by two lil' Champ stores, taking pets to a new vet clinic, visiting doctors, dentists and professional at new office buildings on Old Kings Road;
Preliminary work on our fourth golf Course in Cypress Knoll, the Cypress Knoll Golf Course;
Wadsworth Elementary School will open its doors this fall.

There will be many others, but suffice to say Palm Coast is booming, and tomorrow looks to be even better than today"

 

The Palm Coaster, Spring 1987, p. 16.