The future of the former Gulf Gate Golf Course is still up in the air, as Sarasota County continues evaluating whether to purchase the approximately 49-acre property.
The idea isn’t new. Sarasota County has been exploring a potential acquisition since 2025, but the process has continued moving forward this year. Commissioners authorized staff to negotiate a potential purchase earlier in 2026 and revisited the property again in September.
One of the biggest issues now appears to be price.
The property owner’s appraisal values the land at approximately $14.6 million, while three county appraisals have reportedly ranged from about $5.3 million to $9.5 million. The owner has indicated some willingness to negotiate and has requested updated county appraisals.
If Sarasota County ultimately acquires the former golf course, officials have discussed using the land for stormwater management and flood mitigation while preserving substantial green space within the Gulf Gate community.
But that’s not the property’s only possible future.
The land also has approvals connected to a private redevelopment of more than 100 homes, meaning residential development remains another possibility if a county acquisition doesn’t happen.
No purchase has been finalized and no new public green-space project has been approved.
For now, the question surrounding these 49 acres remains unresolved: should Sarasota County pursue the property for stormwater management and green space, or should the land eventually move forward with private development?
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