Alachua County commissioners approved park zoning for the former West End Golf Course on Nov. 10. The 75-acre site can now add a playground, dog park, pickleball and trails.

The former West End Golf Course can now become a full public park. The Alachua County Commission approved the change at its meeting Tuesday, Nov. 10.

The commission amended the West End planned development to allow more recreation uses and special events on the 75-acre site, the county said in its meeting highlights. Before the vote, the zoning allowed only a golf course on that land. The highlights do not give the vote count.

The county owns the site at 12830 W. Newberry Road, in unincorporated Alachua County about nine miles west of downtown Gainesville.

What the park can now include

The county said the change allows features beyond golf, such as:

  • a playground
  • a dog park
  • pickleball courts
  • disc golf
  • walking trails

Those improvements will go into the county’s Parks Master Plan and Capital Improvement Plan, the county said.

The vote itself does not pay for anything. The meeting agenda said the change “does not authorize additional expenditures” and that park projects go through the normal budget process.

What comes first

In March the commission voted to build the park’s first public restrooms, a sidewalk and supporting amenities, the county said at the time. The county said those will be ready for the 2027 World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships. The next round of improvements was then estimated at $6.3 million.

The county bought the land in June 2024 for $3.8 million. It cleared the course, filled sinkholes and took down the old buildings, then used the site as a secondary venue for the 2025 World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships.

What it means for you

  • Nothing new opens yet. The approval sets the rules for the land. Each new feature still needs money in a county budget.
  • Neighbors: The draft conditions published with the agenda set general hours of dawn to dusk, lighted courts open no later than 10 p.m. and a 50-foot planted buffer around the park’s edge.
  • To watch the discussion: The county posted the Nov. 10 meeting video at the West End item.
  • Questions: Jason Maurer, director of Parks and Open Space, at 352-213-4796.