Nine holes of golf are being turned under to make way for more resort at Palmilla Beach Resort and Golf Club in Port Aransas. About 800 additional homes and condominiums are planned for the fairways and greens on the west side of Texas Highway 361, as well as six house south of Beach Access Road No. 1. The changes are planned for completition by April 1, 2019, but will need to be approved at three meetings by the Port Aransas city council first.
After Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on the course in August 2017, Palmilla owner McCombs Properties decided to rethink its business plan. Opened in 2008, the golf course has yet to make a profit. The course averages about 20,00 rounds a year, reported management company Troon, but needs around 32,000 to be profitable.
Fairways will be widened and additional tee boxes added so that golfers wanting to play 18 holes can do so by playing the 9 holes left two times from different tees. A three-hole short course with no roughs will also be added, along with a driving range and 30,000-square-foot putting course.
Another new addition, the Playgrounds at Palmilla, will include an area for kids with climbing structures and arcade games and a family friendly restaurant with outdoor seating.