Article Courtesy of The Sun Sentinel

By Angel Streeter

Published March 31, 2010

The Ocean Breeze Golf & Country Club in the Boca Teeca subdivision is facing foreclosure, more than two years after its owner won a contentious battle to build townhomes on part of the golf course.

The pending foreclosure gives homeowners some hope that maybe a new buyer can come along and leave the golf course as it is.

"If the city or county bought and retained the golf course for recreation purposes, that would be the preferred course," said Robert DuKate, committee chairman of Save Boca Raton Green Space. "If the city had said no to the original development plan maybe [the golf course] would have been sold and operated as a golf course. Now the question is: Will the city end up rescuing the golf course?"

MCZ/Centrum Florida V Owner, LLC, fought for two years to get Boca Raton's approval to build 211 townhomes on 30 acres of the golf course.

The project also included upgrades to the Boca Teeca clubhouse, adding rooms to the Inn at Ocean Breeze and creating a nine-hole executive golf course on the old south course.

The City Council approved the proposed project in December 2007.

But it never got off the ground as a united group of Boca Teeca homeowners opposed the development. They filed lawsuits against the city, tried to get a citywide referendum to reverse the City Council's decision and filed appeals with the state to block the development.

The group of homeowners, called Save Boca Raton Green Space, had little success with their legal maneuvers. In October, the group decided to drop the fight, figuring a poor real estate market would doom the project, said DuKate.

"What bank is going to fund more development?" he said.

Wachovia Bank filed a foreclosure notice against MCZ/Centrum on March 18. The developer bought the golf course for $7.2 million in 2004.

The golf course owners could not be reached for comment despite phone messages left at their offices.

Although Save Boca Raton Green Space are happy the project isn't moving forward, there's now the fear that a foreclosed golf course would deteriorate and fall into disrepair.

Many Boca Teeca homeowners actually were in favor of the development. Out of the more than 1,600 unit owners in the subdivision, 936 signed contracts agreeing to lift a deed restriction so the developer could build.

The National Golf Foundation said about 15 percent of private golf courses nationwide is in financial trouble. In a 2008 report, the foundation said almost all golf courses were facing declining membership and a drop in the number of rounds of golf played.

Those strapped financially reported a 29 percent drop in membership from peak years and 22 percent drop in rounds played.

Many former golf course members said they could no longer afford it.