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Carolina Golf Course in Margate {Google Maps}

Juli Van Der Meulen is among a group of Margate residents who are strongly opposed to a rezoning request that would allow for the construction of apartment and townhome buildings on the former Carolina Golf Club.

She is angry with the city commission for not listening to the nearby residents who don’t want a large development there.

“The commission members and the developer don’t care about us, and I don’t trust them,” said Van Der Meulen.

Van Der Meulen and about 900 members of Keep Margate Green don’t want to see a significant population increase and large buildings on one of the remaining open green spaces in Margate. They want the land to remain an open recreational space.

“We were promised that the green space would never be developed because they allowed overdevelopment, a dense population, and zero lot lines,” said Van Der Meulen. “For over 50 years, the golf course has been saturated with toxic chemicals that cause cancer and health problems.”

Allen Kopelman, a member of Keep Margate Green, is angry with the commission for not keeping residents informed about the property’s status.

“I would like to keep the area an open space for recreation, but if they are going to build, I would like to see single-family homes. We don’t need apartments and thousands of cars,” said Kopelman.

He understands there is more money to be made by building apartments than keeping the land as a golf course or recreation area. But he believes the local community would benefit by keeping the land as open space. “The developer is not offering any benefits to the current residents of the area,” said Kopelman.

The property owner is continuing to fight to build a housing project. Rosemurgy Acquisitions, LLC, with authorization from J&D Golf Properties, LLC, the property owner, is requesting a rezoning of approximately 81.5 acres, known as the rezoning sites. These are located within a portion of the property formerly known as the Carolina Golf Club, in Margate, on the south side of West Sample Road, west of Rock Island Road, and east and north of Holiday Springs Boulevard, as stated in the development team’s application to the city.

The applicant proposes redeveloping the shuttered Carolina Golf Club with a mix of residential, commercial, and open space uses. The redevelopment of the permanently closed golf course will revitalize the area by introducing new residential uses, accommodating appropriately located neighborhood-serving commercial uses, and providing community-serving open space, according to the application.

The proposal calls for up to 57,500 square feet of commercial use that would offer stores and restaurants for the surrounding communities. There would be up to 377 two-story, three-bedroom townhomes and mid-rise apartment buildings with up to 507 units.

Open space would be available to city residents, featuring 45 acres of new lakes, three miles of 8-foot-wide asphalt recreation trails, four pocket parks, and an exercise station equipped with four pieces of equipment. The residential development will offer new, attainable housing options for young families and young professionals, and provide for investment into the shuttered property, according to the application.

Currently, none of the Margate commissioners has been willing to comment on the proposed project. Commissioner Tommy Ruzzano has spoken against building apartments on the golf course and has said he wants to preserve the open space.

According to Ruzzano’s statement, meetings that will be open to the public have been scheduled:

August 26, Development Review Committee Meeting
September 10, Planning and Zoning Board
October 1, City Commission First Reading
May 20, 2026, City Commission Second Reading

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David Volz

David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.