THE ONE AND ONLY GOLF COURSE IN FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA (THE REEF) IS CLOSING!

This closure will negatively affect tourism, homeowners, residents and many community organizations. Last year, the Coral Beach community hosted a golf tournament at the Reef and raised more than $12,000 for local charities. These charities will now lose a key source of support. Despite repeated efforts, we have not received clear information from the Government regarding the reason for the closure or any indication of when the course may reopen.

We are deeply concerned about the impact this decision will have on Grand Bahama. Many seasonal residents, including a large number of Canadian snowbirds, rely on the Reef Course as the only functioning golf course on the Island. At present it is only open on weekends during limited playing hours, which has made it extremely difficult to secure tee times. Long-term residents remember when Grand Bahama had five golf courses available. Today, we are left with only one and it is now at risk of being closed indefinitely.

The potential consequences reach far beyond golfers. Many property owners are already considering selling their homes and relocating to destinations where they can play regularly. Golfers are passionate about the sport and will not remain on an island with no available course for the foreseeable future.

Coral Beach has organized an annual golf tournament at the Reef Course for more than forty years. Homeowners, residents, tourists and local players look forward to this event each March. The tournament is supported by more than fifty local businesses whose contributions allow us to raise funds for important charities including the Humane Society, the Children’s Home, Reach Out Ministries and the Resilience Centre. Without access to the course, these organizations will no longer receive the assistance our community has reliably provided.

This petition asks the Government to intervene and ensure that the course remains open, at minimum during the winter months when it is most heavily used and can benefit from high seasonal participation. We have heard several unconfirmed reports suggesting that the closure is tied to delays involving the Lucaya property purchase or the reopening of the airport. If true, these projects may take many months or even years and golfers cannot wait that long without access to a course.

We have collected more than 150 signatures and the issue has been widely shared across social media and in the local newspaper. We are calling on the Government to keep the Reef Course open and to provide clearer, more transparent communication to the public. Residents, seasonal homeowners and visitors who support Grand Bahama deserve to be kept fully informed.

Please add your name to this petition and encourage others to do the same so we can demonstrate how important the Reef Course is to the people who live, work and invest in Grand Bahama. Together we can help protect this vital community asset.