The Woodlands Township on March 26 voted 7-0 to approve the term sheet for a ground lease and development agreement for a new nine-hole golf course and associated amenities on Gosling Road.
Chief Operating Officer Chris Nunes said at the meeting that the township has worked with Early Bird over the past six weeks to create the nonbinding term sheet for the public-private partnership on terms such as the length of the agreement and revenue shares.
What happened
On Dec. 4, the township first approved a proposal for a potential golf course. During a Feb. 26 meeting, township officials said they would negotiate with Houston’s East River 9 manager, Early Bird, for a public-private partnership on a nine-hole course.
The board said that this golf course would be the first public golf facility in the township, which boasts many private, membership-based facilities.
About the project
The golf complex will be located at the South Gosling Tract, donated by Howard Hughes in 2023, off Gosling Road in Spring Creek. The facility would include amenities such as:
- Practice and putting environments
- Food and beverage
- Shaded outdoor seating
- Golf clinics
- Pickleball
- Night lights
- Future hiking and biking trails
The discussion
Brad Bailey, chair of The Woodlands Township's board of directors, said he felt this is an exciting project for the community.
"This is a public-private partnership that brings amenity to our community that is not currently in many communities at all ... It's a win-win that brings money to the table and revenue for our community," Bailey said. "If you live in The Woodlands and are a Woodlands taxpayer, your green fees will be less than someone moving in from the outside."
Board Director Shelley Sekula-Gibbs added that the facility will also contribute to township tax revenue.
"We have to remind people that by doing this sort of thing and enhancing our amenities, increasing revenue from liquor tax and sales tax, that we are helping to keep people's property tax at the very lowest possible rate," Sekula-Gibbs said.
The facility will be behind trees, in keeping with The Woodlands' aesthetics, Bailey added.
Going forward
Nunes said that with the board's approval, the township can now move forward with the development agreement that will be presented to the board at April's township meeting. That would include elements such as design standards, financial terms and operational structure, according to information from the township.
