Naples Is Finally Getting a Public Golf Course. The Gate Opens in December — and It's Unlike Anything Collier County Has Had Before.

Southwest Florida has an abundance of private golf courses but a scarcity of public ones. That's about to change.

The Gate Golf Club, built on the former Golden Gate Country Club site at 4100 Golden Gate Boulevard at the southwest corner of Collier Boulevard, is on track to open in December 2026. It will be Naples' first nonprofit public golf destination, where no membership is required and every Collier County resident gets in at a discount.

The redevelopment follows Collier County's 2019 purchase of the approximately 165-acre property for $29.1 million. The goal was to prevent intensive private development and preserve public golf on the site. Golden Gate Country Club originally opened in 1964 as an 18-hole public course designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee. It closed August 1, 2019, and remained dormant for several years as the county explored redevelopment options.

The Gate Golf Club features a regulation-length 9-hole course totaling 3,369 yards, designed by legendary golfer Peter Jacobsen, along with a full-length illuminated practice range and a 48,500-square-foot putting green with an 18-hole putting course.

The venue will also feature multiple dining options and will be home to First Tee, Naples/Collier, a youth character-building and golf program.

The full facility includes:

The Course: A regulation-length 9-hole, par-35 course designed by Peter Jacobsen and Jim Hardy of Jacobsen-Hardy Golf Course Design, the same firm behind some of the most respected course redesigns in America.

The Bays: A 38-bay covered and illuminated driving range with TrackMan technology, playable day and night, rain or shine. The structural poles supporting the protective netting reach 200 feet along Collier Boulevard and are already one of the most visible signs of construction progress from the road.

The Gater Putting Course: An 18-hole putting course on a 48,500-square-foot putting green.

Oakwood Grill: A 175-seat American-style restaurant with golf views, alongside The Gimme concessions and The Pavilion outdoor bar.

First Tee Academy: The new permanent headquarters for First Tee, Naples/Collier, which teaches life skills, character, and values to juniors through golf. Dedicated academy bays with interactive technology and junior programming will be available from day one.

Green fees for Collier County residents will be discounted approximately 40% off during peak season. Earlier projections showed off-peak resident rates in the range of $31 per round and peak-season resident rates around $53, significantly below what most Naples-area courses charge for 18 holes at comparable facilities.

Non-residents pay the standard rates. The pricing structure was specifically designed to make The Gate accessible to working families, juniors, retirees, and residents who have never been able to afford the private club experience that dominates Collier County golf.

The Gate Golf Club is a nonprofit established by Arthrex founder Reinhold Schmieding. The project is a collaborative effort involving Collier County, The Gate Golf Club, and First Tee, Naples/Collier as founding partners. Collier County is contributing $6 million to the project.

MHK Architecture donated architectural design services. Freestyle Interiors provided interior design. Arthrex donated project management services and video and photography production. Additional partners include LJA Engineering, DeAngelis Diamond, TrackMan, and Vice Golf.

The Schmieding family, whose company Arthrex employs 3,800 people in Collier County and generates more than $2 billion in annual economic benefit to the region — has now built corporate housing for employees who can't afford Naples rents AND a public golf course for residents who can't afford private club memberships. That's a record of community investment that goes beyond philanthropy.

The Gate is a community golf club where everyone is welcome to enjoy the game of golf at their own pace and play level.

That sentence sounds simple. In the context of Collier County's golf landscape, where most of the best courses are locked behind initiation fees that start in the six figures, it's actually radical.

The Gate is designed to serve the family in Golden Gate Estates who wants to introduce their kids to the game. The retiree on a fixed income who can't justify a $150,000 membership. The young professional who moved here for a job and wants to take up golf without mortgaging their life to do it. The veteran at the adjacent nursing home who needs a course within walking distance.

With Southwest Florida boasting an abundance of private golf courses but a scarcity of public ones, The Gate Golf Club strives to make golf more accessible for families.

December can't come soon enough. Visit thegategolf.org for updates on the opening date and to sign up for email notifications when the club launches.

Information sourced from Naples Daily News, Marco Island Eagle, Naples Press, Gulf Shore Business, Golf Course Architecture, American Golfer, and The Gate Golf Club official website at thegategolf.org.