SPRING HILL, Fla. — Members of a Spring Hill community are fired up over a proposal to turn a defunct golf course into businesses and apartments.

What You Need To Know

  • Several residents oppose the sale and rezoning of a defunct golf course that could become businesses and apartments 

  • Attempts to have the land rezoned have failed twice before

  • The Hernando County Commission will review the rezoning proposal

The site of the former Seven Hills Golf Course has sat unused for the last several years. The clubhouse is falling apart; the greens are now brown and the sand traps are disappearing. 

Gary Ford used to golf at the course and lives nearby. He is against a proposal to rezone the land for new development.

“I hope not, because if they do that, then you are just going to ruin the community itself,” he said. “Most of us people moved down here to live in a nice area with plenty of open space.”

The realtor selling the 149-acre property is advertising it as a possible site for a retirement home and apartments. The company says the owner of the land wants to see something done.

Ford says it will change the community for the worse. 

“I am afraid what’s going to happen is that you are gonna get people get people that don’t want to be long-term residents of the community,” he said.

At a recent Hernando County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, hundreds of residents, including Ford, turned out to oppose the rezoning of the land. 

Attempts to have the land rezoned have failed twice before and residents like John Rubino say he is hopeful that it will fail a third time. 

“The people are enjoying single-family homes. If they build across the street, it will be multi-level and the view is now going to be gone,” Rubino said. 

The Hernando County Commission will eventually review the rezoning proposal, but there is no timetable as to when that will happen.