The Gate: Golf for the Entire Community
“Our goal is to provide a truly great golfing experience that is open and accessible to the entire community.” Kristina Schmieding, President and Board Chair of the new 9-hole course, The Gate Golf Club in Naples, Florida, knows exactly what the public golf course – set to open in December 2026 – is meant to achieve. It is intended to be a gathering place for the Naples community – for playing golf, learning to play golf, hosting events, and offering educational programs. Skilled golfers as well as non-golfers, locals and visitors, seniors as well as children and teenagers – they are all meant to come together here.
Golf in Naples: exclusive and private
This is unusual because the Naples area is actually the quintessential American hub for exclusive, private-only golf. Collier County, which surrounds Naples, has more than 90 golf courses and boasts an exceptionally high concentration of private golf courses. According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF) 84 percent of golf courses are private clubs or part of private residential communities. At the same time, only about 14 % of golf holes are open to the public. By comparison: In the 50 largest U.S. golf markets, an average of about 61 % of golf holes are on public courses and 39 % on private courses; nationwide, just under three-quarters of golf courses are public. For anyone who simply wants to spend a few hours at a golf course for an affordable green fee, the region has far too little to offer. With the opening of The Gate Golf Club, the situation is now expected to improve somewhat.
The golf course, located on the former site of the Golden Gate Country Club in Collier County and designed by Jacobsen Hardy Golf Design, meets the standards of modern golf facilities: Nine professionally designed holes for players of all skill levels, plus a 320-yard driving range with covered tees, TrackMan technology, golf simulators, and a putting course. Lounge areas, a clubhouse with event spaces, and dining options foster a sense of community.
A base for First Tee
Above all, however, The Gate gives First Tee – Naples/Collier a permanent home once again. “My family has supported First Tee for many years,” says Kristina Schmieding, explaining the Schmieding family’s motivation for investing in a new golf course. “That’s why we knew firsthand what great work the organisation does with children and teens in our region.” To date, First Tee has reached 1,000 children and teens in the region. Their goal is to reach 2,000 in the future. Fixed, reserved tee times for the youngsters are part of the program offered by The Gate as a base.
Affordable, publicly funded golf for everyone – but especially for people from the region – is a goal that is also reflected in the course’s pricing structure; the land on which the course is located still belongs to Collier County. During the winter season, residents receive a 40 % discount on green fees; during the summer season, the discount is 20 %.
Investments in the region
The current boom in the American golf industry is largely driven by the enormous success of private golf courses, where investments in the overall infrastructure amount to hundreds of millions. Large investment firms, too, have long since discovered this golf market, which often relies on revenue from adjacent properties.
The Gate has appealed to a different kind of investor: people, companies, and institutions that want to support the region and its residents. Some of the skilled labor was provided free of charge; First Tee raised donations; and Collier County contributed six million dollars. A quick return on the investment is not the primary goal, although Kristina Schmieding makes it clear that there are no plans to rely on donations indefinitely. “Our goal is for The Gate, as a nonprofit organisation, to be financially self-sustaining.”
In her view, true accessibility is an essential prerequisite for the project’s success. She believes that children and teenagers will only embrace the sport if they also see golf as a form of entertainment. The welcoming atmosphere at The Gate is intended to ensure that adults also make good use of the project.
The final work and preparations are underway. There are only a few weeks left until the opening in December. “It’s exciting to see how everything is suddenly coming together,” says Schmieding. “After all the planning and work, you can slowly start to get a sense of what the place will feel like when people are actually here playing, training, eating, drinking, and just spending time together.”
