Park staff reported to the City Commission that the municipal golf course and its community arm recorded higher play, expanded programming and measurable academic improvement among students who participate in on-site education programs.

The update said the course hosted a free golf day on April 17 that provided more than 124 complimentary rounds and 18 lessons to city residents, and that the facility has been selected to host the 2026 PGA Reach Works Championship in May 2026, a 54-hole stroke-play event showcasing student athletes from historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. "The 2026 PGA Reach Works Championship is coming to the park in May 2026," the presenter said, adding the event will include community youth clinics and free spectator access.

The commission heard detailed operations data and PATH (the park’s education-and-outreach program) results. Park staff said the big course logged about 56,000 rounds in the past year (including 9-hole starts), a 62% walking-round rate and roughly 12,000 caddied rounds. Staff also said the facility employed about 274 people over the year (about 218 active at the time of reporting), with about 40% of employees living in West Palm Beach and roughly $5.8 million in wages paid into the local economy.

PATH director Dave Andrews presented the program’s impact report, which the city will publish and distribute. Andrews described PATH’s scholarship-based programs — Fairway Finders (elementary), Fairway Futures (middle school) and ACE Academy (paid internships) — and said they serve students who are identified by school staff as needing academic support. "For us, the Path hasn't changed. Its goal is to positively impact lives," Andrews said.

Andrews gave data the program provided to the commission: PATH offered about 135 scholarships to 95 distinct children last academic year, maintained roughly an 84% retention rate during the school year, employed nine part-time Palm Beach County teachers and seven ACE Academy interns, and provided programs that the PATH estimated would cost about $2 million a year if billed (about $21,000 per child by their accounting). Andrews said 95% of participating students showed academic improvement last year and that 71% of PATH students were at grade level by the end of the program year. He also said 99% of participating students showed improvement in math and that several students earned spots or scholarships in PGA Junior League competitions.

Commissioners asked how schools and the district work with PATH; Andrews said the program recruits through principals, guidance counselors, ESE coordinators and other school staff and that children are selected on a need basis, not by open application. He said PATH also runs Mobile Snag, a grant-funded outreach program that brought golf instruction into school PE programs; Mobile Snag reached about 3,100 children at 10 schools last year and PATH staff estimated expansion is likely in the coming year.

The commission also heard about private fundraising and donor support. Andrews said a donor committed $100,000 a year for five years to fund 42 full summer-camp scholarships. Park presenters said the golf course made Golf Digest’s Top 100 public golf courses list (ranked No. 89) and that the facility is the only public course in Palm Beach County on that list. Staff also described regular community events (Easter egg hunt, Family Fun Fridays, a fall festival and holiday events) and encouraged residents to use course amenities such as the lit 9 par‑3 course and on-site dining.

The presentation concluded with commissioners praising the program’s academic outcomes and its donor-funded scholarship work. Commissioners and staff agreed to distribute the PATH impact report to the commission and make it available online.

The commission did not take a formal vote or adopt new policy at the presentation; staff were directed to distribute the impact report and to continue operational planning for the 2026 tournament and PATH program expansion.