- January 7, 2026
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For most of 2025, Forest Lake Golf Club was a center of prolonged and emotional debate for the city of Ocoee during its City Commission meetings. Residents packed the chambers and listened to see what the future of the city’s only golf course would hold.
Long-term leases were on the table, and city staff examined three firms’ proposals. The commission unanimously voted to reject all three firms’ proposals for operation of Forest Lake Golf Club Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Their decision meant the city would retain full ownership and oversight of it, placing all of the operations under Ocoee.
This sets the stage for a larger focus on community priorities, fiscal responsibility and what it can become in the next year.
“We’re really trying to make this an interactive process with the City Commission and with residents,” City Manager Craig Shadrix said. “This isn’t something where we come in with a finished product and say, ‘Here you go.’ We want to understand what the commissioners are hearing from their constituents and what the community actually wants.”
The commission knew these decisions not only would affect the future of the golf course but also the future of Ocoee residents’ lives, as well.
However, as important as Forest Lake is to The Center of Good Living, it’s just one piece of Ocoee’s sports pie. Recent and proposed projects — including Vasant Sports LLC’s pickleball facility and The Dynasty | Ocoee — represent a larger vision for the future of what is to come in the city.
Vasant Sports initially presented the blueprint for the facility during 2024, but it was rejected. In 2025, the organization returned with a revamped proposal, which earned commission approval. The plan includes 25 indoor tournament-style courts and one outdoor championship court. Eventually, Vasant representatives expect the facility to become more than a recreational pickleball venue. It is designed to host large pickleball tournaments and gather players from across the country.
The Dynasty | Ocoee is a 159-acre mixed-use sports and entertainment destination being developed by Montierre Development. Similar to the pickleball facility, it is designed to attract visitors year-round to Ocoee’s city lines.
Developers for The Dynasty hope to create a destination for families to come to compete and stay, fusing tournaments with vacation-style amenities. There will be a 150,000-square-feet indoor sports facility, 17 multi-purpose sports fields to meet the sports demand. For entertainment, there are more than 1,100 hotel rooms planed for and 350,000-square-feet of retail, dining and entertainment. It’s truly forming a destination spot for tourism.
However, Montierre is facing multiple lawsuits and construction liens totaling more than $11 million in alleged unpaid debts. Public court records show four pending lawsuits filed by lenders, investors and contractors. Montierre CEO Jaime Douglas has denied these claims, and the city remains optimistic about the project, the Orlando Business Journal reported.
“These projects are going to generate tourism and economic growth,” Shadrix said. “And they fulfill specific niches — competitive sports, indoor athletics and large events.”
Those facilities are development projects responding to market demand, separate from the city’s state-mandated responsibility to provide recreational level of service through parks and open space.
Shadrix said the distinction matters, because Ocoee’s comprehensive plan sets standards for how the city accommodates population growth. But city officials are welcoming the economic impact of sports tourism.
Ocoee’s location plays an important role in its long-term growth. With direct access to State Road 429, Florida’s Turnpike and State Road 50, the city is easily reachable from across Central Florida.
City leaders expect the increase of visitors to the area will fuel long-term redevelopment downtown.
“We have a great master plan and a land development code that allows us to create a walkable, pedestrian oriented downtown,” Shadrix said.
The vision includes buildings closer to the downtown streets, wider sidewalks and spaces designed for easy interaction.
Ocoee already has made the first moves toward the larger picture, Shadrix said. It relocated city hall to anchor the downtown area, which provides a steady employee base for local shops. Small businesses from breweries to bike shops and cafes could become the first generation of downtown redevelopment.
While some of the projects remain years away from completion, city officials believe Forest Lake will be the first place residents see change.
“You’re going to see some impactful things happen very quickly,” Shadrix said. “There are moves we can make that won’t cost much but can generate revenue and create a better place.”
As Ocoee charts its future in 2026, the improved fairways at Forest Lake and other aesthetic changes the city has made signify more than an improved golf playing field, it’s a step toward greater community representation and increased changes for the long-term scope of the city.
Since Ocoee claimed ownership of the course, city staff have begun meeting one-on-one with commissioners to better understand their expectations for the course.
In December, the team held extended sessions with each commissioner. Shadrix said it was an intentional step aimed at aligning future improvements with public input, rather than top-down decision making.
The city then will host a public workshop, which likely will occur in February, during which city staff will present several options. The workshop will focus on a comprehensive evaluation of Forest Lake’s needs, from turf and agronomic conditions to landscaping enhancements and operational efficiency.
At the heart of Ocoee’s approach to revamping Forest Lake are two priorities that must coexist: providing a high-quality golf experience at a reasonable price and generating enough revenue to sustain and improve the facility long-term.
“Revenue is necessary to meet the demands and keep the course nice,” Shadrix said. “We’re evaluating all of those factors right now.”
The evaluation includes learning from other publicly owned golf courses across Central Florida. A prestige course, which was discussed during the commission’s meetings and given as an example by Shadrix, is Dubsdread Golf Course in Orlando. It’s an Orlando city-owned facility that successfully has balanced affordability, quality and revenue generation.
Shadrix hopes to organize a tour of Dubsdread for Ocoee commissioners.
“It’s about exposing them to what’s out there,” he said. “That helps inform (them on) what they want to see here.”
While the long-term planning still is underway, Shadrix said Forest Lake already has seen improvements, including course conditions and the restaurant.
Shadrix said since the city took it over, it is just under $300,000 ahead of the revenues collected under the old operator for the same time period.
The main catapult for the early signs of growth at the course was hiring Robert Utsey as a consultant. He has a background in running golf courses across Florida and initially did a wide-spread analysis of Forest Lake when he was hired. Based on his findings of the course’s conditions, he said he created a rubric for the city to follow.
Utsey broke down the steps needed to improve the landscaping, created a timeline on when changes should be made and pinpointed exactly where they were needed. Ocoee has begun reshaping the course under the guidance of Ocoee Parks and Leisure Director Mark Johnson and his team.
“The grass out there is in really good shape,” Shadrix said. “It’s a really nice golf environment. And it’s a very well-designed course — one of the most notable course designers in the state of Florida designed it. It has great bones.”
Ocoee’s goal now is to elevate the course to a level that reflects the design legacy without overspending.
“We don’t want to go spend a whole bunch of money if we’re not going to get much return on it,” Shadrix said. “That’s the big thing — being wise.”
Throughout public discussion, one topic constantly came to the surface: Residents want Forest Lake to remain Ocoee’s golf course.
“There’s a strong sentiment among elected officials that the community aspect is No. 1,” Shadrix said.
However, that doesn’t mean sacrificing golf quality. Several commissioners are avid golfers, and city leaders know improvements must maintain the integrity of the course. But officials also see opportunities to expand Forest Lake’s appeal beyond golfers to the wider community.
“We want families out there,” Shadrix said. “We’re looking at community amenities that may not serve just golfers.”
A welcoming restaurant, flexible gathering spaces and an environment that invites residents who might never have picked up or want to pick up a club all are part of the discussion for the future. City leaders believe in expanding the Ocoee property in a way to help strengthen the community value.
“When you have a good place to go, have fun and have a good meal, that’s a community amenity in itself,” Shadrix said.
