From Staff Reports and ChatGPT
With the sale of the long-defunct Errol Estate Golf Course now complete, one question looms large: What will billionaire entrepreneur Michael Repole do with the 380-acre property he just purchased for $4.25 million?
While residents of Errol Estate await clarity, signs point strongly toward redevelopment, not golf course restoration.
Related: Billionaire entrepreneur buys Errol Golf Course lands.
Repole, best known for building beverage giants like BODYARMOR and Vitaminwater, has no public golf course ownership or redevelopment history. The entity that purchased Errol—Driven Apopka LLC is tied to Repole, but no indication that it's a vehicle for reviving recreational spaces. The most telling clue lies not in Repole’s past but in Errol’s present zoning status.
In a detailed statement to The Apopka Voice, Commissioner Nick Nesta clarified the legal and planning context surrounding the Errol property, emphasizing the difference between expired development plans and still-active land use entitlements, as well as the necessary steps any new developer must take to move forward:
According to Nesta:
"The Errol Estate Golf Course has been defunct for many years and was owned by one individual, Mr. Larry Klein and is/was part of an estate.
Prior to the estate taking over the defunct golf course Mr. Klein, in partnership with a developer, in 2018 worked to get approvals for future land use changes, density changes and development plan approvals to many sections of the golf course land.
The development plans have since expired and the future land use still remains with the land. Any new developer would have to resubmit a new development plan and get new approvals through the City of Apopka Development Review Committee (DRC), the City of Apopka Planning Commission and ultimately approvals through the City of Apopka City Council.
Any development plans would have to align with the approved future land uses that were approved in 2018 (unless an amendment to the future land use was submitted and approved).
To ensure there is no confusion, this Errol Estate scenario is different than another defunct golf course in Apopka, the Golf Group’s Rock Springs Ridge 320 acres, specific to ownership, entitlements (the right to develop), valuation, etc.
Any potential development, valuations and ownership at Errol Estate cannot be compared to the Rock Springs Ridge defunct golf course for a host of reasons the biggest one being the future land use approvals that the Errol Estate defunct golf course land currently has versus Rock Springs Ridge defunct golf course amongst other things.
I stand with our residents in our eagerness to know what the plans of the new owner will be for the defunct golf course land in Errol Estate."
Commissioner Diane Velazquez shared additional context about the sale, revealing that the golf course was previously offered to the City of Apopka earlier this year. She expressed concern over the mayor’s lack of response to the offer and emphasized her hope that residents and the new owner will work together to shape Errol’s future.
"I learned via social media that the Errol Estate Golf Course (380 Acres) was sold for $4.25 million. The buyer was billionaire Michael Repole. It’s Interesting because 5th Hole Investments sent an email to the Mayor & Commissioners on May 31, 2025, offering to sell the golf course to the City of Apopka and an outstanding Utility Lien for $6.3 million. At that time, I was concerned when I received the email offering the city to purchase the defunct golf course. I sent a response to 5th Hole Investments asking if the leadership of the City of Apopka had approached them. I never received a response. I emailed Interim Chief Administrator Radley Williams, inquiring if the Mayor had initiated or reached out to 5th Hole Investments, expressing interest in purchasing the defunct golf course. Williams did respond, verifying the mayor did not reach out to 5th Hole Investments.
Related: 5th Hole Investments proposes $6.3 million sale of Errol Estate Golf Course property to Apopka.
The 5th Hole Investments initiated the offer to the City of Apopka..
At the previous city council meeting, I asked the Mayor about his position regarding the defunct golf courses of Errol Estate and Rock Springs Ridge. He responded that he wanted to help both communities but could not articulate how he would do so.
Related: Nelson: City not positioned to buy or bail out Errol or RSR golf course lands.
The 380 Acres of Errol Estate Golf Course was rezoned a few years ago, in 2018, and has the entitlement for Mixed Use. The residents of Errol Estate will have an opportunity to meet the private buyer and new owner of their golf course and learn about the plans to rebuild Errol Estate. I have confidence that the homeowners and the new owner will work together in this process and decide what is best for revitalizing their golf course lands."
The former Errol golf course has been dormant for years, and while some residents may hope for its revival as a recreational space, the economics and zoning tell another story. Repole acquired the property for nearly half its previous asking price—a strategic investment consistent with land banking or phased development.
There is no official announcement yet, but based on the land’s zoning, price, and Repole’s business history, the future of Errol Estate likely lies in mixed-use development, not in a new golf course.
Either way, Errol’s next chapter is just beginning.
