Ron DeSantis: Golf Courses, Pickleball, and Political Thuggery

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s apparent heavy influence within Republican political circles, which include lobbyists and state and federal lawmakers, appears to have been diminished to the point that a growing number of former loyalists are now openly defying the popular governor over his push to build lodging, glamping sites, pickleball courts, and/or golf courses, in state parks.

We saw this coming a mile away.

Gov. DeSantis and the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) ambitious plan to construct golf courses and pickleball courts in state parks was nothing less than 9 iron shank into the rough.

DeSantis, who is without question Florida's most effective and popular governor, may want a “mulligan” or a do-over on this very unpopular decision to build in state parks.

DeSantis loves to play golf. And while most of his golfing excursions occur within Florida, 'America's Governor' also likes to play on choice courses around the nation, as was the case a month or so ago when DeSantis played at an exclusive resort in Park City, Utah.

Florida lawmakers are steaming mad over the DeSantis-led “Great Outdoors initiative.”

“I am opposed to Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection plan to make state parks into golf courses!” said Rep. Matt Gaetz. “Everyone needs to make sure your voices are heard at the upcoming State Park public meetings in the area.”

Rep. Gaetz joined a chorus of bipartisan opposition against DeSantis’ initiative.

Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Rep. Brian Mast, and Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, to name a few,  have all pushed back against DeSantis and DEP.

While Republican lawmakers are openly pushing back against DeSantis, Floridians are scratching their heads in disbelief over the unforced error.

The tension among lawmakers and DeSantis appears to have been building up for over a year.

Back in April 2023, several months before DeSantis announced his presidential campaign, a handful of Republican state lawmakers sounded the alarm about a growing backlash against DeSantis.

All of the Republican lawmakers spoke to The Floridian on the basis of anonymity for fear of retribution from the Governor and/or his executive office, but State Senator Jason Pizzo (D) gave a very candid take on the growing concerns within Republican circles.

Sen. Pizzo, who is the Minority Leader said that in speaking to Republican leadership about the Governor’s agenda, their “frustration” was undeniable.

“DeSantis like most politicians, will listen to large donors and people whose influence and favor he needs,” said Sen. Pizzo. I called it out four years ago, when I said, ‘These bills are starting to smell more like red meat, these are bills that seem more akin or attendant to speeches given more in Iowa or New Hampshire than they do in Tallahassee.”

Congressional lawmakers like Rep. Greg Steube, Cory Mills, and Brian Mast, have all spoken to The Floridian about how DeSantis’s Executive Office has and continues to shut them out of any public events that DeSantis conducts within their respective districts.

On several instances, Team DeSantis even told two members of Congress that they didn't need to attend the press conferences.

Why?

Well, they all endorsed former President Donald Trump over DeSantis during the 2024 Republican Presidential Primary contest.

The thuggery, and unprofessionalism coming from DeSantis’ communications office against Reps. Mast, Mills, and others has also been on full display at other public events.

In one instance, one of DeSantis’ media advisors lied to a state Democratic lawmaker in order to diminish and discredit a member of Florida’s media corps. The lawmaker showed The Floridian a text message that contained two blaring  lies stated  to damage the reporter.

Just a few months ago, another DeSantis media staffer actually physically assaulted the same aforementioned member of the media, shoving him in the back because the  staffer did not want the journalist to get any closer to taking a picture of DeSantis.

It’s important to note that DeSantis only has a couple bad apples in the bunch, but their actions reflect on the entire team, including DeSantis himself.

As more and more disgruntled former friends, lawmakers, and members of Florida’s political class continue to move away from DeSantis, is it fair to call him a lame duck governor?

Nope.

As Publisher Peter Schorsch recently stated on “X,” DeSantis “will never be a lame duck” governor because he will fight tooth and nail to dismiss opposition.

DeSantis may need to make some pivots (changes) in the coming months, considering that he has lost significant political capital after losing his presidential bid, and his communications team isn't helping his cause.

Expect incoming Speaker Daniel Perez and many other Republican lawmakers to hold their ground during the 2025 legislative session. We are told that next year's session will not be a "mulligan" of the 2023-2024 legislative cycles where DeSantis called all the shots.