Coral Gables Golf & Country Club is set to be fully operational with the pool area opening by the end of the month.

But in terms of programming, the country club at 997 N. Greenway Drive is offering all kinds of workout and fitness programming, said Mitchell Zuriaren, the club’s newly hired director.
“I’m also creating membership-focused programs that are open to the public,” he said, “where members can bring in new potential members and so on.”

For example, on March 19, the club will host an Afternoon Tea special event, and on the last Thursday of the month a Members Mixer series is to be launched as an opportunity for members to come together and bring guests.

Since the city took over operations in June 2022, city staff had to start from zero when it came to membership numbers. As of September 2022, the golf and country club had a little over 450 members.

Now, it has grown to nearly 800 members, said Mr. Juriaren, who began his career with Coral Gables in 2009 as a guest services representative and most recently served as the operations supervisor for the Department of Community Recreation. .

He added, “I’ll continue to create programming and see what’s working and what’s not, because there’s a very diverse group of people who enjoy our country clubs.” “I want to create a world-class country club for the community so that they can all gather and have a place they can call home, which is our mission statement.”

The city took over operations in July 2021 after an initial deal with proponent BTW Investments failed. The proposed 15-year lease contained a deal to put up approximately $5 million upfront through a partnership, agree on a base rent of $360,000 per year, increased by 3% for each leasing year thereafter, and a percentage based on gross revenue. Offer of rent sharing. City staff determined that the BTW investment proposal was unresponsive because it did not meet the minimum requirements at that time.

In March 2021, the city decided to sever ties with Coral Grand, the previous operator of Coral Gables Country Club, after only 10 years. Coral Grand operators were notified that the city was suspending their operations to operate the club due to failure to pay rent for April 2020 and percent rent from October 2017 to September 30, 2018 and October 1. Will not renew ten year lease agreement. 2018, through September 30, 2019, which violated the initial lease, according to a non-renewal letter the city sent the club’s operators.

The city has invested over $1 million in upgrades including new floors, air conditioning units and other capital items to protect the integrity of the building.

“The only part I’m missing right now is the pool,” Mr. Zuriaren said, “which I would say is the heart of the country club because it’s a place where multiple generations can gather together and make lifelong memories.” Can.”

The 100-year-old Country Club was the first public building in Coral Gables and was envisioned as a place for the community to gather and attract potential investors to the area.

“It has taken a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears from many people on behalf of the city to bring the country club up to standards,” Mr Zuriaren said. “We really have to do things the right way, which is not always the easy way, but I can assure you that this building, everything that is going into it from a public works point of view, is done in the right way. going.”