Florida
Not even the ultra-rich can get into South Florida's most exclusive country clubs
Not even the ultra-rich can get into South Florida’s most exclusive country clubs. Thanks to the influx of high net worth households moving from California, New York, and other wealthy enclaves in recent years, demand for memberships in elite country clubs in Boca Raton, Miami Beach, Jupiter, and Palm Beach has sky-rocketed, area real estate agents say.
So what’s the key to getting off the years-long waitlists? Historically, it’s entailed waiting for a slot to open while ensuring your golf stroke is good enough for these elite clubs. But for individuals feeling impatient, there is another way: tapping into a new wave of luxury golfing communities that are starting to dominate the area social scene. More of these developments are springing up in South Florida to meet the demand of ultra-wealthy transplants who want to socialize with other VCs and CEOs but don’t yet have the clout to join the area’s more traditional clubs.
“The only way for new people to get in the club is if people pass away or the cost continues to increase so much that somebody doesn’t want to be a member anymore,” Devin Kay, a local real estate agent with Douglas Elliman, tells Fortune. “It’s become a gigantic problem for people moving down here.”
Courtesy of Shell Bay
Admittance to the top spots is invitation-only, and that can be an obstacle for newcomers arriving from distant places like Boston or Chicago. Kay, who is used to closing deals on the green, can help with that. A former pro golfer, Kay is also a member of the storied La Gorce Country Club in Miami Beach and the Shell Bay Club, a new development in Hallandale Beach.
“Joining has become next to impossible,” Kay says of the more traditional country clubs, adding that the newer golf communities “have become tremendously popular now because they give people real estate and get them into the club.”
At the more traditional La Gorce—one of the most exclusive country clubs in South Florida—members must be sponsored by five other current members, and there is a $1 million fee to join, says Kay (the clubs don’t publicly advertise their membership prices), plus a years-long waitlist.
“If you try to join a club now, the list does not go by the order you requested to join. It goes by the order of who they want to get in,” says Gary Pohrer, a former pro-golfer who works alongside Kay at Douglas Elliman. “The waitlist is indefinite unless you meet the right people.”
Meanwhile, buying a property in a new development like Shell Bay, where condos start at $2 million, can get owners on the greens straight away with a discounted membership. Golfers can also pay $1.4 million outright to join (though given the current cap, the club is only accepting new members who buy a residence at this time, Kay says). For most Americans, spending well over a million for a luxury condo or a golf membership is out of the question, but among the hedge fund managers and techies flocking to South Florida, there is no shortage of demand.
If the membership prices seem steep—most clubs cost in the hundreds of thousands to join, plus yearly dues and minimum spends—they reflect what the ultra wealthy are willing to pay. Many of the top South Florida clubs have doubled or tripled their fees since the pandemic thanks to demand.
For those willing to purchase a condo in one of the new developments, Kay notes they get more for their membership than access to the golf club. In addition to a 9-hole and 18-hole golf course, Shell Bay boasts tennis and pickleball courts, a yacht club with a 48-slip private marina, and a spa. Residents can charter a private helicopter for a fishing trip in the Bahamas. It’s everything the ultra wealthy need all in one place.
The new communities solve one of the ultra-rich’s biggest problems, says Kay. At least until they fill up, too.
Plans for a new Wawa to open in Port St. Lucie were approved.
A new Wawa fuel station and convenience store will open in Port St. Lucie now that the plans have been approved.
The Wawa will be at the corner of Village Parkway and Becker Road in front of the Lowe’s which is expected to open in the summer of 2026, according to the city’s website.
The plans for a Wawa convenience store and eight fuel pumps were submitted to the city Dec. 3, 2025.
What will go in Port St. Lucie’s Southern Grove?
The plans for the Shoppes at Southern Grove show there will be a new Lowe’s store and six additional outparcels.
The six additional outparcels include the following:
- Gas station: 5,915 square feet
- Outparcel A: 1.2 acres
- Outparcel B: 1.14 acres
- Outparcel C: 1.83 acres
- Outparcel D: 1.04 acres
- Outparcel E: 1.02 acres
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
SUNRISE, Fla. – Five Florida Panthers players and five staff members will represent their home countries at the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship, taking place May 15 through May 31 in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland. Games will be broadcast on NHL Network in the United States.
Marek Alscher, 22, will represent Czechia at the IIHF World Championship for the first time. He previously played for his home country at the 2024 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship, skating in seven games to help the Czechs capture the bronze medal over Finland. Alscher made his NHL debut with the Panthers in 2025-26, notching three assists over four games played. He also skated in 52 American Hockey League (AHL) games with Florida’s affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, recording 11 points (3-8-11).
Aleksander Barkov, 30, missed the 2026 Winter Olympic Games due to injury but had been named to Finland’s preliminary roster in June of 2025. He previously earned a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games alongside current Panthers assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu, and earned a silver medal representing his home country at the 2016 IIHF Men’s World Championship. At the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, Barkov served as captain of Finland.
Anton Lundell, 24, will be participating in his second IIHF World Championship after earning a silver medal with Finland in 2021, where he posted seven points (4-3-7) in 10 games as a 19-year-old. He helped Finland capture the bronze medal at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games this season and previously earned gold at the 2019 IIHF U20 WJC and 2018 IIHF U18 WJC, as well as a bronze medal at the 2021 U20 WJC.
Sandis Vilmanis, 22, will represent Latvia at the IIHF World Championship for the first time in his career. He played for Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in February as well as at the 2022, 2023 and 2024 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships, serving as an alternate captain in 2024 where he produced four points (2-2-4) over five games. Vilmanis made his NHL debut with the Panthers in 2025-26, logging five points (3-2-5) in 19 games with Florida while compiling 38 points (17-21-38) in 48 American Hockey League (AHL) contests with the Panthers affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.
Matthew Tkachuk, 28, will attempt to become the first American to join the Triple Gold Club (Stanley Cup, World Championship Gold Medal and Olympic Gold Medal), as well as the first player in NHL history to win all three parts of the Triple Gold Club within a 12-month span. This will be Tkachuk’s first time participating in the IIHF World Championship.
In addition to his 2026 Olympic gold medal, Tkachuk also earned gold representing the United States at the 2015 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship and the 2014 U17 World Hockey Challenge, as well as a bronze medal at the 2016 IIHF U20 WJC. He served as alternate captain for the U.S. at the 2026 Olympics and 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.
Florida will have four staff members representing the United States. Panthers Assistant General Manager Brett Peterson is serving as General Manager for the second time after holding the position in 2024. Panthers Head Equipment Manager Teddy Richards will serve as equipment manager and Florida’s Head Athletic Trainer Dave DiNapoli will work as athletic trainer. Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito will serve on the Advisory Group.
Panthers Assistant General Manager Gregory Campbell will assist with evaluating and selecting players for Canada.
Panthers fans can stay up to date on all the Cats’ representatives at the 2026 IIHF World Championships at FloridaPanthers.com/WorldChampionship.
2026-27 Florida Panthers Territory Memberships are available now! Click here to learn more. For all the latest in Panthers news, concerts and events at Amerant Bank Arena & FTL War Memorial, sign up for ’93 Society newsletter and receive information straight to your inbox. Visit FloridaPanthers.com or SeatGeek.com for all ticketing needs.
A Martin County slaughterhouse near Lake Okeechobee could increase toxic algal blooms in the C-44 Canal, St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.
There have been 81 algal blooms in the past two years within 2 miles of a proposed slaughterhouse in western Martin County, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Algal Bloom Dashboard.
The slaughterhouse will increase pollution and bring more potentially toxic algal blooms to Lake Okeechobee, whose waters sometimes are released into the C-44 Canal and flow into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon in Stuart, opponents say.
Chancey Bay Ranch owner Tuny Mizrachi has proposed building a 56,784-square-foot slaughterhouse on 26 acres of his 2,046-acre-property at 8401 SW Connors Highway, abutting Lake O.
5 ways a slaughterhouse can increase Lake Okeechobee pollution
The Guardians of Martin County have raised at least five concerns with the Martin County Commission:
- Meat processing facilities, though necessary, have the potential to be noisy nuisances and significant sources of disease and pollution for air and water.
- The facility would be a new source of pollution in a watershed that’s designated as “impaired” because of elevated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus.
- The facility would be a potential new source of pollutants near one of Martin County’s lowest income and most ethnically diverse communities.
- There’s no evidence the facility has a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, or plans to follow effluent limitation guidelines or conduct water-quality monitoring.
- The South Florida Water Management District has permitted the facility to withdraw 6.7 million gallons of water per year for 20 years from Florida’s surficial aquifer, despite it being subject to varying levels of saltwater intrusion, especially in Martin County. The SFWMD has designated all of Martin County a Water Resource Caution Area.
Blood, feces, oil, grease, ammonia and antibiotic residue from the proposed slaughterhouse would contribute to harmful algal blooms, including toxic cyanobacteria, Martin County Administrator Don Donaldson wrote to the DEP and SFWMD.
Tim O’Hara is TCPalm’s environment reporter. Contact him at tim.ohara@tcpalm.com.
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