Info
Florida Keys Country Club
Public - 18 holes
4000 Sombrero Boulevard
Marathon, Florida
Monroe County
33050
Website
Logo
Award for Best Picture
YouTube
Notes
The visionary of the Florida Keys Country Club was Stanley Switlik, 1952.
The Florida Keys Golf Course has had 5 unique layouts:
January 16, 1960-1966: Sombrero Yacht and Golf Club - 18 holes, par 71, 6303 yds, designed by Mark Mahannah.
In 1966 the course was renamed the Sombrero Country Club.
1966-2002: Sombrero Country Club - 18 holes, par 71, 6303 yds.
2002-2007: Sombrero Country Club - 18 holes, par 71, 6469 yds.
2007 to May 31, 2013: Sombrero Country Club - 18 holes, par 72, 6087 yds.
On June 1, 2013 the course was renamed the Florida Keys Country Club.
Since June 1, 2013: Florida Keys Country Club - 18 holes, par 72, 6087 yds.
In the near future, it will be known as the Florida Keys Resort.
Video
Course Area
Course Layout
Scorecard
Street View of Clubhouse
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History
Stanley Switlik, an industrialist from New Jersey, visited the Marathon area while on vacation in 1952. He started buying land. In 1955 he started to develop the area by clearing land, dredging and pumping to creat canals and a lagoon. Switlik hired Mark Mahannah to design the course and in 1956 construction started on the golf course. He used fill to create the land for the golf course area. One reporter stated "The 18-hole layout has been brought out of the Atlantic".
The clubhouse was built in 1956.
The grand opening of the club was on January 16, 1960. It operated as a private club but was open to the public.
It was known as the Sombrero Yacht and Golf Club. The word 'Sombrero' comes from the name of the lighthouse that was erected on the nearby reef before the Civil War.
During the early years, it was also reported as:
Sombrero Yacht and Country Club
Sombrero Key Golf Course
Sombrero Key Country Club
Sombrero Golf and Country Club
Sombrero County Club
The course covered 135 acres, measured 6,303 yards, and played to a par 71.
In 1964, Switlik offered to sell the club to the county for use as a public park but was denied.
In 1966, Switlik sold the club to a group of members and residents for $250,000. He had spent around $4,000,000. The group renamed the new club the Sombrero Country Club.
Why an owl in the logo? Burrowing owls nest in the fairway trees.
During the 1970's the private club had around 280 members.
On September 25, 1998, Hurricane Georges virtually decimated the golf course. The course appeared more open since the hurricane took out more than 300 trees.
It took around 4 years to rebuild the course. At this time, I believe the course's yardage changed to 6,469 yards.
In 2003 the membership numbers were still strong and above 200 members.
In a 2006/2007 renovation, the course was reduced to 6,087 yards but raised to a par 72. The same layout stayed in place with small changes in green shapes and bunkers. On 15 holes, the back tees were removed which shortened these holes and accounted for the yardage reduction. Only 1 hole, #3, was lengthened, by 66 yards, and changed from a par 4 to a par 5.
In 2010, it was noted that water spilled onto the golf course during exceptionally high tides. The club put berms in to keep the salt water out and the fresh water in. The club's driving range is almost devoid of grass because of damage from previous floods.
Also in 2010, due to declining membership, now at 69 members, the club started considering a massive redevelopment into a destination resort to keep it afloat. A club member noted that it's apparent a private-club business model wasn't viable in Marathon any longer. This plan called for a golf course redesign by Jim Fazio.
Sombrero Country Club officially changed their name to Florida Keys Country Club on June 1, 2013. The main reason for the name change was an effort to maximize exposure of the golf course via the internet and social media to gain members and create a new image.
In September 2013, with membership down to 49, a group of investors proposed another plan to the club, and the members unanimously accepted the offer. The city of Marathon said any project that would improve the golf course would be good for Marathon’s economy.
In July 2014, the City of Marathon approved the plan under the stipulation that the public have access to the golf course.
In January 2015, the Florida Keys Country Club was sold for $4,375,000 to the Florida Keys Resort.
Florida Keys Resort plans on a $60-million renovation which may include tennis courts, a pool, a restaurant, cottages, a marina and a hotel.
Regarding the golf facilities, a new clubhouse, a new pro shop and a course overhaul are planned. The golf course design to be created by Kip Schulties at 6,600 yards. One of the biggest changes for the golf course will be to raise the front nine, or east, holes which are prone to flooding. When the original course was built, the crew ran out of fill removed from the nearby canals, which led to those holes being 20 inches lower than the back 9 holes.
Construction overall is expected to take several years and will be called Florida Keys Resort when it is complete.
