The Country Club at Mirasol is a residential country club community. (Photo: The Country Club at Mirasol)By Jennifer Goetz
From the October 2025 Issue
When Matt Lambert went to study hospitality at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, he never imagined his career journey would bring him to a country club in Florida.
After college, he spent about five years working for Houlihan’s restaurant in Massachusetts and New Jersey. Lambert and his wife realized they wanted to move somewhere warm after getting married and decided to move near friends living in Boca Raton, FL. The next stage in Lambert’s career was at Max’s Grill Group, a high-end restaurant group. Through this experience, he learned about fine dining and was eventually promoted to Director of Operations, overseeing six restaurants between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.
After a few years, Lambert heard from the general manager at the Polo Club in Boca Raton about a new position. He spent three years at the Polo Club as the Director of Food and Beverage before the opportunity to come up to Mirasol in 2003.
“I worked for the developer for the first seven years and had a chance to open the club as the clubhouse manager,” says Lambert. “In 2005, he promoted me to general manager, and I’ve been the general manager since.”
For Lambert, transitioning from the food and beverage world to the country club world happened organically. After learning about the role from the GM of the Polo Club and the quality of life the country club world could provide, Lambert knew he had to explore it.
“I didn’t want to leave the food and beverage industry, but I saw the bigger picture with country clubs–you have a chance to always be involved in food and beverage, but I don’t have to live it every single day,” says Lambert. “You get exposed to so many other aspects of the club business.”
Life As A Country Club General Manager
Mirasol’s Board of Directors sets the budget and policy, and Lambert works closely with them to ensure operational efficiency and continued growth. “My main role is to lead the operations and work with the staff,” he says. “I’ve got 13 different department heads in season, and we have a little over 400 employees. I have to be the conduit between the board of directors and the team, while leading the operations and working in partnership with the board on strategic planning and capital projects.”
“Here at Mirasol, we are blessed to have really good volunteer leadership and board governance,” Lambert adds.
Over time, Lambert has learned from his experience working on multi-million dollar renovations and construction projects. In his role, he’s seen firsthand how complex the construction of club facilities can be and the importance of coordination and partnering with the right professionals. Another takeaway is that nothing is perfect, so it’s critical to have contingencies in place.
In May of 2024, the Mirasol Board of Directors approved $82 million worth of enhancements over the next five years. This funding will go toward a new 40,000-square- foot clubhouse with a pro shop and restaurant, the renovation of both golf courses, and the construction of an 18,000-square-foot indoor pickleball facility.
Mirasol Director of Racquet Sports, Kristine Mendivil; RSPA Facility Manager of the Year and Mirasol General Manager/COO, Matt Lambert; Mirasol Director of Sports, Jeremy Barker. (Photo: The Country Club at Mirasol)Award-Winning Success
In June, The Country Club at Mirasol shared that Lambert was named the 2025 Facility Manager of the Year by the Racquet Sports Professional Association (RSPA), Florida Division. This honor is given to facility leaders who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to advancing racquet sports within their facilities.
Under Lambert’s direction, the Club’s popular racquet sports program has flourished, with utilization of the racquet facilities increasing by 21% and 33% over the past two years. In 2025, instruction revenue is projected to exceed $900,000, and merchandise sales are expected to reach $650,000—testaments to the vibrancy and growth of the program. He also established a leadership program at Mirasol to help mid-level managers build core skills in budgeting, leadership, and career development, creating a culture of mentorship that extends beyond club boundaries.
“I’m deeply honored to receive this recognition from the RSPA,” said Lambert in a news release. “I’m especially grateful to Mirasol’s Director of Sports, Jeremy Barker, and Director of Racquet Sports, Kristine Mendivil, whose vision and dedication have been instrumental in creating an outstanding racquet program for our active and engaged membership.”
(Photo: The Country Club at Mirasol)Welcoming The Next Generation
Given his experience, Lambert believes that country club positions are a great option for students studying hospitality to explore.
“My career aspiration was not to run a Country Club,” he says. “The country clubs I knew of in Massachusetts were small clubhouses that maybe had a tennis court or two, a pool, and a golf course. Down here in Florida, it’s a completely different animal.”
While it wasn’t his original career aspiration, Lambert believes the private club industry has a lot of underrated career opportunities. In the typical private club model, the general manager was always the golf pro who worked his way up or the bartender who knew everyone’s names. “I think the private club industry has so much to offer in terms of career opportunities, but you know it’s almost unknown to a lot of the hospitality students and a lot of the hospitality programs,” says Lambert.
“I’m very passionate about the hospitality industry, and I spent a lot of time going back and speaking to students because I do think it’s such a fantastic career,” says Lambert. “I would have never in a million years expected to be in this position today.”
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