The Capital City Country Club wants out of its long-time lease with the city of Tallahassee in order to get its financial footing secured.
City commissioners will discuss the request at their Sept. 17 meeting and decide whether to give the city manager the green light to obtain an appraisal of the golf course, located at 833 Santa Rosa Drive, and prepare a proposal to sell it.
The club obtained its own appraisal report for the 18-hole course, a storage building and an equipment building, indicating the property is valued at $1.15 million.
In a letter to commissioners, it outlined the club’s string of financial blows over the years that include last year’s freak tornadoes that ripped through Tallahassee and dwindling membership directly tied to renovations at competitor golf clubs, specifically Seminole Legacy and Killearn Estates.
The letter, sent by the club’s board, said the current 99-year lease with the city limits the club’s ability to pursue loans and other means of financial support. It also said the club needs to “infuse significant capital investment into course improvements to survive” and that it’s barely able to maintain its operating budget.
“Attracting the necessary investment will not be possible without the Club owning the golf course,” the letter said. “Potential lenders and other benefactors, who may be motivated by the legacy of our very special Club, are not likely to make sizeable financial commitments without certainty in the long-term future of the land.”
The club’s leadership said the facility will be able to pursue the funds necessary to tackle major renovations for its aging infrastructure. Some of the improvements include making the course meet NCAA standards to partner with the golf team at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
“Doing so would benefit the FAMU golf team, attract membership, and bring increased economic activity to downtown Tallahassee,” the letter said.
History of the Capital City Golf Course
Founded in 1908, the Capital City Golf Course is one of the oldest courses in the state.
It’s located in the Myers Park neighborhood, just south of the state capital. The facility has served as a gathering place for community golf tournaments, swimming lessons at the on-site pool and events, including weddings at its clubhouse.
“From governors to judges to future professional golfers, the Club is imprinted in Tallahassee history,” the club’s letter said, adding it’s been featured on Florida’s Historic Golf Trail. The clubhouse was designed by Albert W. Tillinghast, a well-known name in golf course architecture.
Unbeknownst to the club’s leaders, the property is also home to 23 unmarked graves believed to be the resting place for Black slaves. In 2021, a committee began work to bring historical markers to the golf course as part of the former Edward Houstoun Plantation.
“In the early part of the 20th Century, the plantation was split into a subdivision and 9-hole golf course,” a May 2021 article in the Tallahassee Democrat reported. “The cemetery land was added to the golf course in the 1930s when it was expanded to 18 holes.”
Contact Economic Development Reporter TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com and follow @TaMarynWaters on X.
