Hibiscus Golf Club sold for private club

Below are excerpts from an article that originally appeared in Gulfshore Business.

After more than 50 years as a public course in the Naples area, Hibiscus Golf Club sold for $28 million to create an exclusive private golf club, but the public course and Brooks Bar & Grill in its clubhouse will continue to operate for at least another year. 

“We are excited to announce that Hibiscus Golf Club will stay open as a daily-fee public golf facility through March 2027,” Hibiscus Golf Club announced in a digital newsletter emailed March 12. “We will be offering our traditional summer golf packages starting May 1. Our Frequent Player program will be available starting Nov. 1. The driving range, short game area and putting green will be open to the public. Golf instruction and leagues will all be available as before. Brooks Bar & Grill will also stay open through March 2027.” 

The Hibiscus course and restaurant actually can continue to operate through April 2027, said Naples resident Robert Morris, a spokesman for the partnership that acquired the course this month in order to create The Lantern Club, a proposed members-only golf club with an 18-hole course, clubhouse and six golf cottages. “We anticipate keeping the current golf course open to the public until the end of April 2027,” Morris said.  

The Lantern Club LLC acquired the more than 160-acre property at 5375 Hibiscus Drive, on the south side of Rattlesnake Hammock Road in East Naples, from Nassif Golf Ventures LLC for $28 million during a March 6 transaction, according to Investment Properties Corp. principal David Stevens, who listed the commercial property. The golf course flows around single-family homes and condominiums on streets named for notable golf courses, such as Augusta, Doral, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and St. Andrews, but the residential lots were not part of the sale. 

“The Hibiscus golf course was built in 1969 — 57 years ago — and our team is bringing a fresh new quality facility to the town of Naples,” Morris said. “I believe the location some 10 minutes from downtown Naples will be desirable to both local and national members. We anticipate the membership being full within 12 months of opening. We also believe the surrounding area and homeowners near our property will benefit once the facility is completed. Currently, we are working closely with the county on the permitting requirements needed to break ground and start construction.” 

If permitting is in place and The Lantern Club can break ground shortly after Hibiscus closes next spring, the new club is expected to be operational by late 2028. The proposed new clubhouse and six adjacent cottages are being designed by MHK Architecture of Naples, while the new 18-hole championship course will be created by Ohio-based Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design, which lists a portfolio that includes the Calusa Pines Golf Club, Naples National Golf Club and The Quarry in the Naples area. 

“We have put together an incredible team of experienced companies to design and build The Lantern Club,” Morris said.  

According to a November 2025 document created by Winfield to answer FAQs about The Lantern Club, the golf-only club’s nonrefundable initiation fee is expected to start at $250,000 with annual dues anticipated in the $20,000 to $25,000 range. “Pricing of initiation fees will be adjusted based on the demand for membership,” according to the document, which outlines invitation-only individual memberships for founding partners, charter members and full members. 

“To ensure top-tier golf course conditioning, the Club will be closed in certain summer months each year to perform annual golf course maintenance. This practice is commonly seen at elite private clubs in South Florida.” 

Golf carts will be restricted on the new course. “The Club will offer an exceptional caddie program for its members and their guests, and the use of caddies and walking will be encouraged,” according to the FAQs for The Lantern Club. “In addition, the use of golf carts will be restricted or not permitted during certain times. Members and guests who require accommodation will be granted medical exemptions.” 

Click here to read the full article on gulfshorebusiness.com.