Brian Bandell
Aug 23, 2024
The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida is proposing an expansion and renovation of its golf course and country club in Kendale Lakes.
Miccosukee Golf & Country Club encompasses 229.3 acres and is located at 6401 Kendale Lakes Drive. The property, which previously hosted LPGA and PGA events, features a 27-hole, par-72 course and can accommodate up to 50 golfers.
"The country club has needed a lot of upgrades," Miccosukee Chairman Talbert Cypress said. "We have a lot of loyal members at the country club, so we needed to do something for them."
The renovations, endorsed by the tribe's 640 members, would expand the golf course, he added. Cypress, chairman of the tribe, grew up on the Tamiami Trail Reservation, where the Miccosukee community resides.
The tribe enlisted the architectural and planning help of Miami-based Pascual, Perez, Kiliddjian, Starr & Associates. Attorney Javier L. Vazquez is representing the tribe and assisting in its request to modify the original site plan from 1970.
As the golf club is located off the reservation, it is subject to county approval and is now in its zoning and traffic review phase.
The tribe has been planning renovations for the last three or four years, Cypress said. It is already in the process of irrigating the golf course and constructing its pro shop, which he estimates will be completed in September.
"A lot of golf courses in Miami are closing down, so in West Miami, we're pretty much the only course around," Cypress said. "I think there's a big opportunity with these renovations and the improved conditions of the course to really pick up new members and get a regular clientele going."
If ultimately approved by the county, the club will demolish the existing banquet hall to build a new one. It will also upgrade its existing golf driving range, construct a new 7,198 square-foot golf cart barn and add a 3,337 square-foot artificial putting green.
The upgraded event center would be 26,542 square feet and include a main lobby, a 5,120 square-foot banquet hall, commercial kitchen, roof terrace, reception area, bride and groom dressing areas, bar area, and an office space.
A new single-story golf cart barn would have 103 parking golf cart spots. It will also feature a golf ball washer room, golf club storage area, a rental kiosk, a covered golf cart washer station and office space.
The 5,847 square-foot upgraded driving range would have 27 bays, two practice studios and one starter booth. It would also feature shelves for water coolers and a roof canopy. Cypress said they are prioritizing shade for summer months and adding technology like Trackman, an accuracy and launch monitor.
"With these improved renovations, our members will also have the opportunity to come play and also host their events here," Cypress said. "We are going to have to revaluate our pricing too, but we also want to reward our members that have been with us for a while."
Golfing fees start at $65 per person for 18 holes, and annual memberships start at $2,275. Tribe members receive discounted rates and will profit from the new upgrades through its healthcare services, police department, housing programs and education programming, he added.
Miccosukee Tribe also owns and operates a casino and tobacco shop on the Krome Avenue Reservation and a full-service gas station and service plaza on the Alligator Alley Reservation.
"We have been good neighbors and want to continue to be good neighbors in the Kendale Lakes area," Cypress said.