If you’re new to Sarasota, or just ready to move up the social ladder, the area’s yacht clubs may be just right for you.
Whether you choose the Sarasota Yacht Club, Bird Key Yacht Club or Field Club, you’ll find a top of the line clubhouse, social activities for the entire family, fine and casual dining to rival any restaurant in the area, and, of course, the pristine waters of Sarasota Bay and the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.
The oldest of the city’s private clubs is the Sarasota Yacht Club, which traces its founding back to the 1926. “Meet me at The Club,” was the welcoming invitation, and remains the calling card for today’s members. This was a venue for the socially prominent founders of Sarasota, including such notables as Harry Higel and Christy Payne, to meet and take a break from the demanding work of founding a new city. After several locations, and a hiatus during the Depression years, the Sarasota Yacht Club found its current home on John Ringling Boulevard, just a few blocks from St. Armands Circle. A renovation in 2010 produced a stunning 23,000 square foot clubhouse with indoor and outdoor dining, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and an interior designed to replicate the essence of a luxurious yacht. “The Club” is located at 1100 John Ringling Blvd.; call 941-365-4191 for membership information.
Nearby is the Bird Key Yacht Club, built on the site of the Edzell Castle, former home of John Ringling’s sister, Ida Ringling North. Arvida Realty purchased and developed Bird Key in the late 1950s, and renovated “The Castle” into the Bird Key Yacht Club. Today, the club boasts an international membership, with social and recreational opportunities for the family, fine and casual dining, a fitness center and various levels of membership. Unique to Bird Key Yacht Club is a 60-day trial membership. Tennis is offered on multiple Har-Tru clay tennis courts, and the Club has an arrangement with Laurel Oaks Country Club in eastern Sarasota County for golf. Located at 301 Bird Key Drive, this Club was and remains a social gathering point for some of SarasotaÂ’s most influential families. Phone 941-953-4455.
Field Club was originally the winter mansion of Stanley and Sara Field, of the Marshall Field empire in Chicago. An A-List of prominent names associated with its development and growth includes Potter Palmer, whose wealth from the Palmer House hotels in Chicago led to his purchase of thousands of acres south of the City of Sarasota now known as Palmer Ranch. Bertha Palmer, his widow, built her home at Spanish Point in Osprey, which is now a destination for those interested in Indian and Florida Pioneer lore. Field Club, at 1400 Field Road just west of Tamiami Trail overlooking Roberts Bay, is a renovation of Stanley Field’s “Great House.”