Soave Enterprises, a Detroit-based company, is working towards completing the Kinsale Golf Club in North Naples, Florida, with a planned location at Vanderbilt Drive and Wiggins Pass Road. The project had originally received support from Collier County about six years ago but did not start until 2023 due to pandemic delays. Famed architect Gil Hanse and his partner Jim Wagner are leading the project, known for their work on iconic courses like New York’s Winged Foot Country Club and the Los Angeles Country Club.
The Kinsale Golf Club is limited to a membership of 250 members who will each pay around $500,000 in initiation fees. The 18-hole, par-71 course draws inspiration from legendary courses like St. Andrews in Scotland, known for its challenging 17th Road Hole. The course is designed to be open from early October through early June, with maintenance scheduled for the summer months on the 6,555 yards. In comparison, PGA Tour courses last year averaged about 7,300 yards.
Architect Gil Hanse acknowledges the challenge of building a great golf course on the compact site but expresses confidence in the team’s abilities. The goal is to create an interesting and engaging experience for golfers by strategically aligning features and landscape materials to provide separation and a sense of openness on the course. Hanse believes that the team’s ability to find creative solutions on the site will be a major accomplishment once the project is completed.
Soave Enterprises has hired Atlanta’s Steve Archer as director of club operations after an initial candidate was arrested on theft charges. Archer brings a decade of experience as the director of golf at Georgia’s Capital City Club and served on the state’s PGA Board of Directors for four years. The company has also brought on Rusty Mercer as the director of agronomy, previously working at Lakeland’s Streamsong Resort.
The Kinsale Golf Club is expected to be completed in the autumn and will stretch from Vanderbilt Drive and Wiggins Pass Road to Tamiami Trail near Old 41 Road. The membership will be limited, with members paying initiation fees of approximately $500,000 each. The course is designed to provide a challenging and engaging experience for golfers, drawing inspiration from historic courses like St. Andrews in Scotland.
Architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, known for their work on iconic golf courses worldwide, are leading the project. The team is focused on creating a unique and memorable experience for members with strategic placement of features and landscape materials to provide separation and openness on the compact site. Soave Enterprises is confident in the team’s abilities to overcome challenges and deliver a high-quality golf course for members to enjoy.
