City Considers Selling Capital City Golf Course

On Wednesday, September 17, the Tallahassee city commission voted 3-2 to authorize city officials to obtain an appraisal and prepare a proposal to sell the parcel associated with the Capital City Country Club. Commissioners Porter and Matlow voted no.

The property is owned by the city and is currently leased to the club. The City of Tallahassee received a letter of interest along with an appraisal report for the city-owned golf course parcel. Capital City Country Club has proposed to purchase the 18- hole golf course located behind the Country Club for $1,150,000.

The Capital City Country Club is a semi-private club founded in 1908 and located in downtown Tallahassee. The club offers limited public access to its 18-hole golf course, designed by the renowned course architect Albert W. Tillinghast. Surrounded by pines and Spanish Oaks, the course is home to a diverse array of wildlife found nowhere else in town, cementing its reputation as the most beautiful golf course in Tallahassee.

In 1956, the Tallahassee City Commission agreed to a 99-year operating lease ($1 per year) with the country club. It offers a venue for charity events, law enforcement gatherings, weddings, and community golf tournaments, while also providing numerous lessons for people of all ages.

Over the past few decades, the country club has faced some financial struggles. Due to aging infrastructure and the damage from the tornado that struck Tallahassee the year before, the club is seeking a significant investment. However, the club believes that potential lenders are likely not willing to create these commitments without the golf course.

The Capital City Country Club has expressed its commitment to providing community benefits that make the best use of the golf course.

“As part of this proposed sale and subsequent investment, the club is also committed to upgrading the course to meet the rigorous NCAA standards and partnering with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) so that the FAMU golf team can utilize the club for collegiate competitions. Doing so would benefit the FAMU golf team, attract membership, and bring increased economic activity to downtown Tallahassee.”

In November 2019, while beginning to conduct a field survey of the property, 37 anomalies were identified as potential African American grave sites, most of which were unmarked. In May 2021, a concept plan was developed that included a commemorative site with hardscaping, pathways for community access, signage, and ornamental fencing around the area.

The proposed sale would require a second appraisal, along with a sale proposal dependent on the buyer confirming the land will be used as a golf course and ensuring the protection and proper memorialization of the unmarked 19th-century African American gravesites on the property.