Killearn Country Club Announces New Name, Opening Date

The redevelopment of the the Killearn Country Club will not only include a redesigned golf course and new amenities, but also a new name.

According to a press release, the Killearn Country Club will be renamed The Killearn Club. The name also comes with a new look.

The press release notes that the new look will “pay homage to the Club’s 50-year history and roots in Tallahassee and Celtic heritage. The look includes a signature logomark inspired by the Club’s legacy and its newly reimagined future.”

“We promised our members and the Tallahassee community that we would bring forth an entirely new facility that recognizes the past while creating an outstanding experience never before offered in this area,” said the club’s owner, David Cummings, an entrepreneur and Tallahassee native.

The press release also provided details about a new 9-hole course called The Clover. The Clover will be built in the northeast part of the property, formerly known as the North Course, or Narrows. Construction of The Clover is expected to begin in early 2024. The goal is to create a course that is fun, fair, and accessible for all golfers.

The renovation will restore this area of the property – which at one time was slated for a housing development and a passive environmental green space -as an active golf course.

The press release also indicated that the 18-hole Championship Course is expected to open in April 2024. Information about memberships will be released before the course reopens. And finally, the construction of the all-new clubhouse complex, including a restaurant and pool, will continue through 2024.

The full press release is provided below.

Killearn Announces New Name, New Course & Reopening Date for Championship Course

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Aug. 14, 2023 – Families, golfers, residents, and visitors are one step closer to an entirely new country club experience as Killearn Country Club announces a new name, new brand, and a new 9- hole golf course. The new course will complement the reopening of the 18-hole Championship Course, set for April 2024, and plans for new tennis and pickleball courts, a new swimming pool, and a new clubhouse.

“We promised our members and the Tallahassee community that we would bring forth an entirely new facility that recognizes the past while creating an outstanding experience never before offered in this area,” said the club’s owner, David Cummings, an entrepreneur and Tallahassee native. “We are pleased to announce that Killearn Country Club & Inn will become The Killearn Club, and that the land once designated for housing by a previous owner will now become a new 9-hole course called The Clover,” he added. Plans are to open the 18- hole Championship Course in April 2024.

New name: The Killearn Club

The Killearn Club name and look pay homage to the Club’s 50-year history and roots in Tallahassee and Celtic heritage. The look includes a signature logomark inspired by the Club’s legacy and its newly reimagined future.

New 9-hole course: The Clover

A new 9-hole course, The Clover, will be built in the northeast part of the property, formerly known as the North Course, or Narrows. Construction of The Clover is expected to begin in early 2024. The goal is to create a course that is fun, fair, and accessible for all golfers.

The Clover’s designer is golf course architect Chris Wilczynski, ASGCA, whose master plan guides overall renovations. MacCurrach Golf Construction will return to build the new 9-hole course with irrigation designer Aqua Turf International.

Killearn residents and members remember the Narrows as the area former property owners once designated for housing. The renovation will restore this area as an active golf course. Last year, the renovation team successfully applied to bring back Open Space zoning on more than 260 acres of the property. That decision helped reverse the former owners’ plan to use parts of the course for new home sites.

Opening date for redesigned 18-hole Championship Course

The 18-hole Championship Course is expected to open in April 2024. Information about memberships will be released before the course reopens. Membership information will be available through the project website, reimaginekillearncc.com, and the Club’s email list.  

The project is approaching the one-year mark since closing for renovations on September 6, 2022. Visitors to the area can already see glimpses of the redesigned 18-hole Championship Course and the progress of turfgrass growth. The course will be a major draw for golfers, with fairways that wind through the rolling landscape of the Red Hills and greens framed by stately live oaks and tall pines.

Construction of the all-new clubhouse complex, including a restaurant and pool, will continue through 2024. The new structure will replace the former clubhouse and inn, which were demolished in December of last year.

ABOUT THE KILLEARN CLUB

The Killearn Country Club & Inn, built in 1967, was designed around an 18-hole championship golf course. The club was the centerpiece of Killearn Estates, a suburban development that was the first of its kind in Tallahassee. The club became a social hotspot for many of Tallahassee’s influential citizens and a sporting destination for the country’s best golfers. The club has hosted 21 PGA, four LPGA tournaments. and many other professional events. From 1969 to 1982, the Club was home to the PGA’s Tallahassee Open, later the Centel Classic (’83-’89). Legendary golfers Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Gary Player, Chi-Chi Rodriquez, and other top golfers played in these tournaments.

In 2014, the club’s then-owner made a controversial decision to close the North Course (Narrows) and sell part of the property to a residential developer. Club members and Killearn residents objected and began a multi-year battle to preserve the golf course. The residential development never materialized, and in 2020 a group of club members incorporated as Killearn Golf Properties and raised private funds to buy the club. These new owners set out to repair aging facilities and stabilize the club’s finances. In 2022, Killearn Golf Properties sold the property to David Cummings, an entrepreneur and Tallahassee native. Cummings is leading the multi-million dollar renovation, which includes redesigning the 18-hole Championship Course and practice facilities, a new 9- hole course, The Clover, a new clubhouse, pool, and restaurant, and other major improvements. Renowned golf course architect Chris Wilczynski, ASGCA, authored the master plan for new golf facilities.

The renovation is expected to strengthen home values and help preserve the integrity and character of Killearn neighborhoods, which benefits the entire community. Cummings and team are making behind-the-scenes improvements as well. For example, beyond elevating the golf experience and building brand-new amenities, they are renovating the course in a way that will better manage rainwater and improve drainage. The coming restoration of the property marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the storied club, which suffered significantly in past years from aging facilities and deferred maintenance.

ABOUT DAVID CUMMINGS

David Cummings is an Atlanta-based tech entrepreneur who has founded ten companies employing thousands of people, including Pardot, SalesLoft, and Terminus. David is also the founder of the Atlanta Tech Village — the United States’ 4th largest tech hub — and the largest investor in Calendly, the world’s most popular scheduling app. After selling Pardot, he was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner and one of the 100 Most Influential Atlantans by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. David graduated from Tallahassee’s Lincoln High School and grew up playing golf at Killearn Country Club