"A Difficult Time": Woodlands Clubhouse in Tamarac Will Be Demolished

The Woodlands Country Club {Tamarac Talk}

By Kevin Deutsch

Tamarac Mayor Michelle Gomez updated residents on work being done at the defunct Woodlands Country Club on Thursday, confirming that the property’s dilapidated clubhouse would be demolished and replaced with “a new clubhouse and amenity campus.”

Gomez, who has deep connections to the Woodlands, told Tamarac Talk in an email that the pending demolition marked “a difficult time, especially for those of us who have lived in the community for decades and enjoyed the clubhouse.” The shuttered golf club’s owner, ClubLink, was cited in a violation case connected to its 40-year building inspection and has a permit to tear the clubhouse down, according to the mayor.

“As the community has been able to see, the old Woodlands Country Club Clubhouse located at 4600 Woodlands Boulevard has been in disrepair for years,” Gomez wrote. “The Clubhouse has an active violation case against it regarding the 40-Year Building Safety Inspection. In May 2023, ClubLink applied to the city for a demolition permit issued in October.”

Gomez said ClubLink’s contractor is on-site to start the demolition, which is expected to be completed by early February 2024. The contractor handling the demolition has been contacted regarding the proper start time: no earlier than 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. on Sunday, and no later than 7 p.m. each day, according to the mayor.

“This will make way for the new site of the Recreation Pod, which is a part of the Development Agreement the City just approved with Woodlands Club Holdings (13^th Floor),” Gomez wrote. “The Site Plan for the Recreation Pod will include a new minimum 8,000 square foot Clubhouse and Amenity Campus with various recreational uses. Only those uses approved in the Development Agreement will be permitted to be constructed.”

In March, Tamarac’s city commission voted 3-2 to approve a plan by 13th Floor Homes to build 335 single-family homes on the defunct 275-acre golf course on the southwest corner of Commercial Boulevard and Rock Island Road. The project got the nod from Gomez and Commissioners Elvin Villalobos and Kicia Daniel. Vice Mayor Marlon Bolton and Commissioner Morey Wright voted against the project.

According to The Real Deal, ClubLink has a contract to sell Woodlands to 13th-floor homes for an undisclosed price.

The city is currently processing the site plan for the new development’s Recreation Pod, Gomez wrote. Public hearings will be held before the Planning Board and City Commission sometime in early 2024.

To view the conceptual master plan that includes the Recreation Pod/Amenity Campus, as well as the proposed site plan for the Amenity Campus, residents can contact the city’s Community Development Department at 954-597-3530 or view city staff’s report and the site plan packet once it’s posted to the city’s website.

“For me, this entire process has been emotional,” Gomez wrote. “This was the location of my grandparents wedding, memories of quality time with my family, fun times during school breaks, and so much more. Admittedly, it has had me in tears the past few days.”

"A Difficult Time": Woodlands Clubhouse in Tamarac Will Be Demolished 1

The former bar area at the Woodlands Country Club. {Sharon Aron Baron}

“Unfortunately, the last clubhouse on the hill will be gone,” Gomez added. “The old girl is in bad shape. She will come down and be replaced with a new clubhouse and amenity campus that I hope will be the location for new priceless memories for all who use it — as the Woodlands Country Club was for me and my family.”

"A Difficult Time": Woodlands Clubhouse in Tamarac Will Be Demolished 2

Front of the Woodlands Country Club. {Tamarac Talk}

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Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning crime journalist and author. A graduate of Florida International University, Kevin has worked on staff at The Miami Herald, New York Daily News, and The Palm Beach Post.