Our History
The Moorings was developed by Milton Link for Julio Lobo, a Cuban Entrepreneur, who was known as the King of Sugar. On the evening of September 17, 1957, Milton Link sat at the bar of the Beach Club Hotel in Naples and watched the sun set into the Gulf of Mexico. His mood was one of elation and anticipation. For more than a year, he had been negotiating to buy the Crayton Tract, 1,300 acres of land where The Moorings of Naples is now. The deal closed that day for 300 of the 1,300 acres. The price was $1.5 million. The property was bought from the 33 Investment Corp. (A Collier subsidiary) named for the section in which it was located. Over the course of the next three to four years, three more parcels were purchased for $3 million. In the end, 960 acres belonged to Lobo, and from this acreage The Moorings of Naples evolved.
Reynolds, Doris, “The Man Who Made the Moorings.” Naples Now, April 1982, pp.16-19.
In 1963, The Moorings Golf & Country Club was built, and the 18-hole par 63 course was an immediate success. The Moorings was the first development to have its own beach, its own golf course and the area’s first property owners’ association. The golf course was in good shape when it opened, and with continuous improvements made since, is in excellent shape today.
On December 1, 1968, the Board of Directors announced the formation of “The Moorings Country Club of Naples, Inc.” and on that day the club began operations as a private club. Today, the Moorings Golf & Country Club is devoted to the encouragement of the game of golf and to the entertainment and diversion of its members. The Club continues to provide Members with some of the finest golf, dining, and scheduled activities in Naples.