Island Club Celebrates Spectacular New Facilities

On Saturday evening, February 18th, the long-anticipated ribbon cutting of Island County Club’s newly renovated and expanded Clubhouse and Wellness Center was held. The Island Club is the only 18-hole country club on the island and is located at 500 Nassau Road on Marco Island.

The original ground-breaking was done in late March of 2021, when then President Scott Welliver promised those in attendance that they would be very pleased with the outcome of the three years of planning that went into the final designs for the expanded facilities.

The journey has not been without challenges as the club officials and board members worked through issues such as the delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, severe supply chain challenges, financial issues with their contractor and the impact six months ago of Hurricane Ian.

Scott Welliver’s successor, and now President of the Board Bill Albanese, welcomed the attendees to the event that afternoon. Albanese would wear two hats during the last two years both as the recent incoming President of the Board and as the “Clerk of the Works” for the overall project.

Welliver credited Albanese’s unwavering dedication to keeping the project online and delivering a product which the membership would be extremely proud of and was the key to what people would see today. “Bill thought he had simply retired and could enjoy a little golf and a quieter life than what his ownership of a very large construction company in the New Jersey/New York area provided. Truth is his expertise and talents pulled us through a very difficult set of challenges,” said Welliver.

Albanese pointed out the wonderful dedication of club members assisting on various committees that oversaw the selection of everything from lighting fixtures to the carpeting.  “This is their creation, and it looks awesome,” said Albanese.

He also complimented the staff and management of the organization who worked through every challenge that was thrown their way. “They went above and beyond to make sure our membership were accommodated throughout the process, regardless of the issues,” said Albanese, who also praised the membership for their patience and flexibility during the entire project.

Both Welliver and Albanese complimented the city staff who worked to ensure that the processes and planning for the entire project was flawless.

Renowned Naples Artist Emily James provided much of the newly acquired art work that can be found throughout the halls of the club house, and in a surprise move, Albanese called Ms. James to the podium to cut the ceremonial ribbon indicating that the much anticipated completion of the project was now a reality.