Beyond FaceTime: How Private Clubs Are Reuniting Families

The scene is familiar to so many American families.

A series of earnest but futile attempts to coordinate schedules across time zones, hurried FaceTime calls between appointments, meetings and youth soccer games, all underscored with the growing realization that despite our digital connections, we're drifting further apart. 

As work-from-anywhere policies and retirement relocations scatter family members across the country, many are searching for meaningful ways to maintain the close bonds that screens cannot.

Reimagining the Family Gathering Place

For a growing number of families, private clubs have emerged as an unexpected solution to this modern dilemma. Unlike the stuffy, formal clubs of previous generations, today's private clubs are evolving into casual, multi-generational spaces that serve as natural gathering points for dispersed families. 

At private clubs like Gulf Harbour, this strategy has taken root. Generations of families regularly gather for extended stays in this welcoming community designed for both activity and relaxation.

This shift in club culture reflects a deeper understanding of how families connect in the era of instant messaging and video calls. Venues like Gulf Harbour have become extensions of home, where grandparents can comfortably spend a week, adult children can balance remote work with family time and younger generations can find fulfilling relationships and activities.

The New Definition of Quality Time

The evolution of private club life has redefined quality time for many families. Instead of offering forced family dinners or over-orchestrated activities, these thoughtfully-designed clubs can help strengthen relationships organically. 

A casual breakfast might evolve into an afternoon by the pool or a game of tennis, followed by sunset gatherings at the marina. Without schedules or pressure, natural moments of true connection find ways to flourish–in real time.

Private club membership creates what busy families need most: a consistent, comfortable space where gathering feels like home. The amenities–whether pools, golf courses or a nearby island with gorgeous water views–serve as backdrops for the real attraction: unstructured time together. This environment fosters the kind of spontaneous interactions that build lasting family bonds, allowing each generation to engage in their preferred activities while remaining connected to the group.

Building Traditions in a Transient World

Most significantly, these clubs help families establish new traditions in an increasingly transient society. Holiday celebrations become anchor points that draw everyone home. Tournament weekends transform into annual family reunions. Even simple Sunday brunches evolve into weekly traditions that family members plan their travel around.

At Gulf Harbour, members choose from three restaurants–the sunny Waterside Grille, the laid back Johnny Brown’s or, for a special occasion, the elegant Harbourview Room. And for events and activities, the social calendar offers more than 300 throughout the year with everything from Oktoberfest to the Kentucky Derby party and every celebration in between.

Private clubs have created a trend, capitalizing on a broader shift in how families adapt to modern distance challenges. While technology keeps people connected day-to-day, maintaining strong family bonds requires a location where multiple generations can comfortably spend time together. 

Whether through yacht clubs, country clubs or similar venues, these spaces have become the modern equivalent of the family homestead–places where memories are created not through obligation, but through the natural rhythm of shared experiences.

Doesn’t that sound like a tradition worth making time for?