When Randi Ireland first visited Gulf Harbour Yacht & Country Club in the 1960s, the surrounding area was still dotted with gladiolus fields and grazing cattle. Today, she calls this pristine Southwest Florida community home, along with several members of her extended family – a testament to the club's ability to bring families together and foster meaningful connections.
"It's a community of people," says Ireland, who became a member in 2013. "It's cliché, but members here are family. They become your family when you join here, and you can feel that almost immediately."
Ireland's Gulf Harbour story began when her mother and her mother's husband lived in the community during the mid-1990s. Years later, when Ireland and her cousin Suzanne were looking to relocate from New York City and Tampa respectively, they explored options along the east coast of the U.S. The decision to choose Gulf Harbour came naturally, especially given their family ties to the area.
"Why are we fighting this?" Ireland recalls laughingly discussing it with her cousin. Their connection to the region, combined with a strong endorsement from Ireland's uncle Myton – who owned the Sanibel Marina and has since also moved to Gulf Harbour – made the choice clear. “We are literally generational residents here in Southwest Florida and Gulf Harbour.”
The club's extensive array of activities and amenities plays a crucial role in fostering these connections. For Ireland, these offerings provided an immediate pathway to friendship. "I went to a tennis boot camp just to practice or play," she remembers. "Within ten minutes, I met 15 women and had been signed up on two teams."
That initial connection led to joining a Canasta group, which introduced her to even more members. "It's sort of immersion," Ireland explains. "You kind of branch out at different levels and meet more people, and become friends with them."
Her partner, Bruce Jasurda, experienced a similar welcome when he came to visit Ireland at Gulf Harbour. After attending a New Year's Eve party and meeting fellow members, he was hooked. "He's made more friends here than anybody," Ireland laughs. "He jumped into it wholeheartedly."
The club's diverse offerings ensure there's something for everyone. "The opportunities are endless," Ireland emphasizes. "There's just a multitude of special interest groups from a fishing group to a hunting group to cards to book clubs to mahjong – besides golf, tennis and the fitness center."
This phenomenon of families and friends following each other to Gulf Harbour is not unique to Ireland's family. She points to a group from Paducah, Kentucky, that grew organically within the community. "All of a sudden, there's ten families from Paducah," she notes with amusement.
For Ireland, the combination of residential community and country club creates an ideal environment for building relationships. "You can't walk into the grill and not stop at four tables on your way to sit down for lunch," she says. "It's like living in a college dorm without having to go to classes."
The sense of security and belonging that comes from having family and close friends nearby has enhanced Ireland's Gulf Harbour experience. "Knowing that you have family and friends close by, everybody is willing to help if you need anything," she reflects. "It's just a good sense of belonging."
As Gulf Harbour evolves, with more young families joining the community, it continues to offer a place where connections flourish and families grow closer. Whether members are related by blood or brought together by shared interests, the club provides the perfect setting for creating lasting bonds and memories.
For those considering Gulf Harbour, Ireland's advice is simple: engage as much or as little as you like, but know that a welcoming community awaits.
"Everybody is very open and welcoming," she says. "We all sort of come from other places without our friends and neighbors from up north. I have more best friends here than I’ve had anywhere else I ever lived.”