The History of Wyndemere

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Gerald Livingston had a dream. He wanted to develop a first class golf community, but

the big question was where. He consulted with another Canadian business man, Tom

MacIntyre, about the feasibility of this project. Tom joined up, and they embarked on the

long journey.

Livingston considered South Florida as well as the Caribbean for the development. During a

serendipitous airplane ride over the cypress hammocks along Golden Gate Blvd., Gerry realized the

perfect location. This discovery was in 1979, and he set out to have the clubhouse and golf course ready

by January 1, 1981. What an ambitious timeframe, and the two friends, Tom and Gerry, were determined

to meet it. The club would be called Wyndemere after Livingston’s beloved Wyndemere Farms in his

native Canada. The casual bar and lounge in the clubhouse would be named for the two friends.

The property he chose was only accessible from the 2-lane Golden Gate Parkway which was at that time considered a long way from the center of Naples. This did not deter Livingston from going forward.

Livingston wanted Wyndemere to be different. He pledged to build the clubhouse first, then develop the

golf course. Thousands of cubic feet of dirt were hauled in to elevate the clubhouse which provided golf

vistas and a tranquil setting. The clubhouse opened on January 1, 1981 with golf available. The first

golfers did not have 18 contiguous holes to play, but 18 completed holes were available. The challenge

was to find them.

In 1981 at the height of a recession and exorbitant interest rates, sales were not going well. Livingston

contacted his good friend, Frank Musiello. Frank had already joined Wyndemere for $1,000 after seeing a

sign for the project as he drove to Golden Gate to play golf. Frank and his wife Janette were living on the

Southeast coast of Florida during the winter and returning to Long Island, New York for the

summer. They fell in love with Wyndemere and eventually moved their Florida residence here.

Both Frank and Janette had long careers in show business. Frank was Arthur Godfrey’s agent and

business manager, and Janette Davis was the top female vocalist with the Arthur Godfrey Show. Frank

also had connections with other famous entertainers. When Gerry Livingston asked Frank to be the

General Manager of the Wyndemere Club, it was not a hard sell.

History was in the making. With Frank’s management skill and many contacts in the sports and

entertainment world, he put Wyndemere on the map. Frank brought golf members and celebrities

together at Wyndemere. He soon had 200 members paying $1,000 a year to play golf. The first

members were Neapolitans that wanted a first class golf course with an exclusive country club

venue. Wyndemere was the perfect match.

As interest rates declined, home sales increased. Frank brought his friend, Eddie Elias, Founder Pro

Bowlers Association, to a public relations role at the club. Eddie sold Chi-Chi Rodriquez on Wyndemere

and Chi-Chi agreed to represent the club. He brought much publicity and national recognition to

Wyndemere. He even bought a home in Wyndemere. Properties were selling and Chi-Chi brought his

friends: such notables as Fuzzy Zoeller, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, John Cook, Sam Snead, Doug

Sanders, Ken Venturi, Doug Ford.

The Senior Golf Tour had just started. When they finished a tournament in Miami, the top 20 pros would

come to Wyndemere for more golf. They loved Wyndemere and Gerry Livingston always took care of

them. This was the first opportunity for Naples to enter into the professional golf scene. Soon the Senior

Tour scheduled a regular stop at Wyndemere.

Frank Musiello worked with Russ Thomas, General Manager of the Detroit Lions, to have the annual

meeting for the Central Division of the NFL at Wyndemere. Mike Ditka, coach and player for the Chicago

Bears, loved Wyndemere and bought a home. George Brett and the Kansas City Royals came down from Ft. Myers during spring training to play golf on Friday afternoons. On any given day, celebrities were playing at Wyndemere.

Many charity functions were held at the club. Chi-Chi hosted the Youth Haven Tournament for

underprivileged children every year and, no matter where he was, he would fly in for the tournament. He

would play with other golfers as a celebrity foursome, and he always held a golf clinic before the

tournament. Patti Berg, one of the founders of the LPGA, often played at Wyndemere. She started the

Anti-Cancer Crusade and was the guest speaker for the Florida Golf Writers Association dinner held at

the club.

Wyndemere offered an outstanding tennis program. The Wyndemere Challenge brought East Coast

tennis professionals over for a tennis weekend. The guests were treated to southern hospitality complete with southern belles serving mint juleps on the terrace.

Wyndemere has a distinguished history which supports the prominent position it holds in the Naples

community. Gerald Livingston and his team brought a classic club to Naples and gave us the foundation for golf excellence in Southwest Florida.