One of Miami’s most rarefied old-money country clubs is said to be so selective that even Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez and Ivanka Trump have reportedly struggled to secure a spot on its membership rolls.
Set inside Indian Creek, the ultra-exclusive Miami-area island better known as “Billionaire Bunker” for its roster of high-net-worth residents, Indian Creek Country Club ranks among the most private and coveted clubs in the United States.
The Florida enclave counts NFL great Tom Brady, music legend Julio Iglesias and billionaire investor Carl Icahn among its residents. The club’s reported costs — a $1 million initiation fee plus $44,000 a month per member — would hardly be a barrier for families such as the Bezoses or the Trumps.
Yet money alone does not appear to open the door. For many of the newly arrived billionaires drawn to the Sunshine State island, gaining entry into the tightly guarded country club has proved far more difficult than buying property nearby.
Founded in 1929, the club includes a private 18-hole golf course, a Mediterranean villa-style clubhouse and a swimming pool overlooking Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
The organization keeps such a low profile that it maintains no social media presence, while its website offers little more than a members-only login page.
Its roughly 350 members are said to be drawn largely from long-established island families and local power circles, including doctors, real-estate developers, entrepreneurs, lawyers and financiers.
In February, Bezos and Sanchez — who own three properties on Indian Creek — attended the club’s annual dock party in an apparent effort to make a favorable impression on board members, people who were at the event told the WSJ.
Indian Creek Country Club is one of America’s most exclusive organizations. The club features a private 18-hole golf course, a Mediterranean villa style clubhouse and a swimming pool with views of the Miami skyline
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez reportedly attended a party in February hoping to gain admission to the club, but have not been invited to join
Although many of the club members lined up to shake the Amazon founder’s hand, six months later he has still not received an invitation to join the club.
Jared and Ivanka, who own a $30 million property on the island, have also reportedly struggled to get admission to the club.
Members told the newspaper that Mary Anne Shula, the widow of Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, sponsored the couple for membership.
She hosted a cocktail party to introduce the president’s daughter and son-in-law to the club’s board.
However, allegedly only half of the board showed up, and the couple still has not been offered admission to the club.
The Journal reported that the power couple are edging closer towards admission, thanks to community-minded Kushner’s heavy involvement in a project to build a new sewer for Indian Creek.
‘Most communities you buy a home, you become a member of the club, and this community doesn’t fall in line with that,’ Dina Goldentayer, a real-estate agent who has sold homes on the island, told the WSJ.
‘It’s the most exclusive single-family home community, it’s the most exclusive private members club.’
The process to join the club starts with a sponsorship from two current members, and letters of recommendation from five others.
Ivanka Trump, who owns a home on the island with her husband Jared Kushner, have also reportedly be denied
Indian Creek Country Club is located on the ultrawealthy enclave of Indian Creek (pictured), which is known as ‘Billionaire Bunker’ thanks to it’s mega rich residents
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Then, after impressing other members, the club’s six membership committee members will determine if a person is up for nomination.
At that point, the board of directors, which is made up of 15 members and led by the country club’s president, former AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson, vote, a source told the newspaper.
