Palm Beach’s Everglades Club, a private enclave with a history stretching back to the aftermath of World War I, is offering members access to exclusive beach club amenities in Italy, according to recent promotional materials. The club, known for its discretion and longstanding ties to prominent families, is extending benefits to include access to Italian beach clubs, including those described as “four diamond” establishments.
Founded on January 25, 1919, the Everglades Club began as a proposed convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers returning from the war, spearheaded by Paris Singer and architect Addison Mizner. When the war concluded, the project was repurposed as a social club, becoming a cornerstone of Palm Beach’s exclusive social scene. The club’s complex, situated on 90 acres, features an 18-hole golf course and a private entrance off Worth Avenue. Mizner’s architectural style, a blend of Spanish and Italian influences, became known as “the Palm Beach look,” and was first realized in the club’s design.
Over the decades, the Everglades Club has attracted a clientele of influential families, including the Vanderbilts, Phipps, Dodge, Pillsbury, Pulitzer, and Sanford families, as well as figures from the E.F. Hutton and Marjorie Merriweather Post dynasties. The club maintains a high degree of privacy, with membership numbers estimated at around 1,000, though the club has never officially released a membership list. It has similarly faced challenges related to the upkeep of its historic buildings, including structural repairs and the replacement of aging materials.
The addition of access to Italian beach clubs represents a new dimension to the Everglades Club’s offerings. Details regarding the specific Italian beach clubs included in the benefit, and the terms of access, have not been publicly disclosed. The club has not responded to inquiries regarding the new partnership.