Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.

Edwards’ Club a Window to a Resurrection

Edwards’ Club a Window to a Resurrection

In the last few years, Bill Edwards has made some pretty high-profile moves. But if you want to peer into how he turns projects into success stories, one only need to look towards the other side of Central Avenue. Before the headlines, there was his first major acquisition and turnaround, the The Club at Treasure Island, formerly the Treasure Island Yacht and Tennis Club.

ADVERTISEMENT

Edwards bought the Yacht Club in 2009 as a bankrupt facility that was, literally, on the verge of being boarded up. One year and $2 million in renovations later, and the new Club at Treasure Island saw membership soar by 146 percent, almost immediately. That success also turned into a windfall for the community as he decided early on that a portion of all memberships benefit All Children’s Hospital

"There was constant renovation and a culture of continual improvements,” according to Scott Pinsker, a Public Relations Specialist for The Edwards Group, who was there at the transition's beginning.

“It was a breathtaking transformation to witness firsthand," said Pinsker. "He (Edwards) promised us that The Club’s best days were still to come and he delivered almost overnight– And as The Club reinvented itself, it quickly became the community’s social nerve center."

ADVERTISEMENT

The results do seem to speak for themselves. In addition to the rise in membership, for three straight years, The Club has been named Tampa Bay’s Best Private Club by Tampa Bay Magazine, one of the region’s ’75 Top Workplaces’ by the Tampa Bay Times, one of the Best in the Biz by the Tampa Bay Business Journal, and the Best Surprise in Tampa Bay Entertainment by Creative Loafing.

"A key reason for our success was Mr. Edwards’ insistence on the spectacular," continued Pinsker. "I mean, what other club on the planet has Master Chefs like Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck and Scott Conant preparing meals for club members or superstars like Jon Secada, KC and The Sunshine Band and the Isley Brothers performing private concerts on New Year’s Eve?”

A key element to The Club's comeback has been to take a contrarian approach. With the unique position of owning a music production company, Edwards booked live, Vegas-style entertainment acts. Real brand names including Huey Lewis, Martina McBride, Paul Reiser, The Plain White Ts, Kevin Nealon and KC & the Sunshine Band– all playing to an audience of around 250 people. And while The Club could have gone ultra-exclusive, Edwards decided to make it part of the community. Each show has ticket set aside for general purpose so you don't have to be a member, though they are typically priced higher for non-members. 


Paul Reiser, John Oates (Hall & Oates) and Emeril Lagasse have all graced the stage of the Club at Treasure Island.

The move not only established a new era for for The Club, but also for the once "sleepy" city of Treasure Island. 

Mayor Bob Minning says The Club has been “resurrected” as an integral part of the community creating jobs and bringing a new more contemporary view of the city. “It certainly is a classy facility. What they’ve done has been an enhancement to the entire area,” he said. 

During its rise, The Club has also become somewhat of a destination for dignitaries and celebrities visiting the Tampa Bay area. During the run-up and aftermath of the Republican National Convention, many of nation’s most-visible political leaders, including Mrs. Romney, vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul and GOP strategist Karl Rove made appearances. Even FOX News Channel’s top-rated “FOX & Friends” morning show selected the venue to host its first-ever “Rebuilding Your Dreams,” an on-air seminar that was broadcast live, nationwide.

Most of The Club’s members, identified as “Treasured Members,” live in Treasure Island and St. Petersburg, but it's quickly expanding its reach into Tampa, Clearwater, Largo and even other countries while weddings, special events and banquet space has attracted non members from across the country. The Club at Treasure Island has clay tennis courts, the biggest swimming pool in Treasure Island, a kids summer camp, a gym with an extensive amount of equipment, a game room (no quarters or tokens required), a 48 boat slip marina, waverunner rental, a restaurant, a tiki bar by the pool and live entertainment– and it's not stopping there. 

Looking to take advantage of the greater St. Petersburg area's rise as a destination, a plan is in the works to double the size of The Club with an additional 35,000 sq ft building. It will be the first real opportunity our area has to compete for national conventions and events that would normally go to facilities across the Bay. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe Now

Don’t miss out on All Things Good in the Burg 👉
👇 GET UPDATES 👇

Stay connected to All Things Good in the Burg by subscribing today.