Doral Golf Resort & Spa Miami's Original Moments

50 Years of History and Highlights

In 1959, Doris and Alfred Kaskel founded 2,400 acres of swampland in West Miami and created the Doral Hotel and Country Club as a place for family and friends to enjoy the South Florida sunshine. Where did the name come from? It's a combination of the founders' names!

The resort opened its doors in 1962, welcoming golfers to a new Clubhouse and the Blue, Red and Par 3 golf courses. That same year, the Kaskels hosted the Doral Golf Resort & Spa Open Invitational, Florida's first PGA event, benefiting the American Cancer Society. The Kaskel family also enjoyed tennis, and in 1970, asked legendary tennis player Arthur Ashe to become the Director of Tennis. Keeping with the times, the Kaskel family added the Saturnia International Spa Resort as one of the resort's amenities in 1987. The Spa became an overnight success, and has since been consistently ranked one of the top spa destinations in the United States.

In 1993, the resort was acquired by KSl Recreation Corporation and renamed the Doral Golf Resort & Spa. A $30 million dollar transformation included redesign of the courses by Raymond Floyd, adding the Tommy Bahama and White Palms shops, and unveiling the Blue Lagoon pool. We began work on the fabulous new legends ballroom, which debuted with flair during our 45th anniversary in 2007.

Celebrating Legendary Moments Then & Now

Throughout nearly five decades, Doral Golf Resort & Spa Miami has hosted scores of famous guests including Tiger Woods, Jackie Gleason, Joe Namath, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Greg Norman, to name a few. In 1968, the resort headquartered the Republican National Convention's Florida delegation for Richard Nixon, a frequent visitor to Miami.

In tribute to these legends of the past, the Legends Ballroom was unveiled in 2007; a $25 million, 60,000-square-foot facility which can accommodate up to 2,000 guests. Consistently raising the bar of excellence to further enhance the guest experience, the resort has invested over $100 million throughout the years.

Laying the groundwork for the property's golden jubilee in 2012, The Kingdom of Golf® completed the finishing touches on a $16 million top-to-bottom transformation including:

• New golf course, The Jim McLean Signature Course, added to championship fairways roster
• $5 million renovation of The Spa at Doral Golf Resort & Spa Miami
• Bossa Nova lobby bar and Mesazul, a Latin-inspired steakhouse, featuring a new executive chef
• Partnership with the PGA Tour's TPC to rename the Blue Monster: TPC Blue Monster at Doral Golf Resort & Spa Miami
• Enhancement of The Great White and Gold Golf Courses with TifEagle greens

Now, under the ownership and management of TRUMP HOTEL COLLECTION, it is destined for glory once again. The Trump team has committed more than $200 million to not only restore Doral Golf Resort & Spa to its original magnificence, but to elevate it to the ranks of the greatest golf resorts in the world.

Work is already underway, and in the months to come, every aspect of Doral Resort will be transformed, from a fresh, new design vision throughout the guest rooms and public spaces to vastly upgraded recreational facilities and amenities.

It is an extraordinary time to visit and create your own resort experience while becoming a part of their history.

Click on thumbnails below to enlarge the resort historical images. Please ensure that your pop up blocker is turned off before clicking on the thumbnails.

 

 

 

Aerial view of Blue Monster and Lodges	Blue Monster and Red Course	Doral Golf Resort and Spa Club House
Grand Ballroom circa 1962	Doral Golf Resort and Spa circa 1962	Aerial of the Resort circa 1962