About Us

Edward H. Frank purchases 420 acres of land where he and is wife Katie raise a family of four and build a gentleman's ranch where roughly 50 head of cattle graze along-side horses, pigs, goats, alligators, pheasants, swans and other animals.

Two movies are filmed on the property. Gary Cooper stars in the Florida western "Distant Drums," and two years later, Steve Cochran and Carole Mathews headline "Shark River."

Ed Frank sells 200 acres of land which results in the creation of the Hole In The Wall golf course. The Frank family moves their animals to the remaining 220 acres where two homesteads already exist.

With an expanding family and less interest in maintaining the ranch, the Frank family agrees to lease the remaining 220 acres of their property to allow the construction of another golf course within a residential community.

Wilderness Country Club is officially founded and becomes the first gated community in Naples.

The Wilderness Golf Course grand opening takes place on January 1, 1975. Once completed there will be 300 condominiums in 26 two- and three-story buildings offering beautiful views of the course.

Frank Park was established in 2013 as a dedication to the Frank family. Today the park features nearly two dozen specimen trees, four Har-Tru bocce courts, a regulation size croquet court, a dog park and herb and vegetable gardens.

Wilderness Country Club hosts USGA Senior Open Sectional Qualifier featuring 84 of the area's top senior golf professionals and amateurs competing for a spot in the U.S. Senior Open Championship.