- January 21, 2025
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Golfers in East County will soon have a new course where they can put their skills to the test.
Calusa Country Club, a new golf course community built by Lennar, will feature a semi-private golf course that includes rolling fairways, a variety of tee markers and more than a standard 18 holes of golf at 18812 Scallop Loop.
After over two years of planning and construction, Lennar is hosting a members-only grand-opening event on Jan. 23, and the public will be welcome to play Lakewood Ranch's newest golf course shortly after at a date to be determined.
Lakewood National Golf Club, also built by Lennar, has become a popular option for golfers in the region.
The course hosted every LECOM Suncoast Classic — a Korn Ferry Tour event — since the start of the event in 2019. It will schedule the event again April 16-18.
With the success of the course and its community, creating another country club golf course community in Lakewood Ranch was a no-brainer for Lennar.
“We built Lakewood National, which was highly successful, so we wanted to do a similarly bundled golf course community within Lakewood Ranch because of the popularity,” Lennar Division Manager Michelle Tucker said.
Matt Koratich, the director of community management of the Southwest Florida Division of Lennar, said there are 1,900 homes planned for Calusa Country Club, with homes ranging from condos in the high $300,000 range to single-family homes that start at $500,000 and go up to just over $1 million.
Those homes start at 1,200 square feet and go up to roughly 3,000 square feet. Construction on homes is slated to begin in the coming months, with the first wave projected to be finished in the late summer or early fall, Tucker said.
Memberships are bundled with the price of the home, with the option to choose between an all-inclusive golf membership or a ‘social’ membership that includes access to the pickleball and tennis courts, tiki bar, resort-style pool, clubhouse and practice facility, but no priority tee times.
Tucker said every home that’s been made available has sold. That’s currently approximately 35 homes, with homes being released to the market on a limited basis.
That means there will be a period in which Calusa Country Club doesn’t have many members actively playing on it— a big reason why Lennar decided to make it available to the public.
“Our data from our previous courses suggests we’ve sold a number of homes where people have fallen in love with the course and the community,” Koratich said. “And they’ve said, ‘You know what, this is a community for me, and I want to be able to golf here whenever I want to,’ and they buy a home and become a member.”
A feature of Calusa Country Club will be what Lennar calls ‘social golf.’
That socialized concept includes a 12-hole course to complement the 18-hole course, as well as a putting course just shy of an acre that’s surrounded by a snack bar, fire pit and seating.
There will also be a driving range, a short game area and practice putting green nearby along with a golf simulator in the clubhouse.
Though some people may be quick to assume that the 12-hole course is an executive course, that’s not entirely the case, but the same idea applies.
Executive courses were created to better suit working people who wanted to play shorter rounds. Those courses primarily feature Par 3 holes and short Par 4 holes so working professionals can fit golf into their busy schedules.
The 12-hole concept at Calusa Country Club takes a unique spin on that, offering typical-length Par 4 and Par 5 holes as well as Par 3 holes.
That means golf can be played in three hours or less and players also have access to 30 holes to vary their experience. The 12-hole course is still taking shape, and won’t be ready until later this year, Director of Golf Dylan Wright said.
“I think it had a little bit to do with the space, but it’s more to do with us looking at the clientele and how the modern working family is interacting with golf as a leisure activity. We saw in the industry data that people are looking to get out and play, but don’t necessarily have the four or five hours it takes to play a whole 18,” Koratich said.
“The industry trend is moving to more of a tight turnaround with play time. A 12-hole course gives us the ability to be extremely flexible with how we route and play the course.”
To further lean into the family-style concept, there are plans to allow junior golfers to play at Calusa Country Club with their families at no cost after a certain time (to be determined).
At night, there will be full-swing glow golf and putting contests using glow sticks to guide the way.
“We’re doing some things that I think modernize the golf world,” Tucker said.
The socialized aspect of golf might not appeal to some traditional players, which is where the 18-hole, par-72 course comes into play.
The course is designed by Gordon G. Lewis, who has designed 73 courses in Florida, according to Golfpass.com. Some of those nearby courses include Heritage Oaks Golf and Country Club and the Palms Golf Club at Forest Lakes in Sarasota and Sarasota National in Venice.
There are six different tee markers ranging anywhere from 7,404 yards from the tips to 3,850 yards from the closest tees.
That makes what could be an intimidating course manageable for golfers of all ages and skill levels.
“It looks daunting off the tee on some holes because it has a lot of water carry, but as far as playability goes, a lot of the fairways are wide,” said Wright, who added that he worked at Ibis Landing in Lehigh Acres and Sarasota National before coming to Calusa. “You have a couple of tight holes, but it’s a lot more wide open than a lot of the other courses around here. We have a lot of rolling fairways, and I think that will be the main challenge, is that you’ll get some funky lies. The greens are wide enough to where we have separate tiers, and I wouldn’t say there’s any unfair pins, even with fast green speeds.”
Though there will be homes lining the golf course, David Negip, the vice president of community management of the Southwest Florida Division of Lennar, said that the course has maintained a natural environment.
“It runs through, over and around the headwater of the preserved uplands and protected wetlands,” Negip said. “You’ll see a variety of wildlife and vegetation out there and have an opportunity to use every club in your bag.”
Koratich said that pricing will depend on the time of the year and time of the day, but rates are expected to range from $99 to $149.
