Florida Golf, Reimagined. That's the claim and it appears to do what it says on the tin. There are still residential opportunities but water-lined developments which also feature golf is not what is on offer. Four courses along with a putting course and driving range with all the bells and whistles round out the offer.
Overall rating
Florida Golf, Reimagined. That's the claim and it appears to do what it says on the tin. There are still residential opportunities but water-lined developments which also feature golf is not what is on offer. Four courses along with a putting course and driving range with all the bells and whistles round out the offer.
Cabot Citrus Farms
Sandy waste areas are the shiny new thing as of 2024. In the land where more is always better, Cabot Citrus Farms turns sandy waste areas up to 11. The former Fazio design was known as World Woods - Pine Barrens. Nowhere is this more true than the first of 4 courses we will highlight in our overview:
Karoo at Cabot Citrus Farms
Kyle Franz laid our 18 holes with 'rugged aesthetics, multiple routes to pins and bold contours.' The name of the course comes from the Sandhill Cranes which frequent the area.
From the back tees, the course stretches to 7,562 yards and plays to a par of 72. There are four par 5's that stretch from 500 to 581 yards. There are four par 3's that all are near enough 200 yards with the 3rd tipping out at 292 yards.
There are four tees for the less adventurous (or less masochistic) there are five tees to play from. The forward tees can get you around in 4,223 yards with a palatable 6,295-yard option that will be the choice for most.
The routing is pretty cool as well. The front nine is a legitimate figure 8 around the perimeter of the property. The back nine is routed within the holes created by the 8.
Roost at Cabot Citrus Farms
The second 18-hole layout is the product of a collaboration between Cabot CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar, Mike Nuzzo, Kyle Franz, Ran Morrisett, and Rod Whitman. Nuzzo and Franz are the named golf course architects with Morrissett serving as Golf Course Architecture Advisor. Rod Whitman was called upon to shape the greens on the 7200-yard, par 72 layout. They claim the layout was inspired by Dr Alister MacKenzie's work at Augusta, the Australian sandbelt and throughout California.
Like the Karoo, the name is after the local wild Osceola turkeys that roam and roost on the course. The topography is punctuated by a 40-foot sinkhole and 50-foot elevation changes throughout. Moss-draped Oaks are 'sprinkled' with flowering dogwoods and native wildflowers.
The Squeeze
Yes - it's worth it. A nine-hole (well, actually it's 10 as it has an alternate 6th hole) par 38, 2957-yard golf course laid out by Mike Nuzzo. The world's best short par 4's served as inspiration for the course. Three of the six par 4's are less than 304 yards. Of the other three, par 4's - none are longer than 414 yards. Alongside the course is the driving range and double-ended driving range.
Fun is the name of the game here - two par 3's are less than 125 yards and one of the green's patterned after corrugated metal tin roofing seen more at mini-golf or putt-putt than on a proper course.
The Wedge
A 1000-yard, 11-hole par 3 course is what golf needs more of… 11 holes ranging from 70 yards to 108 yards. Huge greens, massive greens and lots of varied lies are used alongside 'some of Cabot Citrus Farms most interesting design features'. The Wedge course is lit at night so the golf virtually never stops at Cabot Citrus Farms.
Play Cabot Citrus Farms
Preview play begin in 2024 with tee times launched in October 2024. Caddies are reasonable at $95 with a $50 gratuity suggested. November to December is Peak Season at Cabot Citrus Farm with Day Guest Rates for the 36-hole combo set at $395. If you add in The Squeeze and Wedge, that will add another $200. All said, over two days, you'll be looking at the thick end of $700 minimum for all four courses and a caddy. Golf is slightly less expensive for Resort Guests - as you'd expect.