Daniel Knight looked out of his office window at Cabot Citrus Farms and smiled.
“It’s exciting to see grass growing,’’ said the resort’s managing director.
Exciting indeed. Cabot Citrus Farms – on the site of the old World Woods Golf Club in Brooksville, FL. – is the most anticipated golf resort in Florida in the past 10 years. Its Kyle Franz-designed Barrens Course – destined to be Cabot Citrus Farms’ signature layout – is on target to open for preview play in December, Knight said, with the Mike Nuzzo-designed Oaks Course to follow in January 2024. The resort’s “21’’ Course, comprising a 10-hole layout and an 11-hole par-3 course, is also in planning for a December opening.
“Amazing progress,’’ Knight said. “The speed and the progress of the construction is unbelievable.
‘’Oaks is spectacular. It’s a course that I’m extremely excited about just to see how the vision has come together. Our objective (at Cabot Golf) is always to have unique and distinct golf experiences. I’m highly confident that we will exceed that here. Barrens is visually spectacular, with wide corridors of play and dramatic waste areas, but still allowing for multiple routes of the tee. “The ‘21’ is equally as beautiful, but provides a more non-traditional style of play. Oaks is rolling topography and has very different vegetation with the live oaks, some of which are hundreds of years old. The design team has really leaned into these multiple natural environments on the property, ranging from the sandy areas (Barrens) to the more dramatic rolling hills (Oaks). It’s all coming together really well.’’
World Woods Golf Club, which opened in the early 1990s with a pair of Tom Fazio-designed courses – Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks – was a good idea that never achieved its goal of becoming a “must play’’ destination. That definitely will change with Cabot Citrus Farms.
“People will be amazed at the transformation,’’ Knight said. “On the Barrens, we’re talking about restoring on the first tee what would have taken their breath away – wide vistas and sandy areas.’’
The high point of land on Barrens is that first tee, before the layout sweeps down to the third green – which was the old 16th tee. Franz inverted the second and 17th holes, as well as the third and 16th holes, all of which open up views and expanded corridors of play.
Knight said progress also is being made on Cabot Citrus Farms’ all-important real estate component. So much so that the first phase, which includes nine four-bedroom cottages, is sold out. The second phase, which will feature two- and four-bedroom cottages, will commence shortly.
Cottage owners will have the option to rent out their units.
In addition, 12 guest suites will be above Cabot Citrus Farms’ 68,000 square-foot clubhouse that will be built overlooking the Barrens.
“The county (Hernando) has been great to work with,’’ Knight said. “And the Brooksville community is a gem. World Woods was such a key part of the golf community here. We have seen tremendous excitement in the redevelopment of a great property.
“We’re fortunate to be in the position we are in, which is to really build something special and create a great resort community.’’
The Oaks Rendering Courtesy of Harris Kalinka
#cabotcitrusfarms #kylefranz #worldwoodsgolfclub #mikenuzzo #golf #golfnews #floridagolfresorts #cabotgolf #spikeongolfandtravel