April 2024 – Lakewood Ranch
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  • Forestar Opens Star Farms at Lakewood Ranch First Amenity Campus

    SARASOTA, FL, APRIL 29, 2024 – Forestar Group Inc. (“Forestar”), one of the largest single-family community developers in the nation, celebrated the phase one opening of The Resort Club, the first amenity campus for Star Farms at Lakewood Ranch. The Resort Club grand opening was held on Saturday, April 13, 2024. Star Farms homeowners enjoyed new amenities, food, refreshments and each other.

    The social hub of Star Farms, The Resort Club is an innovative, amenity-rich campus including a hospitality-staffed clubhouse, where members explore interests, stay active and connect with friends. The first phase features a resort-style pool and spa, poolside cabanas and beach areas, pet park, Trade Route Coffee Shop, Star Fit Wellness Complex – Fitness and Performance Centers, community lawn, courtyard and golf cart parking. A poolside bar and grill, outdoor activities area, event center, The Terrace – Chef’s Patio and a mail kiosk are planned for future phases. Upon completion, Star Farms will offer four resort campuses: The Resort Club, Junction Place, Adventure Retreat and Cabana Corner, in addition to greenways and trails.

    “We are pleased to share a touch of hospitality with our residents and guests in our new bakery and coffee kitchen along with the fitness programs and resort-style pool,” said Tony Squitieri, Forestar Region Vice President and West Florida Region Division President. “Filled with local partnerships for goods and services, our residents enjoy our attention to detail, unique amenities and special touches.”

    Surrounded by the natural beauty of Southwest Florida, Star Farms at Lakewood Ranch is a multigenerational lifestyle community that offers a unique experience tailored to residents. The thoughtfully designed, 700-acre, gated village is a resort ranch hometown featuring 1,500 single-family homes, paired villa retreats and townhomes with a variety of amenities, clubs and hospitality services. Positioned within the award-winning master-planned community of Lakewood Ranch, Star Farms is minutes from dining, shopping and cultural activities as well as top-rated beaches.

    “Star Farms has done a masterful job of integrating amenities that promote wellness, social interaction, and relaxation in a hometown environment,” said Laura Cole,  Senior Vice President of LWR Communities. “They epitomize the ‘live your best life’ ethos for residents of all ages.”

    Whether exploring new adventures, discovering new passions, meeting new neighbors or finding new ways to connect with nature, Star Farms is an extraordinary place to call home.

    Visit www.starfarmslwr.com and join the VIP Club for the latest information.

    About Lakewood Ranch

    Lakewood Ranch is the 33,000+-acre award-winning master-planned community in Sarasota and Manatee counties on the West Coast of Florida. Just minutes from the Gulf Coast beaches and cultural assets in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch is already home to more than 67,000 residents and features top-rated schools, the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, the Sarasota Polo Club, the 75-acre Premier Sports Campus, three town centers, and countless shopping and dining experiences. For more information visit www.lakewoodranch.com.

    About Forestar Group Inc.

    Forestar Group Inc. is a residential lot development company with operations in 57 markets and 23 states. Based in Arlington, Texas, the Company delivered more than 15,200 residential lots during the twelve-month period ended March 31, 2024. Forestar is a majority-owned subsidiary of D.R. Horton, Inc., the largest homebuilder by volume in the United States since 2002. For more information, visit www.forestar.com.

    Community pricing, features, terms, availability and amenities are subject to change at any time without notice or obligation. 

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    Best of SRQ Award Winners

    SRQ magazine recently announced its 2023 “Best of SRQ” winners. SRQ readers set records, with 104,395 votes for their hometown favorites. Voting for the 15th annual competition took place over the course of four weeks, covering numerous categories such as favorite local eats, shopping, and hotspots. More than 40 Lakewood Ranch businesses or partners were honored, including those from Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch Main Street, Ranch Nites’ food trucks, and Farmers’ Market vendors!

    Waterside Place Tenants:

    Best Local Burger – Forked at Waterside

    Best Local French Fries – Forked at Waterside

    Best New Local Restaurant – Forked at Waterside

    Best Local Breakfast – Forked at Waterside

    Best Local Brunch – Forked at Waterside

    Best Local Salad – Forked at Waterside

    Best Local Alfresco Dining – Good Liquid Brewing Company

    Best Local Korean – Kore Steakhouse

    Best Local Brewery – Good Liquid Brewing Company

    Best Local Coffee Shop – O & A Coffee and Supply

    Best Local Juices + Smoothies – Crop Juice

    Best Fitness Coach/ Studio – BODYBAR Pilates – Lakewood Ranch

    Best Mani/Pedi – PAINT Nail Bar

    Best New Business in 2023 – Forked at Waterside

    Best Legal Firm – Williams Parker Attorneys at Law

    Main Street Tenants:

    Best Local Happy Hour – Grove

    Best Wine Shop – Fine Wine & Tastings on Main

    Best Local Bike Shop – Village Bikes

    Best Fitness Coach/ Studio – Barre3, Main Street Lakewood Ranch

    Best Eyecare Practice – InFocus Family Eyecare

    Best Pool Contractor – Waterscapes Pools and Spas

    Regular Food Trucks:

    Best Local Food Truck – The Maine Line Food Truck

    Best Local Food Truck – Mouthole Bbq

    Best Local Food Truck – Big Blue Grilled Cheese

    Best Local Food – Clean Plate SRQ

    Best Local Pizza – Cornerstone and Company

    Farmers Market Vendors:

    Best Local Bread – Bread Bandits

    Best Local Bread – Rendez-Vous French Bakery

    Other Affiliations/ Miscellaneous:

    Best Local Farmers’ Market – The Farmer’s Market at Lakewood Ranch

    Best Local Farm – Honeyside Farms

    Best Local Florist – Mindful Blooms Farm 

    Best Hospital – Lakewood Ranch Medical Center

    Best Nursing Home – Grand Living At Lakewood Ranch

    Best Local Arts Organization – West Coast Black Theatre Troupe

    Best Performing Arts Organization – West Coast Black Theatre Troupe

    Best Performing Arts Organization – Asolo Repertory Theatre

    Best Local Festival – Bradenton Blues Fest

    Best Private School – Out of Door Academy

    Best Private Golf Course – Lakewood Ranch Golf & Country Club

    Best Local Home Builder – Neal Communities, John Cannon Homes, Lee Wetherington Homes, Arthur Rutenberg Homes

    Best Local Chamber – Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance

    Best New Home Community – Windward by Neal Communities

    New music festival in Lakewood Ranch aims to ‘keep the legacy’ of Bradenton Blues Festival

    Disappointed Bradenton Blues Festival won’t return this year? A new Lakewood Ranch music festival will feature “blues artists from around the world.”

    Jimmy Geurts

    Sarasota Herald-Tribune

    Soon after the announcement that one of Sarasota-Manatee’s largest annual music festivals will not return this year, a new event featuring the former festival’s artistic director has been announced.

    The inaugural Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival will take place 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Dec. 7 at Waterside Park in Lakewood Ranch’s Sarasota County development Waterside Place, according to a press release. The new event comes after last month’s announcement that the Bradenton Blues Festival, which took place for 12 years at Bradenton’s Riverwalk (and, during the pandemic, LECOM Park) would be canceled.

    Entertainment company Independent Jones, whose president is Morgan Bettes Angell, and Paul E. Benjamin will partner on the Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival. Benjamin was the artistic director of the Bradenton Blues Festival that was produced by nonprofit organization Realize Bradenton, whose founding director Johnette Isham died last year.

    “It was important to us to keep the legacy that was created by Johnette and Realize Bradenton alive,” Benjamin said in a statement. “Morgan Bettes Angell and I have teamed up to create a new festival: The Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival. After looking at a number of places we decided that Lakewood Ranch was the best place to host the event, which will draw in blues fans from across the world.”

    “The blues are like coming home for me,” Bettes Angell said in a statement. “The Bradenton Blues Festival was the first festival I was a part of producing. Now we’re excited to bring a world-class festival to Lakewood Ranch.”

    Over a decade, Bradenton Blues Festival expanded to an event that stretched as long as three days and attracted attendees not only from throughout Florida, but other states and countries as well. It also featured a lineup of internationally touring blues acts ranging from established veterans to rising stars such as Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, who played the 2018 festival and visited Manatee High School as part of the Blues in the Schools program before winning a Grammy and opening for The Rolling Stones and Vampire Weekend.

    Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival’s own lineup of acclaimed blues musicians, including Grammy-nominated and Blues Music Award-winning artists, will feature Danielle Nicole, Vanessa Collier, Kat Riggins, Monster Mike Welch, Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88’s, Dylan Triplett and Melody Angel. The festival will also offer food and craft vendors, interactive activities and an outdoor setting, with Kingfisher Lake next to the festival.

    Tickets will go on sale soon and cost $75 advance and $90 day of, with a limited number of VIP tickets, according to the press release. Tickets will be sold online at lakewoodranchbluesfestival.com, where those interested can also sign up to receive updates including lineup announcements, exclusive food and drink releases, and more.

    Heritage Golf Group Acquires and Repositions Legacy Golf Club in Sarasota, Florida as Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s Fourth Private Golf Course.

    Expanding portfolio now includes eight golf course properties in Florida.

    Lakewood Ranch, FL – April 10, 2024 – Heritage Golf Group, the fastest-growing owner and operator of golf and country clubs in the US, has acquired Legacy Golf Club at Lakewood Ranch from Legacy Golf Holdings LLC. Terms are not disclosed.

    Legacy Golf Club is located adjacent to Heritage’s most recent acquisition – Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club and features an Arnold Palmer Signature 18-hole golf course, a 12,500 sq ft clubhouse, and practice facility. 

    Immediately following the acquisition, Heritage Golf Group has strategically repositioned the Legacy Golf Course as Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s fourth private golf course, solidifying its position as the Sarasota area’s premier private golf and country club with 72 holes of championship golf. Additionally, LWRG&CC offers a host of world-class amenities, with two award winning clubhouses, two golf practice facilities, 20 pickleball courts, 20 tennis courts, a full-service 24-hour fitness center, two heated swimming pools, bocce ball and croquet courts.

    “There was a definite opportunity and need for more golf at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club,” said Mark Burnett, president and CEO of Heritage Golf Group. “The inclusion of the Legacy Golf Course grants our members unparalleled access to private golf, and with major golf course renovations already underway, it signals a promising future for both current and prospective members.

    The Legacy repositioning provides an opportunity to elevate the overall experience for existing members and serves as a compelling draw for prospective members seeking exclusive access to premium private golf in the Sarasota area.

    Legacy’s Arnold Palmer signature golf course is currently closed for a multi-million-dollar golf course renovation project consisting of rebuilding greens, tee boxes, fairways, bunkers, and cart paths. The restoration is anticipated to be completed and the course reopened in late 2024.

    About Heritage Golf Group

    Since purchasing Heritage Golf Group in January 2020, the current ownership and leadership team has grown the company to include 37 clubs across the US. With its office in northern Virginia, just outside Washington DC, Heritage clubs are located in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The company continues to grow by acquiring a mix of private country clubs in residential communities, member-owned clubs with growth potential seeking strategic alternatives, and premium daily-fee and resort golf properties in major resort destinations and metropolitan markets. Guided by the principle of evolving the golf experience to the highest level, each individual club’s amenities and operational systems are tailored to augment its unique assets. For more information, please visit www.heritagegolfgroup.com.

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    Media Contact: Mary Moore, Heritage Golf Group

    Phone: 703-570-4955

    mmoore@heritagegolfgroup.com