Rachel Gray – Lakewood Ranch
call usget directions
  • Home
  • Villages
  • Builders
  • Contact
  • Heritage Golf Group Acquires Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club in Sarasota, Florida

    Heritage Golf Group Acquires Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club in Sarasota, Florida

    Expanding portfolio now includes eight golf course properties in Florida

    Lakewood Ranch, FL – March 11, 2024 – Heritage Golf Group, the fastest-growing owner and operator of golf and country clubs in the US, has acquired Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club from Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, Inc. (SMR). Terms are not disclosed.

    The award-winning club is set in the center of Lakewood Ranch, the nation’s fastest selling residential community, located in the Sarasota area. The 33,000+-acre master-planned community developed by SMR, is just minutes from the Gulf Coast beaches and cultural attractions in Sarasota. Lakewood Ranch is already home to more than 66,000 residents and plans for expanded residential development are underway. The community features top-rated schools, the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, the Sarasota Polo Club, and a 75-acre Premier Sports Campus.

    The club features three championship golf courses, two designed by renowned Hall of Fame golfer, Arnold Palmer – Cypress Links and King’s Dunes. The third championship course, Royal Lakes, is the newest course designed by Rick Robbins. The club offers several outstanding practice facilities, including a Members Golf Academy. The club boasts two uniquely different clubhouses. Members also enjoy an 18,000 square foot state-of-the-art, 24-hour athletic facility and aquatics center with two heated pools, as well as 20 pickleball courts and a tennis complex with 20 Har-Tru courts and a stadium court.

    “Our selection of Heritage Golf Group was the result of meticulous consideration, focusing on their extensive experience and dedication to our standards. Their respect for our community and the club’s identity, culture, and traditions, along with a strong emphasis on staff retention and operational efficiencies, positions them as the ideal partner. Heritage’s proven track record in owning private country clubs within residential communities across the US played a pivotal role in our selection,” said Rex Jensen, SMR CEO.

    “Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club is the crown jewel of the Lakewood Ranch community, and we are proud to become its new steward. We are honored that SMR selected Heritage Golf Group to continue building on its noteworthy tradition and impeccable nationwide reputation as the premier country club and lifestyle community. The continued growth of our network of clubs will only further enhance the member and guest experience as well as offer additional career growth for our employees,” said Mark Burnett, Heritage Golf Group CEO.

    The Heritage team, with extensive proficiency in golf club operations, continues to elevate the member experience through transforming and improving amenities, operations, and programming at recently acquired clubs. The transaction was successfully brokered by Leisure Investment Properties Group and Steven Ekovich represented the seller and buyer in the transaction.  

    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 home 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.

    # # #

    Media Contact: Mary Moore, Heritage Golf Group

    Phone: 703-570-4955

    mmoore@heritagegolfgroup.com

    Maureen Richardson, River Communications

    Phone: 914-686-5599

    mrichardson@riverinc.com

    Lakewood Ranch’s Waterside Place Wins Gold

    The National Association of Home Builders awarded Waterside Place at Lakewood Ranch a gold “Best of American Living Award (BALA)” for the mixed-use community category. Now in its 38th year, the BALA Awards is the building industry’s premier residential design awards program.

    According to the judges, Waterside Place is “a great Main Street-type setting that emulates a beach/condo style development. The architecture is great, and the city center is clearly successful.” The BALA Awards spotlight building industry professionals who have redefined design excellence for homes and communities across North America. Winning projects showcase what building industry professionals need to know to set their product apart.

    The 36-acre Waterside Place – a retail, services, dining, and entertainment destination for the region – is walkable to a wide variety of rental and for-sale neighborhoods designed for every life stage and price point.  The town center is home to the Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch, Ranch Nite Wednesdays, live music on the plaza Friday and Saturday nights, monthly Movies in the Park, and is home to the “Sights and Sounds at Waterside Place” music and arts series. 

    “We are delighted that Waterside Place has received national recognition for its architectural excellence, and its growing success as a mixed-use community that serves the local population while drawing guests from the broader Tampa Bay region,” said Laura Cole, senior vice president of LWR Communities. “Our collection of international restaurants is growing and offers the most diverse array of waterfront restaurants in the area.”

    For more information about Waterside Place, visit WatersidePlace.com. For more information on Lakewood Ranch, please contact Lisa Barnott at 941-757-1542.

    # # #

    About Waterside Place

    Waterside Place serves as the heart of Waterside – Lakewood Ranch’s first Sarasota village – and offers an elevated community experience that extends beyond that of a traditional town center. Situated on a 36-acre peninsula overlooking the mile-long Kingfisher Lake, the development blends entertainment with 112,000 square feet of unique in-line and freestanding commercial, retail and office space; diverse dining options; an eight-acre park; miles of nature trails; communal “pop-up” spaces, and more.

    LAKEWOOD RANCH RANKS NO. 1 IN THE NATION FOR SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

    LAKEWOOD RANCH RANKS NO. 1 IN THE NATION FOR SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

    Lakewood Ranch has maintained its ranking as the number one best-selling, master-planned multi-generational community in the nation for an impressive six consecutive years, as recognized by RCLCO, an independent real estate consulting firm. “Lakewood Ranch’s stellar performance this past year is a testament to its dynamic market segmentation strategy, superior marketing, appealing lifestyle, great execution, and the professionalism of the development team,” said Gregg Logan, managing director at RCLCO.

    In 2023, despite spiking interest rates, the community achieved 2,257 sales (22% above 2022), marking it as the second-highest sales year in its history. This was partly attributed to builders’ strategic initiatives to draw potential resale buyers into the new home market. Laura Cole, senior vice president of Lakewood Ranch, commended the builders for their efforts in leveraging mortgage buy-downs, accelerated build cycles, and move-in ready homes, while also highlighting the financial benefits of lower insurance and maintenance expenses associated with new construction.

    Emphasizing the commitment to enhancing the quality of life, Cole reiterated Lakewood Ranch’s dedication to fostering a vibrant, multi-generational community that caters to diverse life stages and budgets. The community’s recognition in the Urban Land Institute’s new master-planned community publication underscored its segmentation and varied product offerings, acknowledging its broad appeal.  Furthermore, Rex Jensen, president and CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, the developer of Lakewood Ranch, was honored with Zonda’s 2023 Legend Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to the planned-community sector.

    The sales landscape in Lakewood Ranch witnessed a significant shift in 2023, with a notable 37% of new home sales originating from within The Ranch and Sarasota and Manatee counties. “Many of these sales were attributed to renters seeking permanent residency after experiencing limited choices during the pandemic,” Cole said. “Other local sales came from buyers who experienced a life change, precipitating the desire or need for a new home in our community.”

    Expanding beyond Florida, markets such as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Boston contributed significantly to sales, with Tampa and Miami making the top five feeder markets for the first time. Anticipating an increase in in-state moves due to equity growth, Lakewood Ranch foresees more buyers relocating from within Florida.

    Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024, Lakewood Ranch plans to introduce nine new villages and neighborhoods while launching a newly incorporated section in the northeast comprised of three communities that will have great appeal based on recent successes:  Saddlestone (multi-gen), Del Webb Catalina (age-restricted), and Calusa National Golf (bundled golf). The Ranch is also introducing two new homebuilders to its portfolio, Homes by WestBay and Dream Finders, and Erickson Senior Living will break ground on Emerson Lakes, a 1,200-unit continued care retirement community located north of SR-70. New schools, a county library, enhanced amenities at the Premier Sports Campus, updated town centers, and various other developments are also in the pipeline.

    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 66,000 residents and features top-rated schools, the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, the Sarasota Polo Club, the 75-acre Premier Sports Campus, and three town centers that include theaters, shopping and dining. For more information, visit lakewoodranch.com.

    Lakewood Ranch Community Fund Launches its Builders Give Back Program

    LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. (May 16, 2023) – The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund (LWRCF) is pleased to announce the launch of its Builders Give Back program, through which builders make a $100 donation per closing to the LWRCF in the name of the new homeowner. The builders currently participating are Anchor Builders, AR Homes, Homes By Towne, John Cannon Homes, Lee Wetherington Homes, Pulte Homes, and Stock Luxury Homes. The program is further supported by Lakewood Ranch Communities, which will donate a matching $100 per closing to the LWRCF.

    The new program benefits the LWRCF by both developing engagement with homeowners in their community and introducing them to local philanthropy, which in turn will help create support for the LWRCF into the future.

    “This program allows new residents to experience the welcoming and giving culture of Lakewood Ranch right when they move in,” said Adrienne Bookhamer, executive director of the LWRCF. “Our builders understand that the lifestyle in Lakewood Ranch is unique, and they are supporting that by participating in Builders Give Back. There is no better way to thank new residents than by contributing to the community and helping the LWRCF make an impact here.”

    The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund has a “live here, give here” approach, Bookhamer explained. “We are supporting local life-changing nonprofit organizations and causes embedded in the area. This program brings new residents into the fold when they move in and provides them with an opportunity to give back themselves. By engaging our new residents early, we are hoping for more involvement from the community to make an even bigger impact locally.”

    The mission of the LWRCF, which is financed fully by residents and businesses, is to support the nonprofits that are doing impactful work in Lakewood Ranch and the surrounding areas in Manatee and Sarasota counties. As Lakewood Ranch continues to grow, the needs of the community – including human services, education, animal services, and arts and culture – will also grow.

    Bookhamer added, “During COVID, we gave out more than $75,000 in grants to help nonprofits that were directly impacted by the pandemic, and after Hurricane Ian, we partnered with Lakewood Ranch Communities and Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and raised $10,000 to grant to nonprofits affected by the hurricane.”

    For more information, visit lwrfund.org or call (941) 208-6799.

    ###

    The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit devoted to enhancing the quality of life in and near the Lakewood Ranch, Florida community by promoting philanthropy, responding to community needs, and granting funds. Since its founding in 2000, the fund has granted over $1.5 million to more than 100 nonprofit organizations to directly improve the lives of Lakewood Ranch residents.