At times a lot has been said regarding the high cost of joining a country club in this area, in order to live and play golf there. However you could check out the condos in golf communities in North Naples Florida with membership to golf club included, which is commonly known as “bundled” golf, in order to keep the initial costs down. That is also why this article will concentrate on condominiums, even though the developments mentioned here have single family homes in them as well.
For the sake of clarity, this discussion will also center geographically on northern Collier County, with another later posting covering the southern areas. It should be noted that while there is no real “initiation fee,” all restricted developments (golf or not) will have a “transfer” fee, supposedly to cover the cost of changing the club or association ownership records and other assorted expenses. (Homeowners association fees are an entirely different matter and cost.)
There are 48 condos in golf communities in North Naples Florida with membership to golf club included that are presently for sale. They are located in 5 separate developments:
8 Condominiums for sale
From $199,000 to $429,000
Located in the Carrington section of Located in the Braeburn section of
Stonebridge Country Club Stonebridge Country Club
2nd floor unfurnished 2 bedroom 2 bath 1st floor 2 bedroom + den 2 bath turnkey furnished
with long lake views lots of tile and wood flooring and attached garage
14 Condominiums for sale
From $169,000 to $269,900
Located in Cypress Trace in Located in Grande Cypress II in
Cypress Woods Golf and Country Club Cypress Woods Golf and Country Club
2 bedrooms 2 baths turnkey furnished 3 bedrooms and 2 bath coach home
3rd floor with common elevator 2nd floor furnished with 2 car attached garage
5 Condominiums for sale
From $375,888 to $462,862
Esplanade Golf and Country Club Esplanade Golf and Country Club
2 bedrooms + den 2 baths 1st floor Model leaseback 3 bedrooms + den
granite, fireplace, garage granite,decorator furnished, fireplace,
11 Condominiums for sale
From $179,900 to $384,900
Heritage Bay Golf and Country Club Heritage Bay Golf and Country Club
2 bedroom 2 bath 1st floor 3 bedroom 2 bath turnkey furnished
Fannie Mae property 2nd floor attached 2 car garage
10 Condominiums for sale
From $159,500 to $365,000
Located in Waterford Located in Waterford
at Vanderbilt Country Club at Vanderbilt Country Club
3rd floor turnkey furnished 2 bedrooms + den 2nd floor fully updated
2 bedrooms 2 baths magnificent view 2 car attached garage
The oldest and most established of these developments is Stonebridge, which has its main entrance on Immokalee Road, roughly 3 miles from the Delnor-Wiggins State Recreation Area and the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico (with a second gate on Airport-Pulling Road). Neighbors include Pelican Marsh to the west and south, Colliers Reserve and the La Playa Golf Course to the north, with Boca Palms, Tiburon and the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort situated to the east.
The residences of the community are primarily centered around the Stonebridge Country Club golf course, which was originally designed by the Couples/Bates Design Company. To improve the “playability” for its members, area favorite Gordon Lewis added his modifications a couples of years back. This par 71 course which has close to 6,400 yards and a 71.7 rating, is also a Certified Audubon Signature Sanctuary, for which the members are extremely proud.
The club is also well respected for their lit Har-Tru tennis courts and the tennis program they have developed. The one-time “transfer fee” for the association runs around $2,000, with yearly “dues” in the $4,000 neighborhood.
There are 6 distinct condominium neighborhoods situated in Stonebridge:
Ashton Oaks has 52 residences and range from 1,761 to 2,182 in under air square footage
Braeburn has 132 residences and range from 1,761 to 2,182 in under air square footage
Carrington has 136 residences and range from 1,183 to 1,592 in under air square footage
Heatherwood has 88 residences and ranges from 1,433 to 1,592 in under air square footage
Middleburg has 84 residences and range from 1,662 to 2,182 in under air square footage
Willow Bend has 56 residences and range from 1,422 to 1,592 in under air square footage
Each of the 8 homes on the market in Stonebridge (most of which are being offered furnished in some manner) have 2 bathrooms, with either 2 bedrooms, 2 bedrooms plus den, or 3 bedrooms. Two of the units are in Carrington with list prices in the low $200,000’s, with the same price for the one home in Willow Bend. The one for sale in Heatherwood is in the low $300,00’s, while it is around $100,000 more in Middleburg. Asking prices for the 3 residences in Braeburn range from the mid $300,000’s to low $400,000’s.
Less than three miles to the east you will find the Cypress Woods Golf and Country Club development. It is situated off the north side of Immokalee Road, just east of Interstate 75, south of Quail West, west of Quail Creek and Huntington Lakes and around 6 miles from the beaches on the Gulf.
The 18 hole golf course which puts a premium on correct placement of shots is an original design of Gordon Lewis, the same gentleman who did the Stonebridge remodel. The layout which can stretch out to over 6,200 yards, has a par of 72, with a course rating of 71.1 and a 134 slope from the back tees. Considered to be a “thinking man’s course” where you will use every club in the bag, you travel through “wetland areas that are protected nature preserves.” The one time “transfer fee” is roughly $3,000, with club dues running in a very modest $600 per year range.
Additional amenities include a spacious clubhouse with a lounge and dining area which overlooks the “dangerous” par 5 finishing hole with its green that is surrounded by a lake. The restaurant is well respected and is open to the public for their sumptuous Sunday Brunch Buffet. During “season” (October till April) the club has special themed dinner nights (Carver’s Buffet, Italian, Seafood) 3 times per week, as well as outdoor “Terrace” dining.
To build up that appetite, you might want to try going for a swim in their lap pool, or take a turn on some of the exercise equipment available, including weights, bikes and ellipticals, in the Fitness Center. There is also an aerobics room where a number of classes are organized, such as stretching, yoga, Zumba and toning. If tennis is another part of your leisure activities, there are 4 lighted courts with wind screens available for members and their guests.
Cypress Woods is located just east of I75 at the Immokalee Rd. exit (111). Approximately 20 minutes to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and 15 minutes to Miromar Outlet Mall with it's Saks Off Fifth, Kate Spade Outlet, Escada Outlet. Brooks Brothers Outlet, Bloomingdales Outlet and many more totalling 140.
Target Superstore is within 10 minutes of the community as is Chili's, Panera, L'Appetito, Bob Evans and many more restaurants and stores.
The condominiums of the Cypress Woods Golf and Country Club are located in three neighborhoods:
Cypress Trace has 470 residences and range from 1,232 to 1,625 square footage under air.
Laurel Greens has 102 residences and range from 1,564 to 1,784 square footage under air.
Grand Cypress has 84 residences and range from 1,763 to 1,858 square footage under air.
Presently there are 14 condos that are listed for sale within these three communities, 8 of which are situated in Cypress Trace. The units there have asking prices starting at $169,000 and going up to around $237,000. The 4 homes in Laurel Greens (each of which has a 1 car garage) are listed in the $235,000 to $270,000 range, while the $270,000 mark is the rate for the 2 Grand Cypress residences (each having a 2 car garage) that are on the market.
Easily the newest of the “bundled” golf communities in this area is Esplanade, a development of Taylor Morrison, a firm that has earned “enviable esteem for designing homes that are not only architecturally distinctive, but also structurally superior” by adhering to their own demanding strict building standards. Consisting of roughly 1,800 acres, with more than 50% being protected natural preserves and wetlands, the development is located on Immokalee Road, about 3 miles east of the Interstate. Neighboring communities include Olde Cypress and Riverstone to the west, with The Quarry, Heritage Bay and Twin Eagles on the east side.
The golf course in Esplanade is the design of Chris Wilczynski, who has established his own firm after 2 decades of collaborating with the renowned Arthur Hills. Chris, a graduate of Michigan State University, has already established himself with layouts in Texas, California, Michigan and Tennessee. He has developed a course that is just shy of 7,000 yards with a par of 72 while creatively incorporating all the natural features of the terrain.
The Course Rating from the back tees is 73.8 with a Slope of 134. The trouble comes in the form of strategically placed bunkers and a great deal of water, with a few of the short, high risk/reward par 4s thrown in for even more fun and excitement. It was named as one of Golf Digests Best New Courses for 2014, for its ability to enhance the overall ambiance of the community, while providing “playable, yet challenging conditions.”
Adding to the course itself is a clubhouse with dining facilities, lockers, spacious fitness center, aerobics studio plus a resort pool, lap pool and spa.
Also right there is a tennis complex that has 6 Har-Tru courts that are lighted for night play, as well as stadium seating for tournaments.
A tot lot, jogging/walking trails and a separate park exclusively for the use of our canine family members round out the many extras to be found here. Being brand new the “transfer fee” is roughly $150, with yearly club dues around $2,600.
All of the condos for sale today in this complex are new construction units offered by the developer, of which there are five. Each of these homes are ground floor (out of 2), unfurnished and have a one car garage. Sizes of these residences vary from just over 1,700 square feet under air to nearly 2,300 square feet, while asking prices go from around $376,000 up to almost $463,000.
Esplanade is east on Immokalee Rd. not quite to Collier Boulevard. On the corner of Immokalee and Collier you will find a strip mall with shops, offices, restaurants ( China Gourmet 
, Stevie Tomatoes Sports page, McDonalds) and a large CVS.
Another of the golfing communities located off “Golf Course Drive” (Immokalee Road) is Heritage Bay. This nickname for the road comes from the fact that there 14 individual golfing developments along a stretch of roughly 10 miles starting just east of Tamiami Trail North (US 41) and going east to around 6 miles beyond Interstate 75.
Heritage Bay is situated west of Twin Eagles, with The Quarry, Olde Cypress, Heritage Greens and Arrowhead Golf Club to its west. It is a community of nearly 720 acres, with an entry bridge that spans 2 lakes leading to the clubhouse that is marked by a magnificent water feature.
The Heritage Bay Golf and Country Club is the home of three separate 9 hole courses that are the creation of the previously mentioned Gordon Lewis, with this time the collaboration of Jed Azinger (the brother of pro golfer and Ryder Cup Captain Paul Azinger). The 3 nines can be rotated so that there is always something new about playing, with “ample landing areas for the occasional player and strategic hazards in place for the lower handicapper.” At its longest and toughest, the course will measure 7,185 yards, and rated 74.9 at a 138 slope. The greens are quite large and undulating, while offering some of the “best putting surfaces in the Southwest Florida area.”
There is a required “transfer” fee of $2,000, while dues for the club are roughly $750.
The clubhouse offers fine dining in the Main Dining Room with views of the golf course and the gazebo, while a more casual fare can be had in the Grille Room. The Chickee Hut located poolside offers a third option to fill the appetite.
The 20,000 square foot fitness center contains a “full circuit of Cybex strength machines, True and Octane cardiovascular equipment, a Torque Fitness functional trainer and True stretching cage.” There is also a full time fitness director who can design a program to fit your personal needs, as well as a fully staffed spa to arrange effective beauty and health treatments.
The Heritage Bay condos are in 4 neighborhoods:
Terraces has 450 residences and 1,194 - 1,408 square footage under air.
Verandas has 328 residences and 1,414 - 1,661 square footage under air.
Coach Homes has 184 residences and 1,883 - 2,099 square footage under air.
Vistas has 104 residences and 1,200 - 1,415 square footage under air.
Today there are 11 homes for sale, with 3 being in Terraces with list prices around $200,000. The 6 Verandas on the market range from $200,000 up to close to $300,000, while asking prices for the 2 Coach Homes are in the mid-to-upper $300,000’s.
Heritage Bay is east of Esplanade and situted between The Quarry and the world famous Twin Eagles. The Seminole Casino is approximately 10 miles east of these developments.
Directly south of Heritage Bay is the Vanderbilt Country Club the 5th of the golf communities in North Naples Florida with membership to golf club included. Its primary gated entrance is off Vanderbilt Beach Road, with a secondary gate on Collier Boulevard (Hwy. 951). This development of more than 320 acres, which encompasses around 800 residences, has as its centerpiece one of the “Signature” courses of Gordon Lewis (the same prolific person from Stonebridge, Cypress Woods and Heritage Bay). This creative and challenging layout is considered to be “one of his finest”, while being designed “strictly for pleasure.” The course is presently undergoing some renovations and is expected to be ready again for play in November. Both the single “transfer” fee and the yearly club dues are in the $2,800 range.
As might be expected, all the extra amenities are readily available for all the residents and their family and guests. It starts with the 34,000 square foot clubhouse which houses a dining room, grill room, lounge, a couple of meeting rooms and a covered terrace overlooking the golf course. Completing the package are the resort style pool, locker rooms, and 6 lighted tennis courts.
There is also a new free standing fitness center building of more than 4,000 square feet, with 2,200 square feet being furnished with all of the latest exercise machines and equipment available. The center also houses a 1,000 square foot Aerobics Room for health and fitness classes, which include cardio and strength training, golf fitness programs and a number of aerobics.
There are 2 condominium neighborhoods in Vanderbilt Country Club, with one being “Waterford,” with a total of 240 homes ranging in size from 1,282 square feet up to 1,700 square feet. There are 338 residences in “Wedgewood” with homes of 1,512 square feet and topping out at 2,115 square feet. The 7 units presently for sale in “Waterford” are listed in the high $100,000’s, while the 3 on the market in “Wedgewood” have asking prices between $295,000 and $365,000.
Vanderbilt Country Club is just east of Collier Boulevard on Vanderbilt Beach Rd. Shopping centers are abundant in the area and the beach is approximately 7 miles directly west of Vanderbilt Country Club.
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