MyGolfSpy Experiences embraces consistency and self-evident truths. The one consistent and self-evident truth we hold fast to is this: The best golf buddy trip is the next one.
Always.
The question we want to answer for you today is straightforward: Should the new Cabot Citrus Farms golf resort in Brooksville, Fla., be on your short list for your next buddy trip destination?
The answer is complicated.
The short answer is a resounding YES! The two new golf courses at Cabot are gorgeous and a blast to play. The accommodations are so luxurious you won’t mind being in the Florida wilderness. If you do go, you will have a great time.
But (there’s almost always a “but”) there are some things you need to know.
Should it be on your radar? Read on and you can make up your mind at the end.
MyGolfSpy Experiences: Cabot Citrus Farms
Maybe I wasn’t looking in the right places but I did find it odd that while spending two days at a place called Cabot Citrus Farms, I didn’t see a single orange tree.
That’s my only real complaint.
Cabot Citrus Farms is about an hour north of Tampa and 90 minutes west of Orlando. It’s the first U.S. property in the Cabot Collection. The company was founded in the mid-2000s by Ben Cowan-Dewar, a Canadian entrepreneur. Partnering with Bandon Dunes founder Mike Keiser, Cowan-Dewar opened Cabot Links on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia in 2011. Cabot Cliffs followed four years later a couple of miles down the road. Both courses regularly appear in world top-100 rankings.
Cabot Saint Lucia in the Caribbean was next. In 2022, Cowan-Dewar purchased the classic Castle Stuart Golf Links in Scotland and the distressed World Woods Golf Club in Florida. Castle Stuart now is the centerpiece of Cabot Highlands where a second course will open this year. More to the point of our exercise today, the former World Woods has been completely renovated and transformed into the Cabot Citrus Farms resort and development.
I say “development” because real estate is an integral part of the project. Cabot Citrus Farms features dozens of two- and four-bedroom luxury cottages for rent, but dozens more, plus two-story luxury homes for sale are either already built, under construction or in the planning stages.
However, If you’re worried about cottages lining the fairways and overtaking the golf experience, don’t be. Unlike other real estate/golf ventures, Cabot keeps housing and golf separate. That separation is central to Cabot’s ethos: Nothing gets in the way of the golf.
Two very different courses
If you played either of the World Woods courses, forget everything you know. The two new 18-hole courses at Cabot Citrus Farms – Karoo and Roost – are complete ground-up rebuilds.
Karoo’s 399-yard (middle tees) opening hole sets the tone for what’s to come. The tee shot plays downhill to a Karoo staple: a split fairway. Miss the low road left and you’re in a large waste area with a strategically placed tree blocking access to the green. The high right path leaves a shorter approach but it’s narrower with deep cabbage way right. You also have a forced carry over bunkers to get home.
Just don’t go down the middle There’s a deep, nasty bunker there, too.
After another long par-4, you come to the dramatic par-3 third that plays anywhere from 125 to 292 yards. The narrow green is steeply sloped back to front and is so large it could be up to a four-club difference between a front and back pin
Teeth of the Karoo
The rest of the front nine continues the split fairway/undulating green theme. The back nine is similar yet subtly different at the same time. It looks wide open but you need to be in the right place for a decent shot at the green. The par-5 14th is 530 yards from the middle tees. The fairway is generous but if you’re not on the right side, don’t think about going for the green in two. The green looks bigger than it is but it’s protected by a hill on the right and deep bunkers on the left. The green itself is a three-putt waiting to happen.
The 15th is a short risk/reward dogleg par-4. If you’re bold, you’ll have to clear a small pond, a large waste area and a funky-shaped green. You could hit the green and still not have a clear look at the pin. The 17th is an uphill, reachable par-5 and the 18th takes the split fairway theme to a new level with a series of bunkers bisecting the fairway and a huge waste area lining the short way home on the left.
(Side note: If you’re looking for a trash can, look down. Karoo has subterranean trash receptacles. You step on a lever to open the lid. I’m sure they are at other courses but I’d never seen one before. Brilliant!)
Between the waste bunkers, split fairways and diabolical greens, the Karoo flirts with the gimmicky line but respectfully doesn’t cross it. Streamsong Black is a good comp for Karoo although the Black doesn’t respect the line quite as much.
Conditions were excellent on Karoo and with five sets of tee boxes ranging from 7,500 from the tips to 4,200 from the forward tees, you’ll find it a fun challenge.
MyGolfSpy Experiences: Ruling the Roost
While I enjoyed Karoo, I downright loved Roost. It’s much more traditional than Karoo and not the least bit gimmicky. It’s also a much sterner test of golf with more water and rough. Roost is an apt name, too. It’s home to flocks of wild Osceola turkeys.
Like Karoo, Roost starts with a doozy: a medium-length par-4 with a massive sand dune of a bunker extending into the middle of the fairway. The approach is a mogul field to a deep, skinny green.
The par-5 third is the “signature” hole on Roost. There’s plenty of waste area and pot bunkers lining your approach to a multi-tiered green. You’ll encounter more split fairways and pot bunkers on the front, culminating with the par-5 ninth, a reachable dogleg guarded by a pond on the right.
The back nine features the wonderful uphill, three-shot par-5 11th followed by a pair of doglegs. The par-3 13th is the shortest hole on either course. It’s an uphill wedge over a massive sinkhole to a small, convoluted green.
The finishing hole is a stunner. From the tee, it looks like there’s room to bomb it but looks can be deceiving. The water on the left is ready to collect anything resembling an overcooked draw and the sloping fairway is dotted with bunkers. The better approach is from the left but it’s a long enough hole that you’ll have to fly a mid to long iron into a green that really doesn’t want to accept it. Bogey is a good score.
Squeeze, Wedge and other golf amenities
The caddies at Cabot Citrus Farms will tell you the unusual 10-hole course, called The Squeeze, might be the best golf on the property. The holes range from 110 to 560 yards with very Karoo-like vibes with all of its waste areas and varying terrain.
The Wedge is an 11-hole par-3 course. It’s a pitch ‘n’ putt on steroids, with waste bunkers, uneven lies and some of the most severe elevation changes you’ll find on the property. The Wedge is short, with holes ranging from 70 to 115 yards, and is only open to resort guests. It is illuminated for night play and features a gathering spot called The Porch which features three buddy trip essentials: firepits, pizza and beer.
Cabot’s driving range is a grand-slam home run. It’s long enough to be used from either end and each stall is equipped with Trackman technology and a dedicated monitor to get your data. There’s also a huge, tiered, confounding and utterly joyous 18-hole putting course adjacent to the range. Like The Wedge, the range and green are illuminated for after-hours practice or a putting contest to settle an all-square match.
Sleeps, eats and other diversions
If Mayberry was a luxury golf resort, it would look a lot like Cabot Citrus Farms. It’s set up to give a “small town” vibe with everything within walking distance of your cottage. There are currently 36 luxury two- and four-bedroom cottages on the property. More cottages and two-story homes are under construction or on the planning table.
Our group stayed in a four-bedroom cottage next to the driving range and The Squeeze’s first tee. Each bedroom has a private bath. The cottage features an open-concept common area with a full kitchen, a living room with a fireplace, a big-screen TV and a patio. If you’re traveling with a group, I suggest getting to the cottage ahead of your buddies to score the bedroom with the large soaking tub in its bathroom.
One thing you’ll notice about Cabot Citrus Farms is it’s not quite finished. They’re just breaking ground on a huge golf center which will feature the clubhouse and formal dining. Right now, dining options are limited to The Porch and the centrally located Grange Hall which features salads, sandwiches, a bar and a coffee shop. Both Karoo and Roost have fully stocked comfort stations with hot and cold food, snacks and libations.
Also under construction is a market, a racquet sports center, a family pool and an Olympic-sized pool. Cabot recently opened the Sporting Club which offers axe-throwing, clay shooting, archery and bass fishing. The 1,200-acre property abuts the Withlacoochee State Forest which offers hiking, biking and nature trails.
Is Cabot Citrus Farms worth the trip?
As we said up top, the answer is complicated.
The golf is fun, challenging and occasionally spectacular. You’ll enjoy Karoo and even though Roost could have used another season to fully mature, we think it will ultimately be the property’s jewel. The first-rate cottages give Cabot Citrus Farms a relaxed Southern comfort vibe. That’s all an A+ in my book.
So why is the answer complicated? The resort itself isn’t quite finished. Dining options are limited and will be until that big hole in the ground near Karoo’s first tee becomes the main clubhouse. As a full-service resort, Cabot isn’t at the Streamsong level yet. On the plus side, at Cabot, you won’t feel like you’re doing time at a minimum-security luxury prison like you would at Streamsong. Cabot Citrus Farms isn’t quite as remote at Streamsong but off-property dining options are scarce. Full kitchens in each cottage take some of the sting out of that.
The dollars and sense: Is it worth the money?
That, of course, depends on your definition of “affordable.” If you go, you will enjoy first-class accommodations and outstanding golf. Those will, however, come at a cost. As a day guest, Karoo and Roost greens fees are $395 each through June 1. That drops to $220 from June 2 through Oct. 3. The rates go back up to $430 from Oct. 4 through Dec. 31. Both courses are closed from July 7 through the 27th.
The Squeeze is $125/$95/$145 for those same time frames while The Wedge is $75/$40/$60.
If you stay at the resort, Karoo and Roost greens fees drop by roughly $100 in the early and late seasons and by $35 during the summer. The Squeeze is $85 year-round for resort guests while The Wedge hovers around $50. The resort is walking only and forecaddies are included in your greens fee (tip is extra). A personal caddie will run you $40 per bag plus tip.
A two-bedroom cottage is $1,500 per weekend night during prime season but drops to $675 per night during the summer. The four-bedroom units are $3,000 per weekend night on peak-season weekends and $1,350 per night off-season.
If you go with a group of four on a peak weekend, you’re looking at roughly $2,300 per person. That includes two nights at the cottage and rounds at Karoo, Roost, The Wedge and The Squeeze. If you can take the Florida heat in June, August or September, the same package runs around $1,200.
MyGolfSpy Experiences: The bottom line
I don’t know how that pricing fits into your budget but I can tell you that MyGolfSpy Experience enthusiastically recommends Cabot Citrus Farms for the golf. You’ll enjoy Karoo, love Roost and have a ball on The Squeeze and The Wedge.
The resort, on the other hand, has some maturing to do. Based on Cabot’s other properties, however, it’s a solid bet Cabot Citrus Farms will become a first-class destination.
Even if you can’t find any orange trees.
We hope you enjoyed this MyGolfSpy Experiences look at Cabot Citrus Farms. If it’s out of your budget, take a look at this Myrtle Beach Experience. It might just be one of the best values going.
As always, if you have any destinations you’d like us to check out for you, let us know in the comments below.
The post MyGolfSpy Experiences: Cabot Citrus Farms, Brooksville, Florida appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
