Accolades

• Golf Advisor: “Top Courses in Florida” (2020 #18)
• Golf Advisor: “Top 25 Courses for Pace of Play in the U.S.” (2020 #25)
• Golf Advisor: “Top 25 Course Conditions in the U.S.” (2020 #18)

Project Details

In May 2020, Taylor Morrison unveiled its new 18-hole championship golf course within Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch, a private golf and resort community. Esplanade at Azario is considered the flagship property within the Esplanade brand which now totals over 30 communities throughout Florida.

The golf course is now the third one designed in partnership with the national homebuilder and developer under the “Esplanade” brand. The course has received glowing reviews by the local golf community, the homeowners under contract, and those interested in purchasing when additional home sites become available.

The vision of Wilczynski and Taylor Morrison was to create a golf facility that offers exceptional beauty and holes that are interesting and varied for all ages and skill levels. Created by man and machine, the scope of earthwork required to transform the flat topography of the land was extensive. Wilczynski and team worked hard to create and construct 18 different holes and greens to provide a dynamic and memorable golf experience.

Course Highlights

• A rolling and contoured landscape framed by Florida’s native vegetation that sits within approximately 150 acres of the 1,000-acre community.
• Extensive earth-moving from the original flat topography has created dramatic features including several man-made lakes and 30’+ of elevation change.
• 6-tee system that scales the course playing from 7,000 to 3,700 yards with holes that are spacious and forgiving.
• Practice range with an oversized grass tee totaling 42,000 square feet along with a 15-station artificial mat system to accommodate high volume demand from the community.
• 5-acre short game practice facility with two greens and bunkers to practice a variety of shots.
• Strategic bunkering that emphasizes various angles and the ideal line of play.
• Thoughtfully designed greens that are varied in size, shape, orientation, and undulation.
• The memorable hole 12, “Enclave,” (par 3) plays to a raised green surrounded by several deep bunkers and Florida’s native vegetation.
• The challenging hole 17, “Big Oak,” (par 3) requires a bold tee shot across a lake to the multitiered 9,000 sq. foot green, adjacent to the largest native oak on the property.

Environmental Features

• 400+ new trees and 10,000 new landscape materials planted such as shrubs, flowers, and native grasses.
• Relocation of 120+ large specimen oak trees that existed on the property before development.
• 57 acres of open space was created which includes a monarch garden that has been certified by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).
• Creation and preservation of over five acres of native wetlands and environmentally protected areas.
• All drainage runoff from the golf course is filtered through several lakes before being discharged off site.
• All invasive exotic species have been removed and enhanced with native species giving food and shelter to alligators, turkeys, deer, sandhill cranes, blue heron, and other wildlife.