Taylor Morrison unveiled its new 18-hole championship golf course within the Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch community on May 15. The course is a design from Chris Wilczynski, ASGCA (C.W. Golf Architecture). To add dimension to the otherwise flat land, Wilczynski and his team dug several large man-made lakes and used the soil from the excavation to construct the golf course, residential lot pads and roads.
The golf course, which sits within the approximately 1,000-acre Azario community. Five of the Esplanade at Azario holes will be played along and through mature oaks and pines. Hole 12, “Enclave,” plays to a raised green surrounded by several deep bunkers and Florida’s native vegetation. Hole 17, “Big Oak,” requires a bold tee shot across a lake to the multi-tiered 9,000 square foot green, adjacent to the largest native oak on the property. Wilczynski’s signature touch of building within mature trees is visible throughout, elevating the beauty and memorability of the course. With six sets of tees that play from 3,500 to over 7,000 yards, the layout features wide fairways, randomly placed strategic bunkering and 18 masterfully designed greens.
“It was an honor to partner with Taylor Morrison again to create another state-of-the-art golf course that reflects their vision of the Esplanade brand and will provide Azario residents and the Lakewood Ranch community with an exceptional golf experience,” said Wilczynski. “Our goal was to create a course that’s visually dynamic and fun for players of all abilities. I’m excited for people to experience it.”
“Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch is an exciting new addition to Lakewood Ranch, a highly desired location for new housing in Manatee County,” said Joseph Fontana, Division President of Taylor Morrison Sarasota. “We were excited to work with Chris again to build a golf course that residents will enjoy for many years to come. Chris understands the vision of our Esplanade brand and helped us develop a golf course that complements its signature lifestyle.”