NEWS

Babcock National will follow builder’s country club model
By Jeff Cull | October 10, 2018 BY EVAN WILLIAMS ewilliams@babcockranchtelegraph.com

Babcock National golf and country club community on Lake Babcock will be similar in concept to Lennar’s Bonita National golf and country club. BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH COURTESY IMAGE

Southwest Florida is a golf mecca, but plans for a course in the town of Babcock Ranch have been absent. Until now. As it turns out, town developer Kitson & Partners is permitted for at least 54 holes here.

And 18 of them are now filled. Lennar Corporation, one of the country’s largest homebuilders, has announced plans for a golf and country club community on Lake Babcock just north of downtown.

Babcock National at Babcock Ranch will include a private entrance to hundreds of condominiums and estate homes, a country club restaurant, pool, bar and a championship golf course by architect Gordon Lewis.

While the new neighborhood is still in the initial design phase, Lennar is moving forward quickly and plans to have homes available for sale starting in the first quarter of 2019.

“It’s still in the infant stages, the planning, but it will be similar to many of the country clubs Lennar has done in Southwest Florida,” said Dave Meyers, Lennar’s director of operations in the region, which includes Lakewood National in Bradenton and Treviso Bay Naples. “Babcock National will be similar in concept, from the style of homes to the golf and country club lifestyle of those communities.”

Babcock National will be similar in concept to Lennar’s Bonita National in Bonita Springs. Both courses are designed by Gordon Lewis. BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH COURTESY IMAGE

Although it’s too early to name the exact size of the community, Mr. Meyers said there could be 900-1,100 homes on hundreds of acres.

The golf course will be semi-private, meaning that Babcock National neighborhood residents will have first dibs on the course. When open tee times are available, other members of the public will be able to sign up and play a round.

“This is truly going to be a country club,” Mr. Meyers said. “It’s going to have its own entrance, its own lifestyle within the inside of the community, in addition to everything Babcock offers.”

While Babcock National will follow Lennar’s other models, it will also be unique per Kitson & Partners’ specifications. That includes what Mr. Meyers describes as “coastal Florida-style” architecture. Homes will be certified “green” by the Florida Green Building Coalition to at least its bronze level. And in terms of online speed and data capability, homes come with the industry’s high-end one gigabyte fiber capabilities via CenturyLink.

Through a partnership with Amazon, Lennar plans to insure wi-fi extends everywhere in each residence. “Every home we build is what we call Wi-Fi certified,” Mr. Meyers said. “It’s been heat mapped to make sure there are no dead spots and you have the fastest service.”

Babcock Ranch attracts its audience for what it represents, Christina Traver, Lennar vice president of marketing in Southwest Florida, said.

“Everyone who moves out there is very green-focused, environmentally friendly, loves the concept of the solar and being a better human on the planet for what they’re able to contribute through Babcock Ranch. To combine a luxury, country club lifestyle with being green and the overall town atmosphere … I think it’s going to be one of the most unique combinations we’ve seen in this area and even nationwide.”

Babcock National homes will start at about $200,000 and include terrace and veranda condominiums as well as coach, executive and estate homes. The homes will be available for sale as part of a “bundled golf-course community,” so the price includes equity in the club.

A handful of homebuilders selected by Kitson & Partners are creating neighborhoods at Babcock. In addition to Babcock National, Lennar is the builder for Babcock’s Trail’s Edge neighborhood. Other builders include Florida Lifestyle Homes, Fox Premier Builders, Homes by Towne, Pulte Homes, Solara Homes, and Stock Classic Homes.

“We’re really pleased to have Lennar on board with Babcock National and it continues to round out all the offerings we have,” said Laura Keller, senior vice president of marketing and sales at Babcock. “(Lennar’s) focus and lifestyle program just fits in with Babcock’s ethos, really.”

In a survey of roughly 3,000 people over the last year who visited downtown Babcock’s Discovery Center at Woodlea Hall, at least 30 percent indicated golf is an interest, Ms. Keller said. With the town certified for up to 54 holes, it leaves the possibility for two more 18-hole courses on the property for a community that is expected to hold some 19,500 homes and 50,000 people one day.