World Woods being acquired by the Cabot Links Group

[Greg Kulbick]

I mean.. There are worse courses to end up near. Such a pretty piece of property. The ranch course I’ve only drove by but it looked spectacular.

I haven't played there. You should remedy that.

 

[McLovin]

Cabot Citrus Farms

Welcome to Cabot Citrus Farms, Cabot’s first American property in its diverse collection of world-class golf and master-planned communities.

cabotcitrusfarms.com

This is pretty cool. World Woods is a fantastic piece of property with huge potential. I’m excited to see what Cabot does. Their other properties look amazing.

 

[GolfTravelDude]

Cabot Citrus Farms is the new name. 2023 anticipated arrival. Details sparse as to how redevelopment will go. Can still book PB/RO on line.

 

[jdtox]

Cabot Citrus Farms

Welcome to Cabot Citrus Farms, Cabot’s first American property in its diverse collection of world-class golf and master-planned communities.

cabotcitrusfarms.com

This is pretty cool. World Woods is a fantastic piece of property with huge potential. I’m excited to see what Cabot does. Their other properties look amazing.

Merged with previous thread

 

[MWard]

One of my all time best How to play a golf course stories....So about 20 years ago I was really itching to play Black Diamond but just couldn't find a way. I'm on eBay and I see an electronic devise for sale. Ad says he'll program the devise for gps at a really nice course. This was before gps devises. I see the item is in Lecanto, FL. So I write to the seller. He writes back. He's a member at Black Diamond. We arrange for me and my son to visit. My son and I arrive at midnight to his house in Black Diamond and he meets us in driveway. We stay at his house for 3 nights and play our brains out at BD. 6 rounds and the little 4 hole practice course a few times too. The previous few years I had taken same son to World Woods. Stayed in Weeki Wachi. What I paid the guy to stay/play BD was less than what I was forking over for that...Ha

The envy is off the charts. I just had a pass through a semi annual discount golf membership in the area. Paid off ten fold, cause it introduced me to Bella Collina just the same

 

[GolfTravelDude]

The development will operate as World Woods in the near term and begin renovations in the spring of 2022. Cabot Citrus Farms will open in 2023 with world-class amenities including two revitalized 18-hole courses, a par-3 course, a new clubhouse and practice facilities with a putting course and driving range.
As advised by a bud.

 

[BoilerCLE]

I played Pine Barrens for $40 in October. Great course, a number of world class holes. Greens were in rough shape and conditions were average at best, but it still goes down as one of my all-time best golf value rounds. So many fun shots to play...just wish it played a little more "linksy", as the ground didn't allow for as many run ups as I would have liked to play. Guess you've got to go down to Streamsong and pay 6x the price for that!

 

[Leftyuk]

Having played both World Woods and Copperhead, I would rate the three of them higher than all of the Streamsong.

 

[MWard]

Having played both World Woods and Copperhead, I would rate the three of them higher than all of the Streamsong.

I have to ask what you saw in Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks that were better than the Red, Blue, and Black.

Copperhead on the other hand, while a fine course, isn’t the best on that property.

 

[Drumdog]

Very interesting. The courses at World Woods are among two of my very favorites. Hoping for great things in the future.

I played those courses about 5 years ago and really liked them. I hope they don't get messed up.

 

[GolfTravelDude]

Complements of Jason Lusk Golfweek
World Woods Golf Club in Florida, designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1993, has been acquired by Cabot, the owner and developer of two highly acclaimed courses in Nova Scotia and two new courses scheduled to open elsewhere in the next few years.

World Woods in Brooksville will continue to operate under that title this winter, then will be rebranded Cabot Citrus Farms. Renovations are planned to begin in spring of this year. Cabot has not announced which course designer or designers might be involved in turning the property into Cabot Citrus Farms for a 2023 reopening as the company’s first property in the United States.

World Woods is home to two 18-hole courses, Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks, both of which have been ranked on Golfweek’s Best Top 200 Modern Courses list at various times since their opening almost 30 years ago. Pine Barrens at one point ranked in the top 50 modern courses in the U.S., but by 2021 it had fallen to No. 172 on that list and No. 5 in Florida on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for public-access layouts. Rolling Oaks was No. 22 among public-access courses in Florida in 2021.

Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy of Cabot/Evan Schiller)
The current rankings reflect the various states of conditioning and repair – sometimes disrepair – for the courses and facilities in recent decades.

But the bones and settings of the rolling, sandy layouts constructed by Fazio – with Pine Barrens at times described as inspired by Pine Valley, the No. 1 course on Golfweek’s Best Classic Courses in the U.S. – were never in doubt. Cabot plans to reimagine the entire 1,200-acre property about an hour’s drive north of Tampa and 90 minutes west of Orlando.

“I couldn’t wish for a better location for our first U.S. development,” Ben Cowan-Dewar, CEO of Cabot, said in a media release announcing the purchase. “The property is a nature lover’s paradise that rivals the most spectacular sites I’ve seen across the world. We are excited to build upon the amazing legacy established at World Woods and forge a new path for Cabot Citrus Farms as a vibrant golf and residential community that showcases the Sunshine State’s abundant natural offerings.”

The official announcement ended weeks of online chatter and excitement about the possibility of the acquisition. Well-traveled golfers and course-architecture fans have for years imagined the possibilities at World Woods, if only the right person or group were to invest. Cabot’s track record should have such players smiling.

Plans for Cabot Citrus Farms include the two 18-hole courses, a par-3 course and a putting course, plus a new clubhouse and practice facilities. As with all Cabot properties, real estate development is part of the plan. Cabot said in the media announcement that it also plans retail operations, restaurants, fitness and spa amenities, communal gathering points and a farmer’s market for Cabot Citrus Farms.

Cabot, co-founded by Cowan-Dewar and Bandon Dunes founder Mike Keiser, suddenly has a lot on its plate. The company owns Cabot Cape Breton, site of Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links, the two highest-ranked courses on Golfweek’s Best Modern Canadian Courses list. The company plans to open Cabot St. Lucia, with 18 holes designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, this year in the Caribbean. The company also is building Cabot Revelstoke, an 18-hole layout by Rod Whitman scheduled to open in 2024, in the Monashee and Selkirk mountain ranges near the city of Revelstoke in British Columbia in western Canada.

Check out more photos of World Woods, before the acquisition, below.

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Rolling Oaks at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Rolling Oaks at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Rolling Oaks at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Rolling Oaks at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Rolling Oaks at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Rolling Oaks at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

 

[NeverWiff]

I have to say..... it took me quite a while to get used to the name "World Woods" for this complex...... didn't seem very "golfy" to me.
Cabot Citrus Farms doesn't seem any less cumbersome.... Even so, they have an amazing canvas to work with, so I'm very anxious to see the finished product.

Not sure if it mentioned in the article above (i scanned it quickly), but i read in a separate article that they were going to close the enter facility for 18 months ?
Then again, it WAS Yahoo Sports, so......

 

[GolfTravelDude]

I have to say..... it took me quite a while to get used to the name "World Woods" for this complex...... didn't seem very "golfy" to me.
Cabot Citrus Farms doesn't seem any less cumbersome.... Even so, they have an amazing canvas to work with, so I'm very anxious to see the finished product.

Not sure if it mentioned in the article above (i scanned it quickly), but i read in a separate article that they were going to close the enter facility for 18 months ?
Then again, it WAS Yahoo Sports, so......

So Cabot is 1/2 Mike Keiser of Bandon Dunes. The end product shall be immaculate. Timing? Not sure.

 

[McLovin]

Complements of Jason Lusk Golfweek
World Woods Golf Club in Florida, designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1993, has been acquired by Cabot, the owner and developer of two highly acclaimed courses in Nova Scotia and two new courses scheduled to open elsewhere in the next few years.

World Woods in Brooksville will continue to operate under that title this winter, then will be rebranded Cabot Citrus Farms. Renovations are planned to begin in spring of this year. Cabot has not announced which course designer or designers might be involved in turning the property into Cabot Citrus Farms for a 2023 reopening as the company’s first property in the United States.

World Woods is home to two 18-hole courses, Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks, both of which have been ranked on Golfweek’s Best Top 200 Modern Courses list at various times since their opening almost 30 years ago. Pine Barrens at one point ranked in the top 50 modern courses in the U.S., but by 2021 it had fallen to No. 172 on that list and No. 5 in Florida on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for public-access layouts. Rolling Oaks was No. 22 among public-access courses in Florida in 2021.

Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy of Cabot/Evan Schiller)
The current rankings reflect the various states of conditioning and repair – sometimes disrepair – for the courses and facilities in recent decades.

But the bones and settings of the rolling, sandy layouts constructed by Fazio – with Pine Barrens at times described as inspired by Pine Valley, the No. 1 course on Golfweek’s Best Classic Courses in the U.S. – were never in doubt. Cabot plans to reimagine the entire 1,200-acre property about an hour’s drive north of Tampa and 90 minutes west of Orlando.

“I couldn’t wish for a better location for our first U.S. development,” Ben Cowan-Dewar, CEO of Cabot, said in a media release announcing the purchase. “The property is a nature lover’s paradise that rivals the most spectacular sites I’ve seen across the world. We are excited to build upon the amazing legacy established at World Woods and forge a new path for Cabot Citrus Farms as a vibrant golf and residential community that showcases the Sunshine State’s abundant natural offerings.”

The official announcement ended weeks of online chatter and excitement about the possibility of the acquisition. Well-traveled golfers and course-architecture fans have for years imagined the possibilities at World Woods, if only the right person or group were to invest. Cabot’s track record should have such players smiling.

Plans for Cabot Citrus Farms include the two 18-hole courses, a par-3 course and a putting course, plus a new clubhouse and practice facilities. As with all Cabot properties, real estate development is part of the plan. Cabot said in the media announcement that it also plans retail operations, restaurants, fitness and spa amenities, communal gathering points and a farmer’s market for Cabot Citrus Farms.

Cabot, co-founded by Cowan-Dewar and Bandon Dunes founder Mike Keiser, suddenly has a lot on its plate. The company owns Cabot Cape Breton, site of Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links, the two highest-ranked courses on Golfweek’s Best Modern Canadian Courses list. The company plans to open Cabot St. Lucia, with 18 holes designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, this year in the Caribbean. The company also is building Cabot Revelstoke, an 18-hole layout by Rod Whitman scheduled to open in 2024, in the Monashee and Selkirk mountain ranges near the city of Revelstoke in British Columbia in western Canada.

Check out more photos of World Woods, before the acquisition, below.

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Pine Barrens at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Rolling Oaks at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Rolling Oaks at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Rolling Oaks at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Rolling Oaks at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Rolling Oaks at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

Share

Cabot Citrus Farms/World Woods
Rolling Oaks at World Woods in Florida, which will be turned into Cabot Citrus Farms (Courtesy…
more

the world woods bones are definitely good. i'm excited to see what they do. will it be public after completion? stay-and-play? sorry, i didn't read the whole article and need a tl;dr

 

[GolfTravelDude]

the world woods bones are definitely good. i'm excited to see what they do. will it be public after completion? stay-and-play? sorry, i didn't read the whole article and need a tl;dr

So I've read a few write ups today about this. I posted Golfweeks as I rate for them. The ultimate goal is very comprehensive. 2 courses renovated. 9 hole short course. Putting green, New clubhouse. Short game area, redo driving range. Spa. Housing development. Restaurants and other entertainment to draw the traveling golfer. Ben Cowan Dewar the CEO of Cabot had a passion for WW and returned often. This being first entry into US....He will go big. So I expect Coore Crenshaw or Hanse or similar to do renovation. Any architect worth his weight has known WW would go this path, just a matter of who. And they have all had ideas about how to take it to next level. The ultimate redo will put Cabot Citrus in top 50 of US. The canvas is that good.

 

[MWard]

Man… If Coore/Crenshaw do this reno on PB, it could be pretty spectacular if they get carte blanche on what to do with the green complexes. I’m not super sold on Gil Hanse designs, but I could see him on Rolling Oaks and probably making a pretty good compliment course.

Anyone but Nicklaus.

 

[GolfTravelDude]

Man… If Coore/Crenshaw do this reno on PB, it could be pretty spectacular if they get carte blanche on what to do with the green complexes. I’m not super sold on Gil Hanse designs, but I could see him on Rolling Oaks and probably making a pretty good compliment course.

Anyone but Nicklaus.

Gotta believe short list are the guys they have used previously...Bandon/Cabot

 

[JB]

Man… If Coore/Crenshaw do this reno on PB, it could be pretty spectacular if they get carte blanche on what to do with the green complexes. I’m not super sold on Gil Hanse designs, but I could see him on Rolling Oaks and probably making a pretty good compliment course.

Anyone but Nicklaus.

That entire area is horrible outside of this property. While I am sure this will be a fantastic destination, they have work to do if you are going to rid the area.

 

[MWard]

That entire area is horrible outside of this property. While I am sure this will be a fantastic destination, they have work to do if you are going to rid the area.

It’s not great, I agree. They mentioned at least adding some infrastructure to the area so it’s already an improvement over Streamsong’s close by things. I think the nearest gas station out there is fifteen minutes once you turn past the cow

 

[GolfTravelDude]

That entire area is horrible outside of this property. While I am sure this will be a fantastic destination, they have work to do if you are going to rid the area.

Go visit Cabot Nova Scotia. Before they went in there that area was depressed like twice as bad as Brooksville area. I'm thinking they are more of mind to creep west rather than east toward Brooksville.

 

[Leftyuk]

I prefer WW over Steamsong for two reasons.

1. When you finish the round how many times did you have to make a tough decision? If your brain hurts, it was a great course. Streamsong was simple, WW requires more thought.
2. WW is more beautiful on the eye. You stand back and admire God's work more often.

 

[JB]

Go visit Cabot Nova Scotia. Before they went in there that area was depressed like twice as bad as Brooksville area. I'm thinking they are more of mind to creep west rather than east toward Brooksville.

Been there. They weren’t working with a giant city next door on every side and a world class tourist destination beach on the other. Just like Streamsong, I’m sure it will be a great place, but Brooksville is not going to be a juggernaut of an area. Zero chance.

 

[Oldflgolfer]

Moved to Springhill from Sarasota for a bit. I have played WW probably 50x since the 1st week of opening '93. I was a couple groups behind when Zing rattled off 11 straight on Rolling Played state am at Black Diamond - probably have 30 rounds in at Lake Jovita[original] as well.
WW location has always struggled BUT with the FL population boom I suspect this endeavor just might work - I haven't played WW in probably 8 years due to ever changing conditions. Paid $26 one time for an all day pass.....courses were in PERFECT shape that day. Then paid $85 once and haven't gone back due to the course conditions - our 4some walked off the course that day

Right now I Rate Southern Hills Plantation as the best- in that area- for what you get/expect.

 

[MWard]

I prefer WW over Steamsong for two reasons.

1. When you finish the round how many times did you have to make a tough decision? If your brain hurts, it was a great course. Streamsong was simple, WW requires more thought.
2. WW is more beautiful on the eye. You stand back and admire God's work more often.

We may have to agree to disagree on that one. Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks aren’t any more than a Florida version of Carolina golf, but a bit more wide open off the tee. Miss a bit either way, you’re probably fine. Miss a lot, you’re in the trees but it’s findable. Green complexes are just a question of which wedge do you want to use?

Streamsong didn’t feel like Florida. And that’s pretty fun from time to time. I think a buddy of mine is still chipping around one of the greens on the Black course (he’s a terrible chipper)

 

[MWard]

Moved to Springhill from Sarasota for a bit. I have played WW probably 50x since the 1st week of opening '93. I was a couple groups behind when Zing rattled off 11 straight on Rolling Played state am at Black Diamond - probably have 30 rounds in at Lake Jovita[original] as well.
WW location has always struggled BUT with the FL population boom I suspect this endeavor just might work - I haven't played WW in probably 8 years due to ever changing conditions. Paid $26 one time for an all day pass.....courses were in PERFECT shape that day. Then paid $85 once and haven't gone back due to the course conditions - our 4some walked off the course that day

Right now I Rate Southern Hills Plantation as the best- in that area- for what you get/expect.

Biased, but yes. Can confirm. Greens are rolling quite nice right now. Biggest negative about SH is the fact the soil is clay based vs sand, so it hangs onto water a bit during the wet months.

The member range could be a little larger and not quite blocked out so much by trees for better turf growth. The guest side looks pristine, I just don’t like hitting uphill and feeling like I’m not hitting it anywhere haha