Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch

This course is new, but plays like a classic Florida course. Played in less than 4 hours, and the course is in great condition.

6100 from whites is a great challenge, with bunkers and water to contend with, greens are fast and have multiple levels, so plenty of challenges

Great if you are a local or on vacation

Enjoy

I had a great experience playing here and will definitely be back. Course is in immaculate condition and the layout was challenging but a lot of fun. ONLY issue is that must be so new that its not on google or apple maps yet. Download WAZE to find your way there.

Always play better on a track that’s kept like a pro course. Second time playing and it’s too 3 of my favorite courses in the area, which is saying a lot seeing that this is the golf Mecca . Definitely worthy of your attention

The Good: Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch is the newest golf course in the greater Sarasota area that is already saturated with excellent public and private golf courses. Built as the centerpiece of a large residential community during a pandemic is no small feat, but Chris Silczynski’s design (he also architected the first Esplanade course adjacent) is a fun, windswept track with more character than expected. Excellent Par-3’s and good Par-4 variety with several short “go-for-broke” holes that can lead to birdie or bogey. Greens are exceptionally large and playable for all skill levels. Good course conditions for being a newer course and nice amenities, including a snack shack that is very convenient. Staff is very friendly, and the cart girl came around enough on a hot Florida day.

The Bad: The greens don’t hold well, and they are fuzzy with sand, so roll slower than my liking. Clubhouse is modest with no formal dining area that is a glaring omission for a $129 golf course. The Par-5’s are nice but they lack variety compared to the other holes. It could have just been the weather for the day, but it seemed like almost every hole was into the wind, which impacted the difficulty and experience of the course. A little overpriced considering the newish course and constant construction going on.

The Verdict: Esplanade at Azario was the pleasant surprise of my recent 2021 Spring Break trip and well on its way to becoming one of the premier public courses in the greater Sarasota area. It’s fun, playable for all skill levels, and will only grow into better conditioning.

Best Hole: The Par-3 17th is the prettiest on the course. A longer one-shotter with a peninsula green flanked with two small sand traps and a nice amphitheater of trees.

Course was in great condition, which was expected for the price. Wide fairways, very tough greens. Will play next time I visit

The course cannot be found by GPS. The staff is aware of it. GPS will take you to the middle of a shopping mall. Major pain to find and reach your tee time. Please fix.

The only complaint I would have are the unfair undulating greens. Not even a pro would enjoy them.

This is good course .. the greens are still growing in. Practise facilities are excellent. It is a second shot course.. greens are very undulating. Pay attention to front yardages.

I was disappointed in the condition of the course.

I played here last fall things were great now the greens are showing some signs of neglect.

Hopefully this is a lack of water issue.

I loved this well maintained course. It is a nice layout, simple design. The wide open fairways give you plenty of room. The greens are undulated and often difficult to read. Because it is a simple course don’t be afraid to use longer tees than you might be used to, you get lots of roll in the fairway.

I enjoyed this course. It was a very playable course.

The staff is fantastic. The course has only been open for 11 months. It needs to mature. The greens maybe ready by late next year. The fairways next year, very thin. Some of the bunkers could use another bucket of sand, very thin. The tee boxes are in excellent shape. The layout is fun and challenging. Price should be around $50 with current conditions. Looking forward to playing again, next year.