Formerly World Woods Golf Club, Cabot Citrus Farms is being transformed by the successful Nova Scotia golf and resort company. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)
While Florida is very much used to having Canadians in the state, there haven’t been many notable businesses with ownership from north of the border. That changes significantly in 2024, with the opening of Cabot Citrus Farms.
The globally renowned golf brand that launched on Cape Breton Island in 2011 has suddenly expanded to four other landmark properties beyond Nova Scotia. The only one in the United States is located an hour’s drive north of downtown Tampa in the small agricultural town of Brooksville, known for the orange orchards that inspire the branding of Cabot Citrus Farms. (Golfers tee off with a Cabot cookie, locally made with orange zest, and can collect orange tees and ball markers as souvenirs.)
Like the Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs courses, the Florida location is replete with luxury and relaxation.
When asked what Cabot has meant for Brooksville, Rick Kelso’s expression turns to one of awe and he says in a gentle breath that connotes the weight of his one-word answer: “Everything.”
That includes the impact on his life. Kelso joined the former World Woods Golf Club when it opened in 1991 and ascended to the general manager’s role. He saw the organization through difficult and ultimately desperate times. Though World Woods was home to two courses that ranked among the 100 best in the world, financial challenges following the Great Recession resulted in a deterioration in its stature and standards. Cabot purchased the property in 2022 with the aim to realize its potential as a world leader in golf resort tourism. Now, Kelso gets to watch the original vision for the land blossom.
Operations director Rick Kelso has seen Cabot Citrus Farms revitalize his place of work into a destination resort. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)
“We want to create a ‘Cheers’ atmosphere here. We want our people to get to know your name and your favourite things, so we can have the experience ready for you every time you come back,” he explains. He calls it “casual luxury” with plans for a five-star restaurant and the accoutrements expected by the sport’s aficionados. As well as the hallmark of Cabot — golf circuits that get you addicted to the experience.
“What Cabot does is make courses that are playable, fun, and well-maintained,” notes Kelso, the director of operations and community.
He says Cabot plans to employ 500-700 workers (it currently has 145 staff) and will bring a significant economic boost for its municipality, Hernando County, through property taxes. Cabot will likely have a similar influence on Brooksville (population: 9,500) as it has had on Inverness, the tiny town on Cape Breton that is thriving thanks to the golf courses and its affiliated businesses, including its hotel accommodations, real-estate properties, and the fantastic Panorama restaurant.
Far more than an exceptional golf experience, Cabot Citrus Farms features luxury real estate with high-end features, such as the marble floor and soaker tub seen in this bathroom. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)
The move into Florida has been a long time in the making for the company. In a recent video report by The Golfer’s Journal, Cabot founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar said he first tried to purchase World Woods in 2008, and tried again in 2014 and 2016, before finally securing the course during the pandemic. From a playing perspective, the course met Cabot’s desire for spectacular sites that are naturally suited for amazing golf. The property has more than 100 feet of elevation changes and mossy oaks that canopy the courses.
After finalizing the purchase of the property, Cabot began to revamp the courses that were originally designed by Tom Fazio, adding some signatures of its Cape Breton layouts: wide fairways, fast greens, and fun par 3s. The Squeeze course, which I played, is a 9-hole circuit with a 559-yard par-5 fourth hole and 115-yard par-3 sixth hole, showing the diversity of the Cabot Citrus Farms experience. Other options include the 11-hole Wedge and 18-hole Karoo; the newly designed 18-hole Roost will open this summer, with VIPs able to play some holes as early as May, Kelso anticipates. The new designers cleared pine trees to open up the fairways and altered bunkers. More fescue will be added and the Roost course, in particular, will have bunkers filled with red sand from the Gulf of Mexico, a nice coincidence since that surface is at the soul of Cabot Cliffs, the No. 1 golf course in Canada.
Rolling hills and pristine fairways are a signature feature of the Cabot brand. Big blue skies and perpetual sunshine, not so much, as Cabot’s flagship courses are on Cape Breton Island, where weather is often temperamental. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)
“Bigger, open and more broad and rolling” is how Mike Nuzzo — one of three golf architects who worked on the renovations and new builds — described the changes in the The Golfer’s Journal report.
From a financial perspective, the attractiveness for Cabot is clear. On Cape Breton Island, the courses are shuddered for six months of the year because of the cold climate. In Florida, golf is played year-round. The revenue potential compared to Nova Scotia — or Revelstoke, British Columbia, home of another Cabot course scheduled to debut in 2025 — is massive. While golf is at the core of the Cabot offerings, the sport and its luxury leanings have made real estate a natural fit. As with its other locations, Cabot is selling attractive cottages at Citrus Farms. Four-bedroom units go for $3 million (all figures USD) and two-bedroom suites are priced at $1.7 million. Owners can put the properties into the company’s rental pool, which prices the four-bedroom spaces at $2,400 per night and the two bedrooms at $1,500 per night. The initial plan calls for 200 total cottages to be built, with 27 already completed. Merchandise sales are already ripping, with the pro shop running low on popular sizes for in-demand shirts.
Cabot Citrus Farms shirts, hats, and accessory items are coveted by golfers. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)
Cabot Citrus Farms owns 1,200 acres, of which half have been developed. Near-term plans call for a community facility with sports such as tennis and pickle ball, and a lavish clubhouse, Grange Hall, slated to host the property’s official grand opening on September 30. Other recreational activities include hiking or cycling the trails of neighbouring Withlacoochee State Forest, and fishing expeditions in the Gulf of Mexico.
MORE: Cabot Tees Off On Your Heart
Golfers at the Cabot Citrus Farms driving range receive instant results of their shots from a digital tracking program with dedicated terminals at each tee box. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)
Kelso says numerous fans of Cabot’s Nova Scotia property have already turned up on Florida’s Gulf Coast to take on the reimagined courses in Brooksville. Nearly 3,900 rounds have been played on the Karoo course since preview play opened on January 22. For now, with greens fees at just $40 for the Wedge course, $80 for the Squeeze, and $180 for the Karoo, Cabot Citrus Farms is a bargain. That’ll likely change as the property finishes its renovations in time for its grand opening and gains global notoriety from the golf world. So, just another reason for Canadians to visit Florida now.
MORE ABOUT CABOT CITRUS FARMS
At Cabot Citrus Farms, the hospitality cabin has an aesthetic that evokes southern charm. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)
Location: 17590 Ponce De Leon Boulevard, Brooksville, Florida (see map below)
Getting There: From downtown Tampa, drive north on Florida State Road 589, aka the Suncoast Parkway, (or take a taxi/ride app) for an hour to Exit 55 for Brooksville.
Tee Times: Visit the club’s website to reserve your golf time and review the course layouts.
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Travel Tip: With Brooksville being quite remote and Cabot Citrus Farms’ nightly rates being out of reach for most travellers, golfers should stay in Tampa, which is experiencing a tourism boom thanks to its revitalized and thoroughly enjoyable Water Street District and multiple other attractive neighbourhoods to explore.
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