Heron Creek Golf & Country Club

Heron Creek's name evokes images of natural beauty. Snowy white birds soar gracefully against the backdrop of the brilliant blue sky, or wade silently in the gently rippling water. This is the Heron Creek Golf & Country Club in North Port, where lushpalms and towering pines frame this gated golf course community, and where nature's work is preserved and enhanced.

Wander along the gently curving roadways, luxuriant with ripe Florida foliage, into the heart of Heron Creek, to a place where living well comes naturally. Heron Creek is a meticulously crafted, master planned community, where no detail has been left to chance. Nestled within its 676 acres, the community's developers have created an abundance of places to reside to play, and to enjoy Southwest Florida at its best.

Winding lazily through the community, the golf course at Heron Creek provides a lush backdrop for the neighborhood homes. The 27-hole, championship-length course offers far more than a tapestry for viewing, however. Designed by legendary golf course architect Arthur Hills, Heron Creek's golf course has been designed to challenge and delight golfers of every skill level, while making the experience so enjoyable they’ll want to play here over and over again.

From the black tees, the course offers the ultimate golfing challenge to the experienced golfer. But with four other tee sets, every golfer, regardless of ability, will enjoy the challenges offered, all the while surrounded by the natural beauty of Heron Creek. In many ways, this is a typical Florida course, replete with towering oaks, slash pines and a variety of palms and native grasses. And there's enough water to please or frustrate, depending upon your day and your game. What makes this course most unique is its topography. It's the hills that set this course apart. Elevations on the course rise to 80 feet above sea level - nearly moun-tainous terrain for Southwest Florida.

The first 18 holes of Heron Creek, the Oaks and Marsh nines, opened for play in the summer of 1999. The Creek nine just opened in October. Each nine has its own special character and features. The Oaks nine is routed through a heavily wooded landscape, and “The Hill” and many water features make it interesting as well as beautiful. The signature hole, the Par-4 Oaks No. 2, features water at both tee and green and massive oak trees pinching the fairway. The Marsh nine winds through marshes and preserve areas. The new Creek nine meanders along the Myakkahatchee Creek and the large adjoining preserve area, and is home to native wildlife.

Paul Barone, General Manager of Heron Creek Golf & Country Club, also points to the Golf Learning Center as being unique. “Its size sets it apart from most, but there's so much more,” Barone says. “The design of the Center allows golfers to work on literally every aspect of their game, without actually setting foot on the course. And it’s interesting. The three elevated practice greens, not commonly found in Southwest Florida, afford golfers the opportunity to improve this part of their golf game.” Also at the Learning Center, the Golf Academy offers half-day, one-day and two-day golf schools.

The Clubhouse includes the Golf Pro Shop, the Hide-A-Way restaurant, locker rooms, meeting room, and the Fitness Center. Just outside are the resort-style swimming pool & spa and the lighted Har-Tru tennis courts. Design and planning for the 21,000-square-foot Main Clubhouse has been completed, and construction will commence later in 2003; completion and opening is anticipated in early 2005. Various types of club memberships are available to residents and non-residents.

Heron Creek's residential neighborhoods have been developing rapidly. More than half of the 850 homes planned for Heron Creek have been sold. Seven award-winning builders — Nohl Crest Homes, Whitehall Quality Homes, David Schroeders Construction, Ryland Homes, Westfield Homes, PGI Homes and White Heron Homes — have opened beautifully appointed models. The builders are offering a wide variety of home styles in several neighborhoods including villa, patio, executive, single-family and estate homes, which are priced from the high $140's to more than $1 Million and range in size from 1,385 to over 5,000 sq. ft. The home sites are situated to maximize views of the golf course, shimmering lakes and natural preserve areas.

Heron Creek is located in the heart of the southern Sarasota County community of North Port. Midway between Sarasota and Fort Myers, Heron Creek is convenient to shopping, schools, health care facilities, two inter-national airports, and the sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. The Towne Center retail and commercial complex and the North Port City Center municipal complex adjoin Heron Creek, as do new middle and high schools.

To learn more about Heron Creek, visit the Information Center located at 3401 S. Sumter Blvd. in North Port, between US41 and I-75, Exit 182, or call toll-free (877) 334-3766. The golf course at Heron Creek is currently open to the public for daily play. To schedule tee times, call the Golf Pro Shop at (941) 423-6955 or toll-free (800) 877-1433. Visit the website at www.heron-creek.com
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