Esplanade at Azario, Lakewood Ranch

Here's how golf actually works at Azario, because it trips people up if you're coming from a bundled-golf community. Buying a home here does not make you a club member and there is no golf fee hiding in your HOA dues. The 18-hole course, 7,007 yards from the back tees, a par-72 designed by Chris Wilczynski, is Troon-managed and open to the public, so residents pay for a round the same way a visitor off the street does: by the round, with rates lowest Monday through Thursday and during twilight, and highest on weekends. Public rates for 18 holes run in the neighborhood of $180, though that moves with season and time of day, so always confirm the live rate before you book.

If you play often, there's an optional Annual Golf Pass for residents. It drops the cart fee to a flat $29 per round, gives you a 10-day advance tee time booking window (longer than the general public gets), discounted guest rates, and summer reciprocal play at other Troon-family courses May through October. It's a separate opt-in purchase, priced apart from your HOA, so a non-golfer in the house next door never pays a cent toward it. Taylor Morrison and Troon have offered the pass as a limited-time signup rather than a permanent line item, so I'll confirm current terms and pricing when you're ready to move on a home here.

On site: a full driving range and practice facility, a pro shop, and PGA-credentialed staff for lessons and club fitting. Tee times book directly through the course or via GolfNow/TeeOff. The trade-off versus a bundled community like Lakewood National is straightforward: no guaranteed tee time access at peak hours unless you carry the pass, but zero mandatory golf cost if you're not a golfer.