Winding down the pathway toward The Oaks Club, magnificent ancient oaks dripping with Spanish moss seem to wrap their arms around you. In the distance a stately Antebellum mansion with soaring white columns beckons. Once inside the clubhouse, an intoxicating atmosphere of Southern hospitality welcomes you. A graceful double staircase, beautiful flowers, warm rich woods and elegant fabrics are the final indication that you have arrived in Paradise!

The essence of luxury and comfort is the aura created by this wonderful community living “under the Oaks.” Celebrated for its sense of community and social calendar, this premier golf and country club is located in Osprey, just a blink from downtown Sarasota and beaches that are ranked among the world’s finest.

Enveloped in a lush thousand-acre tropical landscape, The Oaks Club is a private membership-required community created expressly for the very discerning. The Oaks Club offers lifestyle opportunities for all ages within three gated neighborhoods including waterfront estates, high-rise luxury condominiums, sophisticated town homes, golf course homes and maintenance-free villas.

“Life under The Oaks Club,” as described by Susan Greene, Director of Membership and Marketing, “is the result of a community of couples, families and individuals who are looking for camaraderie, security and a strong neighborhood spirit. Here they find a wonderful place to make friends and enjoy the lifestyle they have earned.” Families with children are often attracted to The Oaks Club by the exceptional educational opportunities nearby, headlined by the distinguished Pine View School for the intellectually gifted and the renowned Ringling College of Art and Design.

Susan continues, “Living at The Oaks Club is like being on a cruise ship – so many activities to choose from every day.” Among those activities are two 18-hole championship golf courses with an elite staff and first-rate pro shop, 12 lighted Har-Tru tennis courts staffed by USPTA-certified professionals and an active croquet court.

No need is missed! Outstanding dining choices include three distinct dining rooms with three different menus (72 menu items in all). Options for dining include the Tavern with its “steakhouse feel,” the Grill, a casual spot to meet after the game and the Glen Room, the most formal dining room with traditional menu items such as dover sole, rack of lamb, and tenderloin. At The Oaks, even your golf clubs get VIP treatment – they are loaded and ready at your tee time and then cleaned and stored for you after your game.

This slice of Paradise has a remarkable cultural history; it was discovered and purchased after the turn of the century by Bertha Honore Palmer, a Chicago socialite, business woman, philanthropist and champion of women’s issues. She built a residence and wintered on an area of The Oaks Club property now known as Oaks Bayside. Her original gazebo and reflecting pond remain there, providing a unique centerpiece for the community.

The imprint of Mrs. Palmer’s attention to furthering women can still be felt within The Oaks Club community, where the Women’s Club membership is three hundred and seventy-five. Many of the tournaments held in this community are female-centered: the USTA Women’s $50,000 Pro Circuit Tournament, and the U.S. Women’s Open Qualifier.

As to what’s around this well-situated neighborhood – well, there’s a lot! The Sarasota beaches must be mentioned. Famous for their white sand, Nokomis and Casey Key beaches are visitor friendly and beautiful beyond description. Dr. Beach named Siesta Key, “America’s Most Beautiful Beach,” in 2011. A Sunday sunset on Siesta Key listening to the drum circle as the sun disappears is a not-to-be-missed experience.

Nature lovers will also enjoy the abundance of hiking, canoeing and kayaking at nearby Oscar Scherer and Myakka State Parks. History buffs, as well as their families, will not want to miss Osprey’s historic Spanish Point and baseball fans will find an exciting spring season with the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. When shopping therapy is required, you can check-in at Southgate Mall where occupants include Saks Fifth Avenue and Williams Sonoma or cruise over to the specialty shops on St. Armand’s Circle.

With no traffic lights and less than 400 single family homes, residents feel as if they live on their own private island. The absence of expanding commercialism and high-rise condominiums greatly contributes to the island’s charm. In fact, over forty years ago the state of Florida, with “overwhelming support from the Casey Key property owners,” enacted the Casey Key Conservation Act, which designated most of the island to be a wildlife and marine sanctuary and prevents expansion of commercial business within the district. Wherever you go, this historic eight-mile sliver of land, at some points only a little more than 100 yards wide, provides endless glimpses of the surrounding waters.

The island is anchored on the south end by “North Jetty Park” with a historic bait shop, dispensing bait, beer and “fish tales” for over 60 years, and extraordinary jetties thrusting themselves over 600 feet into the clear sparkling Gulf waters. Since the 1930’s, these horizontal monoliths have protected the Venice Inlet and created great fishing, surfing and deep safe passage for offshore boaters returning to private and public moorings along Little Sarasota Bay, Dona Bay and Roberts Bay.

My husband and I found our way to Casey Key, 18 years ago. Eager to leave the hustle and bustle of downtown Washington, D.C., we were ready for a new adventure and searching for our perfect beach getaway, when we discovered Casey Key. As soon as I crossed the one-lane swing bridge onto the island and I saw the bougainvillea in full bloom, and no traffic to speak of, I said immediately, “stop the car . . . this is it . . . we’re not leaving until we find our house.”

Casey Key Fish House

The immediate sense of peace and tranquility that Casey Key embodied as my first impression, has withstood the test of time. Casey Key remains the special place we stumbled upon 18 years ago. You can walk your dog on the beach, and there are no deed restrictions for the majority of the island.  We feel as if we live on our very own private island. It just doesn’t get any better than having the Gulf of Mexico as your front yard and Little Sarasota Bay as your back yard.

We also have easy access to dining and shopping in Venice, which is 10 minutes away, and the cultural mecca of Sarasota is a mere 15 miles north of the island. Access to I-75 is also just minutes from the island’s south bridge.

Over the years this tranquil island’s waterfront property, privacy and safety have attracted families, retired CEOs, entrepreneurs and celebrities, many of whom have built magnificent estates and luxurious homes discretely nestled in the seclusion of the natural tropical flora.  Some of the more famous Casey Key homeowners have included Martina Navratilova, and best-selling author Stephen King, whose 2008 novel, “Duma Key,” has Casey Key as its setting.

Smaller, older homes are still found, amicably co-existing among the multi-million dollar neighbor estates. Local area families continue to be drawn to Casey Key, as well as families from distant locations, such as the United Kingdom and Canada. Since 2010, fifty-six properties have changed ownership.

The Treasure Island Bridge connects the mainland with the northern section of the key. Built in 1923, the bridge is one of the few “one-lane rotating swing bridges” still in use today. Residents love the historic old bridge, which occasionally slows traffic, but serves as a sentinel, reminding all that pass … life on the island is a special retreat.

When I come home from a hectic day and cross the swing bridge, I feel a sense of peace and tranquility that cannot be explained. Not everyone who considers Casey Key “gets it”…those who do tend to stay forever.