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.

Sarasota’s largest master-planned community, Palmer Ranch consists of 10,000 acres of beautifully developed land. The community presents residents with a wide range of lifestyle choices, from maintenance-free villas and condominiums to beautiful single family homes. All located just minutes from the county’s renowned beaches, cultural, business and civic centers.

The Palmer Ranch area was original purchased in 1910 by the late Bertha Honore Palmer, a wealthy socialite businesswoman from Chicago.  Mrs. Palmer was one of Sarasota’s most influential founders. She invited many of her Chicago friends to visit her in her newly found paradise including John Ringling. A great supporter of the Arts, Bertha and her friends are largely responsible for the thriving arts community we enjoy today. They of course needed entertainment during their winter holidays so, they founded many of the arts organizations we still enjoy today. 

Palmer Ranch real estate includes three golf country clubs, the TPC Prestancia and the Stoneybrook Golf and Country Club, and on the very edge of Palmer Ranch is The Oaks Club, the original location of Bertha Palmer’s home.  These fine golf course communities are gated neighborhoods and have a variety of homes from large estate homes to maintenance free villas to condos.  All of the neighborhoods are gated communities in Palmer Ranch with the exception of Stonebridge and The Isles on Palmer Ranch.  

The Legacy Bike Trail is a 12 mile section of old railroad track that has been taken up and paved to make a 12 foot wide bike path.  This paved bike path runs from McIntosh Road through Palmer Ranch just west of the neighborhood of Turtle Rock and continues south into Venice, FL.  Residents and visitors to Sarasota enjoy walking, rollerblading, and biking on this safe and easy to use bike trail.  Along with being a great area with many amenities the Palmer Ranch neighborhoods are about a 15-20 minute drive to the world famous Siesta Key Beach. 

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