Cabot started out as a remote, solo golf course in Nova Scotia, Canada, back in 2011 and garnered immediate acclaim before expanding into a resort destination (Cabot Cape Breton) that today boasts two 18-hole layouts ranked among the Top 100 in the world. The Cabot brand has continued to grow through the years and has two more boutique resort lifestyle communities in development: Cabot Saint Lucia in the Caribbean and Cabot Revelstoke in British Columbia.
Now, Cabot has added its first U.S. property: the heralded World Woods Golf Club in central Florida, about 60 miles due north of Tampa and 80 miles west of Orlando.
The property, which sits on 1,200 acres of sandy soil and rolling hills canopied by mature trees, will soon be renamed Cabot Citrus Farms and have its two 18-hole courses (Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks) completely renovated and revitalized. It will continue to operate as World Woods until renovations begin this spring. While Tom Fazio originally designed the courses that founder Yukihisa Inoue opened in 1993, it is likely that several architects will be brought in to improve the overall playing experience and bring out the best of the picturesque property, which weaves through towering sand pines, palmetto trees and ancient moss-covered oaks.
“I couldn’t wish for a better location for our first U.S. development,” said Cowan-Dewar, who partnered with Bandon Dunes owner Mike Keiser in establishing the Cabot brand. “The property is a nature lover’s paradise that rivals the most spectacular sites I’ve seen across the world.
When Cabot Citrus Farms opens in 2023, it will do so as a golf and residential community, with amenities that include the two renovated 18-hole championship courses along with a par-3 course, a new clubhouse, a putting course and practice facilities. Real estate will also be a key component, with sales expected to begin in 2022, and the community will also feature retail, restaurants, fitness and spa amenities, communal gathering spots, and a farmer’s market.
Cabot Saint Lucia is scheduled to open in late 2022, it’s course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw as the centerpiece to a community on the northern tip of Saint Lucia. In the mountains of western Canada, an alpine region known as the “heli-skiing capital of the world,” Cabot Revelstoke is targeting a 2024 opening, with plans for a 150-room lodge, fewer than 50 luxury residences and an 18-hole course designed by Rod Whitman, a native of Alberta, Canada, who was the architect of Cabot’s first course: Cabot Links.
Golf remains central to the Cabot brand, which aspires to future growth and a global presence not unlike the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
