In terms of anticipation for new courses opening in 2024, the Cabot group is all over a short list of courses that the golfing population seem to be drooling over. Cabot's inaugural American property, Cabot Citrus Farms, stands out as a destination that appears poised to become a premier golfing venue for many years to come.
When preview times were announced to be available beginning in the Winter of 2024, I knew I had to hop on the opportunity to explore this venue. Ever since Cabot gained popularity with their Cape Breton location in Nova Scotia, I've had a desire to experience anything Cabot has touched.
Situated in Brooksville, Florida, Cabot Citrus Farms conveniently lies near my home base in North Carolina. So, upon receiving confirmation of available play dates, I eagerly seized the chance to book tee times. A round at the 10-hole short course, The Squeeze, and another at the 11-hole par 3 course, The Wedge, were secured for a Sunday in February. And most importantly, a tee time at the highly anticipated 18-hole Karoo course awaited us the following day.
Plans were solidified with my buddy Nate, who resides in West Palm Beach, FL, agreeing to join me on this adventure. I arranged to fly in and out of Orlando, allowing Nate to pick me up on the way and drop me off on the return trip to West Palm. With the Cabot Citrus Farms property still under construction and no lodging on-site, and Brooksville, FL being somewhat remote, we quickly realized that finding nearby accommodations might prove challenging. Enter the RV.
Upon discovering a parked RV listed on Airbnb in someone's backyard about 10 minutes from Cabot, we knew it was the perfect solution. We envisioned long days of golf capped off by evenings around the fire pit, sipping Oban—and that's exactly what we got.
Now, onto the golf itself— it was nothing short of golf heaven. Situated on a massive sand-based parcel of land bordered by dense, jungle-like forests, Cabot Citrus Farms allows you to consume golf and nothing but golf. The layout provides a tantalizing glimpse of numerous other golf holes on any given hole, giving the impression that there may be an endless supply of golf to play.
First, we played The Squeeze, a 10 hole short course designed by Mike Nuzzo. The first two holes are drivable par 4s, about as fun of a way to start a round of golf as you can imagine. After the short par 3 third The Squeeze begins to show its teeth. Strategic tee shots lead you into some very challenging approach shots to massive greens that are well protected. If your iron game is off, good luck. But, the main takeaway from The Squeeze is that it’s only 10 holes. This short course trend is one that seems to be picking up some popularity. As golfers we’re so consumed by things being perfectly fit into multiples of 9 that a 10 hole course is perfectly weird and refreshing. It certainly leaves you wanting more, but is also the perfect 2 hour walk on a Sunday morning.
Next up was The Wedge, an 11-hole par 3 course also crafted by Mike Nuzzo. No hole is over 115 yards, music is playing out of the faux rocks, only a wedge and putter in tow, and of course beers are flowing. There is a reason these little par 3s are at every golf destination, because they are just too much fun. After getting your ass kicked on one of the big courses all day it’s so nice to know you can go flip wedges and have more birdie looks than you’re accustomed to.
Last, but certainly not least, was The Karoo course. The Karoo is one of two 18 hole courses that will eventually be the main attractions for Cabot Citrus Farms. The second is The Roost, estimated to be completed later in the Summer of 2024. But, for this trip, The Karoo was the one that I just couldn’t wait to see and feel. Designed by Kyle Franz, who has done some amazing work on some of my favorite courses in The Carolinas, I was so excited to see what he could do on this unique Florida property. The Karoo is the course that was intended to take a lot of the old holes and routing from the previously famed World Woods course that most recently occupied the same piece of land. Apparently, an ungodly amount of trees and land were moved for this project and to allow Franz to put his own unique touch on it. Nearly every tee shot on The Karoo offers a split fairway with a decision to be made, one that may seem conservative and one that may seem aggressive. With that comes distinctly different angles into greens than your playing partners may have. You instantly get the feel that this course will likely never feel the same or look the same no matter how many times you play it, a dream scenario for those who will be lucky enough to play The Karoo frequently. It is also undoubtedly a “big boy course” as Brooks Koepka would say. The tips stretch out to over 7500 yards, and the next set of tees,which we played, stretch to 6954 yards. Intimidating par 3s and demanding par 4s are a constant throughout The Karoo, but the challenge truly is what makes this course so enjoyable. The par 3s were undoubtedly my favorite part of the course. In particular the mammoth 247 yard 3rd hole that only plays downhill about 5 yards. I roasted a 5 wood to the front right of the green, 3 putted for 4, and somehow felt really happy with the outcome. Overall, I truly feel The Karoo will crack the top 100 as early as next year. Franz put the landscape on center stage for this one. It is an Alister MacKenzie dreamscape, perfectly blending attributes from Sandbelt courses like Royal Melbourne with course sightlines and rolling hills that remind you of Augusta National.
Set to be fully open in October 2024, I would get this one on the bucket list and start planning something soon. With this being the only Cabot location in America and certainly the easiest one to get to, I expect a throng of golf lovers to flock to Brooksville, FL to get a taste of the magic that Cabot seems to have wherever they go.
Single Fin Golf
