Cabot Citrus Farms Karoo
The boldest statement in Florida golf, on land few knew the state had. Kyle Franz took the rolling, sandy ground of the old World Woods Pine Barrens and built Karoo, a big, dramatic, links inspired course that has nothing to do with the flat, watery Florida golf cliche. The flagship of Cabot's first stateside resort, and a reason to point the car north of Tampa.
Photo: Cabot Citrus Farms via Google.
The verdict
Karoo is the headline act of Cabot Citrus Farms, the Cabot group's first resort in the United States, built on one of the most surprising pieces of golf land in Florida. The site was once World Woods, whose Pine Barrens course was rated among Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest before it faded. Kyle Franz, a designer who learned under Tom Doak and Gil Hanse and built his name restoring the Donald Ross gems at Mid Pines, Pine Needles and Southern Pines, transformed that ground into Karoo, which opened in 2024.
It is a big course, a par 72 of around 7,562 yards, but the length is not the point. The land rolls and tumbles over deep sand, so Franz built wide fairways, vast sandy waste areas and bold, contoured greens that play firm and fast, a style far closer to the sandbelt or the Carolina Sandhills than to the manicured, lake lined Florida norm. It rewards imagination, the running shot and the brave line, and it has quickly become one of the most talked about new courses in the country. For a golfer who wants something different from a Florida trip, this is it.
Cabot Citrus Farms Karoo at a glance
- Opened
- 2024
- Design
- Kyle Franz
- Type
- Sand
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,562 yds
- Access
- Resort
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from the resort and course listings. Karoo is a Kyle Franz design that opened in 2024 on the former World Woods Pine Barrens land, a par 72 of around 7,562 yards. Green fees are resort based and seasonal; rates change by season and year, so always confirm current fees and access directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The thrill of Karoo is the ground itself. Central Florida is not supposed to roll like this, but the Brooksville sandhills heave and fall, and Franz routed the course to use every contour, with fairways that spill over ridges into sandy hollows and greens perched and tilted to feed or reject the running shot. The vast waste areas and natural sand give it a raw, almost links like character that sets it completely apart from the rest of Florida golf.
It is generous off the tee, which it needs to be given how firm and fast the surfaces play, but the strategy lies in the angles. Find the right side of these wide fairways and the green opens up, take the lazy line and the contours and bunkering punish you. The greens are bold and full of movement, asking for touch and a clear head, and the whole round flows with the kind of width and freedom modern golfers love.
As the flagship of an ambitious new resort, Karoo has set the bar high, and early reviews place it among the most exciting new courses anywhere in the country. Pair it with the resort's other courses for a Florida golf trip that breaks every expectation of the state.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Resort course, played mainly by guests of Cabot Citrus Farms; book through the resort |
| Green fee | Resort based and seasonal; rates vary, so confirm current fees and any guest requirements directly |
| Booking | Reserve as part of a Cabot Citrus Farms stay and play; the cooler winter months are the prime season |
| On the day | Wide, firm, fast layout best walked with a caddie or cart; full practice facilities at the resort |
| Getting there | At Brooksville in central Florida, around an hour north of Tampa International Airport |
| Best months | November to April, when central Florida is cooler and drier; summer is hot and humid |
Access and fee details verified June 2026 from the resort and public listings; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The natural base is Cabot Citrus Farms itself, an expanding resort with on site lodging built around the golf, designed for the multi day stay and play that suits its growing roster of courses. Staying on property is the way to experience the place as intended, with the golf, the practice ground and the short course all a short walk or ride away.
Beyond the gates, Tampa and its beaches lie about an hour south for a city night or a non golfing add on, with Tampa International the nearest major airport. It makes a natural pairing with the wider Florida golf scene for a longer trip.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Brooksville.
A Cabot Citrus Farms golf trip
We build the Cabot Citrus Farms stay and play around your group, pair Karoo with the resort's other courses and the best of central Florida, and arrange lodging, caddies and tee times. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Cabot Citrus Farms Karoo questions
Who designed the Karoo course at Cabot Citrus Farms?
Karoo was designed by Kyle Franz, who has worked with Tom Doak and Gil Hanse and is known for his Donald Ross restorations at Mid Pines, Pine Needles and Southern Pines. It opened in 2024 as the flagship course at Cabot Citrus Farms.
Was Cabot Citrus Farms once World Woods?
Yes. Cabot Citrus Farms occupies the land that was World Woods, whose Pine Barrens course was once ranked among Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest. Kyle Franz transformed that ground into the new Karoo course.
How long is the Karoo course?
Karoo is a par 72 measuring around 7,562 yards from the back tees, a big, bold layout that plays across rolling, sandy ground with wide fairways and dramatic shaping.
Where is Cabot Citrus Farms?
Cabot Citrus Farms is in Brooksville, in the rolling sandhills of central Florida, around an hour north of Tampa and its international airport.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; access and fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.