Cabot Citrus Farms Roost
Florida golf, reimagined on sand. The Roost is the headline eighteen of Cabot's ambitious rebuild of the old World Woods, an hour north of Tampa. Kyle Franz routed it across rolling, scrubby terrain with fifty foot elevation changes and even a sinkhole, ground that plays nothing like the flat resort Florida most golfers know.
Photo: Cabot Citrus Farms via Google.
The verdict
Cabot Citrus Farms is one of the most talked about new resorts in American golf, the Canadian developer's bold reinvention of the former World Woods Golf Club on a rare swathe of rolling, sandy ground near Brooksville, an hour north of Tampa. The Roost is its flagship eighteen, led by the architect Kyle Franz with Ran Morrissett advising and input from Rod Whitman and Mike Nuzzo, the team given the best of the property to work with. It opened in 2024 to immediate acclaim and a place on the national rankings.
What makes it special is the land. Florida golf is associated with flat, watery, real estate fringed layouts; the Roost is the opposite, routed through sandy scrub and meadows with repeated elevation changes of up to fifty feet, a deep natural sinkhole, and the firm, fast turf of a true sandbelt course. At a par of 72 stretching to around 7,500 yards, it is a big, strategic, minimalist design in the modern tradition, the centerpiece of a four course destination resort that has quickly become a bucket list trip in its own right.
The Roost at a glance
- Opened
- 2024
- Designer
- Kyle Franz
- Type
- Sand
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Up to ~7,500 yds
- Green fee
- From around $200
Designer, year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from the resort and leading course databases. The Roost plays to a par of 72 of up to around 7,500 yards across rolling, sandy ground. Green fees are indicative and vary by season and package; day guest rates run from around 200 dollars in quieter months, with peak combination rates higher. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Roost is a course about the ground game and the angles, the modern sandbelt school applied to a Florida few knew existed. The fairways are wide and rumpled, the sandy waste areas spill into the lines of play, and the greens are large, firm and full of internal movement, asking the player to use the slopes and the run of the ball rather than fly everything to the flag. Franz let the rolling terrain dictate the routing, and the elevation changes give the round a variety of stances and shot shapes that flat Florida courses simply cannot offer.
The set pieces are memorable, from holes that tumble down and back up the sandy ridges to the stretch that plays around the property's deep natural sinkhole, an unusual hazard that becomes a talking point of the round. There is generous width for the average golfer, but the strategic player who finds the right side of the fairway is rewarded with a far better angle into greens that punish the lazy approach. It is firm, fast and fun, the kind of course that plays differently each day with the wind and the pins.
For the travelling golfer, the Roost anchors a Cabot Citrus Farms trip alongside the Karoo course and the resort's short courses. Pair it with the Florida sand of Streamsong a couple of hours south for a sandbelt focused itinerary that overturns every assumption about golf in the Sunshine State.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A resort course open to day guests, staying guests and members, bookable online or through your trip planner |
| Green fee | Day guest rates from around 200 dollars in quieter months, rising into the peak winter season, with multi round and stay and play packages (indicative) |
| Booking | Book ahead, particularly for the cooler peak season from late autumn into spring when the resort is busiest |
| On the day | Walking with caddies is encouraged in the resort spirit; buggies are available, and the firm sandy ground rewards the running game |
| Getting there | At Brooksville in central Florida, around an hour north of Tampa and its international airport |
| Best months | November to April for the most comfortable temperatures; high summer is hot and humid in central Florida |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from the resort; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with Cabot Citrus Farms or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The natural base is the on site lodging at Cabot Citrus Farms itself, which keeps all four courses and the practice facilities a few steps from the room and suits a golf focused buddies trip.
For a wider stay many visitors fly into Tampa and combine Cabot with the Florida sand of Streamsong a couple of hours south, or with the Gulf coast resorts, all within comfortable driving reach.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Cabot Citrus Farms.
Build a Florida sandbelt golf trip
The Roost is the headline round of a Cabot Citrus Farms stay. We pair it with the resort's other courses and the sand of Streamsong, sort the lodging and the tee times, and price the trip to the head. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge handles the rest, with no obligation.
The Roost questions
Who designed the Roost at Cabot Citrus Farms?
The Roost was led by the architect Kyle Franz, with Ran Morrissett as golf course architecture advisor and input from Rod Whitman and Mike Nuzzo. It opened in 2024 as part of the Cabot Citrus Farms rebuild of the former World Woods Golf Club near Tampa.
What is the par and length of the Roost?
The Roost plays to a par of 72 and can stretch to around 7,500 yards from the back tees. It is routed across rolling, sandy ground with elevation changes of up to fifty feet, a rarity in Florida, and even includes a deep natural sinkhole.
Can the public play the Roost at Cabot Citrus Farms?
Yes. Cabot Citrus Farms is a resort open to day guests and members. Indicative 2026 green fees vary by season and package; day guest rates run from around 200 dollars in quieter months, with peak combination rates higher. Always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Where is Cabot Citrus Farms?
Cabot Citrus Farms is at Brooksville, around an hour north of Tampa in central Florida, on the rolling sandy site formerly known as World Woods Golf Club.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Design, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.