Golf communities in Fort Myers range from neighborhoods where every owner is automatically a club member to ones where the course is a separate purchase you may never make. Our editors reviewed the Fort Myers guides that mention golf, confirmed which ones have a course inside the community, and sorted them by the membership model each guide states. Where a guide is silent, we say so and send you to the club.
Which Fort Myers Communities Actually Have Golf
Fifteen Fort Myers guides touch on golf, but not all of them put a course in the neighborhood. Three communities inside the Gateway area, Silverlakes, Hampton Park and Stoneybrook at Gateway, are documented as non-golf communities with a clubhouse and resort-style amenities. Golf there means a drive to a course elsewhere.
The other twelve have a course in or beside the community. They fall into a few groups, covered below.
Fort Myers Golf Communities by Membership Model
Bundled Membership
In a bundled community, club membership comes with the home, and you pay for it through your association assessment. Two Fort Myers guides document this.
- Heritage Palms has two 18-hole courses designed by Jed Azinger and Gordon Lewis. Every owner is a member, and the club and homeowners’ association are one corporation. For 2026, the club’s published budget put annual dues at $9,441 per home, which included cable and internet, a capital special assessment and a food-and-beverage minimum.
- Colonial Country Club has a Gordon Lewis-designed par-72 course. The club’s renovation began in April 2025 and finished in December 2025. Its own Master HOA FAQ says all residents are club members. For 2026 that FAQ lists a master assessment of $5,897 for Lakes Village homes and $11,975 for Golf Village homes.
Those figures are dated 2026 and come from each club’s published materials. They will change, so treat them as examples of how a bundled bill is structured rather than a quote.
Mandatory Equity or Required Membership
Fiddlesticks Country Club is a member-owned equity club with mandatory membership. Every homeowner is an equity member, and there is no optional non-golf tier. Membership covers two Ron Garl-designed 18-hole courses, the Long Mean and the Loch Ness.
Verandah has two 18-hole courses, Old Orange by Bob Cupp and Whispering Oak by Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II. According to the club’s site, Verandah Club membership is required for the golf courses and club amenities.
Optional Membership
Optional means you can own the home without joining. These guides document that structure:
- The Forest has the Bear and Bobcat courses at The Forest Country Club. Membership is optional and not bundled, and it is a separate body from the property owners’ side of the community.
- Renaissance has an Arthur Hills-designed 18-hole course at The Club at Renaissance, with optional membership that is not bundled with the home.
- Shadow Wood Preserve is built around the 18-hole Preserve course of Shadow Wood Country Club. Club membership is a separate, optional purchase, while HOA amenities such as the pavilion, pickleball and tennis courts come through the association.
Private Club, Separate From Home Ownership
Gateway (also called Gateway Greens) sits around a private, members-only Tom Fazio 18-hole course that opened in 1989, now The Club at Gateway. The guide is direct: living in Gateway Greens does not include golf. Mahogany Run, a single-family neighborhood inside Gateway Greens, follows the same rule, with golf membership separate and optional.
The Plantation has an 18-hole course designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry. Per the club’s own site, it is a private club and membership is separate from home ownership. As of August 2026 the course was in a multi-million-dollar renovation, and the club was accepting golf waiting-list memberships.
Not Stated, Ask the Club
The Vines is served by Estero Country Club, which has an 18-hole course. The golf side is a separate organization from the residential association, and our guide does not state whether membership is required. Pelican Preserve has 27 holes of championship golf, but its guide does not state the membership model either.
Pelican Preserve is also documented as an age-restricted 55+ community. Its recorded declaration requires at least one resident aged 55 or older in each occupied home. The other Fort Myers communities here are not documented as age-restricted, though several guides note the governing documents are still being verified.
Fort Myers Golf Communities Compared in One Table
Scroll table to compare columns
| Community | Golf | Membership model per the guide |
|---|---|---|
| Heritage Palms | Two 18-hole courses | Bundled; every owner is a member |
| Colonial Country Club | One par-72 course | Bundled; all residents are club members |
| Fiddlesticks | Two 18-hole courses | Mandatory equity membership |
| Verandah | Two 18-hole courses | Membership required, per the club |
| The Forest | Two 18-hole courses | Optional, not bundled |
| Renaissance | One 18-hole course | Optional, not bundled |
| Shadow Wood Preserve | One 18-hole course | Optional, separate club membership |
| Gateway and Mahogany Run | One 18-hole private course | Private, separate from home ownership |
| The Plantation | One 18-hole course | Private, separate from home ownership |
| The Vines | One 18-hole course | Not stated; ask the club |
| Pelican Preserve | 27 holes | Not stated; ask the club |
What to Ask the Club Before You Buy
A guide can tell you the model. Only the club can tell you today’s terms. Before you make an offer, ask for the bylaws, the current budget and the membership agreement in writing, then work through this list.
- Bundled or separate. Does membership come with the exact address, or is it a separate purchase? Colonial and Heritage Palms bundle it, while Gateway and The Plantation do not.
- Capital costs at closing. Colonial discloses community and golf capital contributions at closing, and Heritage Palms discloses a resale capital assessment. Ask whether your target club charges one and who pays it.
- Annual dues and what is in them. Heritage Palms’ dues include cable and internet, and Colonial’s cable package is billed separately. Ask what each club’s number covers, including any food-and-beverage minimum.
- Waiting lists and caps. The Plantation is accepting waiting-list memberships during its renovation. Ask whether your target club has a list or a limit.
- Cart, tee-time and guest rules. Ask how far ahead members can book, whether carts are included and whether members can play other clubs.
- Course changes. Colonial finished a full renovation in December 2025, and The Plantation’s was under way in August 2026. Ask about any planned work and how it is funded.
Ask a few follow-ups too. Which membership category attaches to the exact home you are considering? Are there waiting lists or caps on golf memberships? Has the board approved any special assessment for course or clubhouse work? Colonial’s club packet, for instance, discloses running special assessments, so the question is worth asking everywhere.
If you are comparing course layouts rather than communities, our golf section is the place to start.
How to Read a Bundled Bill Against an Optional One
A bundled community can look expensive next to an optional one, until you remember that the bundled bill already includes the club. An optional community can look cheap until you add membership on top. Compare total yearly cost for the lifestyle you want, not the HOA line alone.
Also ask which fees reach the seller and which reach the buyer at closing. Heritage Palms, for instance, publishes a resale capital assessment and a membership transfer fee for buyers. If you plan to rent out a home, check how club privileges pass to a tenant, since rules differ by club.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to join the club to buy a home in a Fort Myers golf community?+
It varies. Heritage Palms, Colonial and Fiddlesticks include membership with the home. The Forest, Renaissance and Shadow Wood Preserve make it optional. Gateway and The Plantation keep it separate from ownership.
Can I play golf in Gateway Greens if I live there?+
Not automatically. The Club at Gateway is private and members-only, and membership is separate from owning a home. Ask the club about current categories and availability.
Which Fort Myers golf community is age-restricted?+
Pelican Preserve is documented as a 55+ community. The other guides here do not document an age restriction, and some note that the declaration is still to be read, so confirm with the association.
Is the course the same thing as the community?+
Not always. Many guides describe a separate club that runs the course while a homeowners association runs the streets, gates and common areas. Read both sets of documents.
Visit our Fort Myers community guides for the details of each golf neighborhood, and contact each club directly for its current membership terms.
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