SARASOTA, Fla. (Dec. 3, 2014) – Members of The Founders Club are beginning to test the expanded driving range and enhancements to the short game area at Sarasota’s premier golf and social club. A summertime renovation project expanded the club’s driving range to 32 stations and included the installation of Celebration grass on the practice facilities.

“Our membership is beginning to come back for the season, and they’re extremely pleased and excited about the improvements,” said Chris Adams, The Founders Club’s head golf professional. “We kept them updated during the summer with e-mails and photos, but seeing it in person is the only way to comprehend the changes. The driving range is quite a bit bigger now, and members have commented how fantastic it is.”

The renovation doubled the size of the half-acre range and included the addition of 10 more stations. Florida-friendly, drought-resistant Celebration, a deep blue-green durable Bermuda species considered among the top turfs, replaced existing grass on the range and short game facility.

“It grew in better than we expected and looks great,” said Adams. “We enhanced the short-game area and planted Celebration there, as well.”

The Founders Club is dedicated to a traditional golf experience, offering the area’s only caddie program and allowing members to walk the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed championship course. Membership is limited to 275, providing the opportunity for year-round golf with no tee time required.

The expansion enhances The Founders Club’s practice and training facilities, which also include two putting greens and state-of-the-art TrackMan radar technology provided through the Florida Golf Performance Center.

The member-owned Founders Golf and Social Club also offers the 24,000-square-foot Golf Hall, overlooking an oak hammock and the 18th hole. The clubhouse has a main dining room, bar and grille, outdoor verandah, and private dining room for casual and fine dining. The facility also offers a professionally staffed and fully stocked award-winning golf pro shop, state-of-the-art fitness center, and men’s and women’s locker rooms and lounges.

The club offers an active social calendar and in-season reciprocal partnership with Sarasota Yacht Club.

Amenities at The Founders Club are designed to foster camaraderie and a connection with nature. Miles of winding boardwalks and paved walkways meander throughout the 700-acre community, which is punctuated by palm trees, pines and moss-covered live oaks.

Additional facilities at The Founders Club include two Har-Tru tennis courts, basketball and sand volleyball courts, and a picnic pavilion. Fitness and wellness classes, educational and instructional programs and social gatherings are coordinated by a professional staff.

Only 262 homes are planned for the community, which is conveniently located within minutes of Florida’s cultural coast, including Sarasota’s world-famous Gulf of Mexico beaches, shops, acclaimed local restaurants, and arts and cultural venues of downtown Sarasota.

London Bay Homes, named America’s Best Builder by Builder magazine in 2008, offers single-family homes, golf cottages and one-of-a-kind estate homes at The Founders Club.

Golf cottage home and homesite packages are priced from the $750,000s and offer 2,000 to more than 4,000 square feet of living space and are located within walking distance to the golf and social club. Floor plans offer a range of possibilities, including dens, formal living and dining rooms and bonus spaces, ideal as game rooms or personalized retreats.

Reserve Collection homes, available on fairway homesites, range from 2,800 to more than 5,000 square feet of living space. These single-family homes provide a variety of design options that can be customized to a buyer’s preference. Home and homesite packages are priced from the $800,000s.

Estate home and homesite packages are priced from $1 million to more than $5 million and offer a wide range of customization and designer options. Floor plans feature dining and living rooms, studies, expansive alfresco living spaces and large master suites with walk-in closets and spa-like bathrooms.

The Founders Club Sales Center is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is located at 3001 Founders Club Drive, three miles east of I-75 on Fruitville Road, Exit 210.

For more information about The Founders Club, call 941-398-0900 or visit www.TheFoundersClub.com.