SARASOTA, Fla. (March 29, 2013) – Members of the public had an opportunity to go behind the gates at The Founders Club during the recent 2013 Parade of Homes sponsored by the Home Builders Association Manatee-Sarasota Counties.  The Laurel, one of The Founders Club’s fully furnished model homes featured during the parade, swept all five best-of categories to be declared the overall winner in its group. The three-bedroom, three-bath maintenance-free cottage built by London Bay Homes received the parade’s Best Curb Appeal, Best Kitchen, Best Master Suite, Best Floor Plan and Best Architectural Detail awards. The judges then recognized the Laurel with the Best Overall Award in its price range. The Laurel offers 2,505 square feet of living space, a study, great room and three-car garage. It is priced at $995,000, fully furnished.
The 16-day, multi-site Parade of Homes showcased new-home communities and 66 fully furnished model homes throughout the two-county region.
The Founders Club is a traditional private golf and social club community featuring intimate neighborhoods with homes nestled along lakes, fairways and nature preserves. Parade of Homes visitors discovered The Founders Club’s unique lifestyle, with amenities designed to foster camaraderie among residents and a connection with nature. Miles of winding boardwalks and paved walkways meander throughout the700-acre community, which is punctuated by palm trees, pines and moss-covered oaks.
The member-owned Founders Golf and Social Club offers 18 holes of championship golf by Robert Trent Jones Jr., with the area’s only traditional caddie program. Golfers are allowed to walk the course, and membership is limited to just 275 to ensure members enjoy year-round golf with no tee time required.  Training facilities include two putting greens, a short game area and state-of-the-art TrackMan radar technology offered through Florida Golf Performance Center.  The 24,000-square-foot Golf Hall, overlooking an oak hammock and the 18th hole, offers a main dining room, bar and grille, outdoor verandah and private dining room for casual and fine dining. The facility also has a professionally staffed and fully stocked golf pro shop, state-of-the-art fitness center and men’s and women’s locker rooms and lounges. The club offers a vibrant, active social calendar and recently introduced an in-season reciprocal partnership with Sarasota Yacht Club.  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.
The Laurel can be toured in person or online via the homebuilder association’s virtual tour at http://paradeofhomesinfo.com/models.aspx?pid=48.
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. Furnished model homes are open daily.  The community is just minutes from Sarasota’s famed Gulf of Mexico beaches as well as the shops, acclaimed local restaurants and arts and cultural venues of downtown Sarasota.

For more information about The Founders Club, call 866-711-3132 or visit www.ExperienceFounders.com.