The Founders Golf Club will be the host site for the inaugural Heroes Ladies Intercollegiate tournament Feb. 7 through 9. Fifteen women’s NCAA Division 1 golf teams from the Big 10, Big 12, SEC, and ACC Conferences will join for a 54-hole stroke play charity tournament benefiting the Army Ranger Lead the Way Fund.
The charity golf event, one of the top women’s collegiate golf events in the country, will feature teams competing on the community’s Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course. Events surrounding the tournament, hosted by Purdue University, will include The Charity Golf Outing Dinner & Auction on Monday, Feb. 8. Proceeds will benefit the Army Ranger Lead the Way Fund, a non-profit organization focused on casualty assistance, recovery, transition, and providing financial support beyond what the government and Veterans Affairs can offer to U.S. Army Rangers and their families who have been impacted by combat. The organization is headed and co-founded by James and Mary Regan to honor the life and legacy of their son, Sgt. James J. Regan, who was killed in action in February 2007.
“It’s humbling to be a part of such a special and important cause that is focused on assisting those who have bravely fought on the front lines, as well as providing collegiate athletes with an opportunity to get back to competitive play that has been curbed over the last several months,” said Juliette Valin, general manager at The Founders Golf Club. “We’re very much looking forward to hosting this inaugural tournament on our course, in a safe and responsible way.”
An award-winning gated golf club community, The Founders Golf Club is a sought-after course due to its intimate size and ease-of-play; tee times are not required and crowds are never an issue, since membership is limited to 275. Members can walk the course at their own pace – utilizing Sarasota’s only traditional caddie program – and enjoy the game as it’s meant to be. The Club’s 7,094-yard, par 72 layout features a backdrop of mighty oak, pine and palm trees and is dotted with tranquil lakes, unspoiled wetlands and natural buffers of untamed landscapes.
The Club recently completed a $600,000 renovation on the course, which included updates to the bunkers and greens. The Founders Club has also expanded their health and safety protocols, integrating new UV sanitation technology, HEPA Filter Air Purifiers in the gyms, and increased cleaning.
The Founders Golf Club boasts a state-of-the-art teaching facility, where seasoned pros help members improve their skills. Members can also work on their game at the Club’s putting greens, short game area for practice sessions and large driving range.
Additional amenities include the 24,000-square-foot Golf Hall. The member-owned club offers casual and fine dining, a golf pro shop, men’s and women’s locker rooms, and a state-of-the-art fitness center, along with Har-Tru® tennis courts, basketball and sand volleyball courts and a picnic pavilion. In addition, the Club has just added Whatmore Performance Training. This organization has fitness trained athletes from the Challenge European tour, Korn Ferry tour, Canadian tour, Latin America, PGA Tour, LPGA and Symetra tour, Legends tour and Long Drive.
Complimenting the amenities at The Founders Club is a robust builder program comprised of four of the areas most respected luxury homebuilders: AR Homes, John Cannon Homes, Lee Wetherington Homes and London Bay Homes. The program offers endless possibilities for homeowners to create a truly personalized home on homesites ranging from nearly half an acre to almost two acres that can accommodate floor plans ranging from 2,200 to more than 6,000 square feet. Home and homesite packages at The Founders Club are priced from the high $800,000s to more than $5 million. No CDD fees.