Communities

Black Diamond Ranch

by LINKS Magazine

Lecanto, Fla.

Sometimes you just have to ask. When developer Stan Olsen asked Tom Fazio to “build the best golf courses in the world” in 1984, Fazio took him literally. He crafted two 18-hole courses (Quarry and Ranch) and one 9-hole course (Highlands) out of some of Florida’s most dramatic landscape. The Quarry Course emerged out of two abandoned limestone quarries, creating a stunning five-hole odyssey through some of golf’s most spectacular and most photographed holes. The complex of 45 holes of timeless golf has garnered multiple accolades. Golf Digest and Golfweek ranked the Quarry Course in the country’s top 100, while Fazio himself said the Ranch’s 16th–18th holes “represent the three best finishing holes I’ve ever designed.” Black Diamond Ranch would go on to become the No. 1-rated golf course community in Florida.

Set within a majestic Florida landscape, Black Diamond Ranch beckons with the quiet beauty of rolling sand hills, an abundance of oaks, and a sunny temperate climate nestled into Florida’s Nature Coast. Once considered a hidden gem, the private gated community is now hitting its stride under the ownership of Escalante Golf. The boutique owner and operator of some of the country’s most prestigious golf courses and private clubs spent more than $2 million on capital improvements in the past few years (with much more to come).

The centerpiece of the 1,320-acre community is the amenities-rich Black Diamond Ranch Country Club, with tennis, a junior-Olympic size pool, and a 24-hour fitness center for members to enjoy. A favorite spot for members to relax is the clubhouse’s wraparound porch overlooking the golf courses. The clubhouse also hosts weekly classes, member-organized clubs, regular card games, and lively conversation.

Though there are only 750 homesites in this prestigious community, there are still generously sized homesites to build on (as well as resales). As great as the homes and homesites are, you don’t have to live here to enjoy the Black Diamond lifestyle: memberships are available to those that do not live inside the gates of the community. Reach out to Membership Director Yacine Kermouche for more information.