Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch

Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch is a Chris Wilczynski design situated within the master-planned community of Lakewood Ranch in Manatee County, Florida. The course serves a residential development that is part of the broader Esplanade series of communities developed across Florida. Wilczynski, who has designed numerous courses throughout the state, typically works with the region's characteristic flat terrain and incorporates water features, native vegetation, and strategic bunkering to create definition and challenge. The layout reflects the design approach common to modern Florida residential golf, where playability for a range of skill levels is balanced with enough strategic interest to engage regular members. The course navigates through the community's residential neighborhoods and natural areas, with water hazards appearing on multiple holes as both aesthetic elements and scoring factors. Native grasses and preserved wetlands provide environmental buffers and frame many playing corridors. As an amenity course within a private residential community, Esplanade at Azario serves primarily the residents of the development. The club facilities support the neighborhood lifestyle, with the golf course functioning as a central recreational and social feature. The setting in Lakewood Ranch places it within one of the region's most established master-planned communities, located inland from the Gulf Coast between Sarasota and Bradenton.