Think you know the best Sarasota Florida neighborhoods? These 3 might surprise you.

Three communities stand out for very different reasons: Calusa Country Club, Star Farms, and two emerging neighborhoods in Wellen Park — Palmera and Westlake. Depending on your priorities, you may find golf, luxury new construction, custom homes, resort-style amenities, or proximity to Downtown Wellen without automatically jumping into the highest price points.

1. Calusa Country Club: A Surprising Golf Value in Sarasota

If you’re searching for Sarasota Florida neighborhoods with golf, Calusa Country Club deserves a closer look.

One of the most interesting things about Calusa is the range of home options. Lennar currently offers homes from roughly $294,000 to about $954,000, giving you everything from more approachable options to larger single-family homes with pools.

You can also find carriage homes and condos, which creates a different opportunity for buyers who don't necessarily need a large single-family home to enjoy the community and golf lifestyle.

And golf is only part of the equation.

Calusa Country Club features a Gordon Lewis-designed 18-hole championship golf course, a 12-hole short course, putting green, and aqua driving range. The community also offers a clubhouse, full-service restaurant, resort-style pool, fitness facilities, tennis, pickleball, and organized activities.

For buyers comparing new construction in Sarasota, the builder options are another piece worth investigating. Lennar is offering features such as impact glass and upgraded materials while maintaining price points that can be competitive within the surrounding market.

The important thing is to look beyond the advertised purchase price.

HOA expenses, taxes, insurance, golf-related costs, and any builder incentives can all affect your actual monthly cost. Two homes that appear similar online can have very different numbers once everything is added together.

Calusa is also still in the Lakewood Ranch area, putting you within reach of places such as Main Street and Waterside Place.

The tradeoff? You’re farther from Sarasota’s beaches.

If golf and overall value matter more to you than being close to the coast, Calusa could be one of the more interesting Sarasota-area communities to explore right now.

2. Star Farms: From Townhomes to $3 Million Custom Homes

What if you want a Sarasota-area community where your choices range from a townhome to a multimillion-dollar custom home?

That’s where Star Farms gets interesting.

At roughly 1,300 acres with about 2,800 homes planned, Star Farms offers an unusually broad range of housing. Current pricing starts in the $300s and can extend beyond $3 million, depending on the builder, size, and level of customization.

That means you can have very different real estate experiences without leaving the same master-planned community.

D.R. Horton occupies the more approachable end of the market. Homes by WestBay moves into larger homes and higher price points. Then there’s John Cannon, which takes Star Farms into the custom-home category.

That range is one of the biggest reasons I think Star Farms deserves attention.

The amenities are another.

Star Farms has four resort campuses planned, with the Resort Club already serving as a major gathering point. You’ll find a resort-style pool, spa, cabanas, Star Fit wellness center, The Palm Bar, social spaces, performance training areas, Trade Route Coffee Kitchen, and private greenways and trails.

Additional amenities, including Junction Place and Adventure Retreat, are part of the future plan.

The Luxury Side of Star Farms

Once you move into the seven-figure range, Star Farms starts looking very different.

John Cannon’s homes currently begin in the high $1 millions, with plans ranging from roughly 2,800 square feet upward on homesites of approximately one-third acre or larger.

For example, the Akarra II is around 3,400 square feet and starts near $1.8 million, while larger plans such as the Pindari and Korina move into the $2.9 million to $3.2 million range based on the pricing in the source material.

For buyers looking for a custom home in Sarasota, the appeal is that you don’t have to give up the amenities and community environment just because you want a higher-end home.

That combination can be difficult to find.

3. Wellen Park: Palmera and Westlake Are Worth Watching

If you’re researching new construction in Wellen Park, there are two neighborhoods I think deserve a closer look: Palmera and Westlake.

Wellen Park has continued to expand, with more than 40 miles of trails and Downtown Wellen surrounding the approximately 80-acre Grand Lake.

But the details inside individual neighborhoods can get overlooked.

Palmera: Custom-Home Flexibility Without Automatically Going Ultra-Luxury

Palmera offers an interesting combination of builders, amenities, and customization.

Current plans range from roughly 2,600 to 4,000 square feet, with pricing beginning around the source material's stated range and reaching approximately $2.55 million depending on the builder and home.

One builder I think is particularly interesting here is ICI Homes.

ICI brings a semi-custom approach that allows buyers to make certain changes to the home rather than simply selecting from a fixed production model. That flexibility can make a big difference if you want your home to feel more personalized without automatically moving into the highest custom-home price category.

Palmera also opened its new lakefront amenity campus in April 2026.

The clubhouse includes a golf simulator, coffee bar, wine lockers, and grill-pub setup. Outside, there’s a resort pool with lap lanes, splash pad, dog park, and eight pickleball courts, along with a separate fitness club.

For buyers who want customization and amenities in Wellen Park, Palmera is worth putting on your list.

Westlake: A Small Community With a Big Location Advantage

Then there’s Westlake.

Westlake is planned for just 156 homesites, making it significantly smaller than many of the large master-planned communities around Sarasota.

First home deliveries are expected in early 2027, and plans call for a 30-acre lake, preserve views, and homes beginning around 2,600 square feet and extending beyond 5,500 square feet.

There are four builders involved, including Lee Wetherington Homes, Neal Signature Homes, ICI Homes, and Homes by WestBay.

But the feature that may ultimately get the most attention is the location.

Westlake sits directly across from Downtown Wellen.

The plan includes a connection into Downtown Wellen, which means restaurants, events, Grand Lake, and the activity around the downtown area could be much more accessible than it is from some other communities.

Westlake will also have its own private lakefront amenities, including a pool, cabanas, fitness space, and a pavilion with a fireplace lounge.

For buyers considering custom or semi-custom homes in Wellen Park, that combination of a smaller neighborhood and direct connection to Downtown Wellen could be compelling.

Which Sarasota Neighborhood Is Right for You?

The best community depends less on which neighborhood is currently getting the most attention and more on what you actually want from your next home.

Choose Calusa Country Club if golf and value are high on your list and you want multiple housing options.

Look at Star Farms if you want an unusually wide range of homes, from more approachable new construction all the way to multimillion-dollar custom homes.

Explore Palmera if customization and a broad range of home options are important to you.

Put Westlake on your radar if you want a smaller community, custom or semi-custom construction, and a direct connection to Downtown Wellen.

The key is to think beyond the new-home excitement. Ask yourself what you’ll still care about several years after you move in.

Final Takeaway: Look Beyond the Usual Sarasota Neighborhoods

If you’ve been researching Sarasota real estate, it’s easy to keep seeing the same communities come up again and again.

But there are plenty of other options worth investigating.

Calusa Country Club, Star Farms, Palmera, and Westlake each offer a different combination of price, home style, amenities, customization, golf, and location.

And that’s exactly why comparing communities before you start shopping for individual homes can save you a lot of time.

Want Help Finding the Right Sarasota Community?

If you’re trying to figure out which Sarasota-area neighborhood fits your lifestyle and budget, start with our Buyer Questionnaire. One of my business partners can learn more about your situation and help narrow down the communities worth exploring.

My team and I have helped more than 300 families work through this process, and you don’t need to have a move date picked out or have everything figured out before reaching out.

If you have questions about Sarasota neighborhoods, new construction, or the communities featured here, call, text, or email my team and me using the contact information provided on the website.

I’m Matt Leicht, a local Realtor serving the Sarasota area, and my goal is to help you understand your options before you make a major real estate decision.