Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club

Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club is a premier gated golf community spread across 1,054 rolling acres in Dade City, Florida — a landscape of hills, elevation changes, Spanish moss-draped grandfather oaks, lakes, and ponds that feels more like North Carolina than the flat Florida peninsula most buyers expect. Just 30 minutes north of Tampa and about an hour from Orlando, it combines resort-style country club living with the small-town charm of historic downtown Dade City. The heart of the community is 36 holes of championship golf across two 18-hole courses — the South Course designed by PGA Tour great Tom Lehman with architect Kurt Sandness, and the North Course which opened in 2002. Both have earned 4.5 stars from Golf Digest and ranked repeatedly in Golfweek's "Best Florida Courses You Can Play." The courses host Florida State Golf Association championships and a steady stream of college and charity tournaments. Water comes into play on 13 holes, and the elevation changes — rare for Florida — make Hole #11 particularly memorable. Beyond golf, the Mediterranean-style clubhouse anchors the social life. Members dine in the Main Dining Room or the Grillroom/Sportsbar with outdoor patio seating overlooking the greens, and Sunday Brunch is a community tradition. The clubhouse also houses a state-of-the-art fitness center (~2,000 sq ft), a multi-purpose ballroom used for weddings, retirement parties, and corporate events, and meeting spaces for clubs. Four Har-Tru clay tennis courts with overhead lighting, pickleball courts, basketball courts, a Junior Olympic swimming pool, an outdoor running track, a community park, a playground, and a dog park round out the amenities. A full-time activities director keeps the calendar full — aqua aerobics, studio cycling, golf conditioning, tennis socials, holiday parties, specialty dinners, and the well-attended Lake Jovita Women's Club. The community is gated with 24/7 security and is slated to include 875 homes at build-out. Inventory is a mix of resale single-family homes and new construction, with ICI Homes currently the featured builder offering custom Florida designs; past and preferred builders have included Arthur Rutenberg, DR Horton, Inland Homes, and Cross Vine Homes. Home sizes range roughly from 1,700 to over 8,000 square feet, on lots that include golf-front, lake-view, and wooded settings. Recent MLS data shows roughly 45 homes trading annually with an average sale price near $685K and sales spanning from the high $300Ks to $1.4M+, so there's genuine range for buyers. Importantly, Lake Jovita is NOT age-restricted — it's open to all ages — but its retirement-focused lifestyle, country club amenities, and quiet gated setting draw a heavy concentration of 55+ residents and snowbirds. Country club membership is optional and separate from HOA dues; seven membership tiers range from Social and Fitness through Tennis, Junior Golf, and Full Golf, so residents can dial in the amenities they actually use. Stay-and-Play villa rentals let prospective buyers sample the lifestyle before committing. For buyers who want rolling-hill golf, resort amenities, and proximity to Tampa without the density of coastal Pasco, Lake Jovita is one of the most distinctive communities in the region.