Esplanade vs. Esplanade at Azario: Same Brand, Two Very Different Communities

Type “Esplanade Lakewood Ranch” into a real estate portal and you may see listings from two different communities on the same results page.

Both were developed by Taylor Morrison. Both offer golf and resort-style amenities. Both have names similar enough to confuse a buyer scrolling through listings late at night.

But they are separate communities with different locations, stages of development, home choices, amenity layouts and fee structures. And despite what the names suggest, they are not interchangeable.

Location Matters

Esplanade Golf & Country Club at Lakewood Ranch is located off State Road 70, west of Esplanade at Azario. It is closer to Interstate 75 and the University Town Center corridor.

Esplanade at Azario is farther east, near Lorraine Road and 44th Avenue East, in the northeastern portion of Lakewood Ranch. It is not closer to UTC—and I would not describe it as being closer to Waterside Place either. Azario’s location may appeal to buyers who like the newer, expanding eastern side of Lakewood Ranch, while the original Esplanade offers more convenient access to I-75, UTC and many established areas of Lakewood Ranch.

Location alone can affect how residents shop, dine, commute and spend their free time, so buyers should look beyond the community name and pull up the actual address.

Established Community vs. Newer Construction

Esplanade Golf & Country Club is a completed, established community of approximately 1,250 homes. Its landscaping has matured, its amenities are fully developed and all of the original builder inventory has sold.

Esplanade at Azario is the newer of the two communities and is still offering new-construction opportunities. It is planned for approximately 1,500 residences at completion, with a mix of single-family homes, villas and newer cottage-style offerings.

That difference matters. In the original Esplanade, buyers are purchasing resale homes in an established environment. At Azario, buyers may be comparing resale properties with builder inventory, incentives and newer floor plans.

Neither option is automatically better. Some buyers want mature landscaping and an established social community. Others prefer newer construction, current design choices and the opportunity to be part of a community that is still growing.

How Golf Membership Actually Works

Both communities contain golf-deeded and non-golf-deeded properties. Golf membership is connected to the specific property being purchased—it is not something a buyer should assume is included simply because the home is located inside an Esplanade community.

At Esplanade Golf & Country Club, 821 of the community’s 1,250 lots are deeded for golf membership and receive priority golf privileges funded through an annual golf assessment. The remaining homes carry a different membership structure without the same golf privileges.

Esplanade at Azario also includes both golf-deeded and non-golf-deeded homes. A golf membership conveys with a designated golf-deeded property and generally cannot be added separately to a non-golf home merely because the buyer decides later that they want full membership.

That makes the deed designation—and the associated fees—an essential part of comparing individual properties in either community.

Buyers should confirm:

• Whether the specific property is golf-deeded or non-golf-deeded
• What membership privileges convey with the property
• The current HOA, club and golf assessments
• Cart fees, guest fees and tee-time policies
• Any food-and-beverage minimums
• The current resale and capital-contribution charges

The phrase “bundled golf community” is helpful, but it does not tell you everything you need to know about a particular home.

The Amenity Difference

Esplanade Golf & Country Club has had years to develop its resort lifestyle. The completed community includes two distinct amenity campuses, three resort pools, two fitness centers, a salon and spa, eight pickleball courts, six tennis courts, and several indoor and outdoor dining venues. Each amenity campus has its own clubhouse, pool, hot tub, fitness facilities and sports courts.

That two-campus design is a meaningful advantage for some residents. Activities are distributed across the community rather than concentrated in one central building.

Esplanade Golf & Country Club has had years also to develop its resort lifestyle—and it continues to reinvest in the resident experience. The community recently completed renovations to its clubhouse bar and updated its popular poolside Tiki Bar

Esplanade at Azario offers its own extensive collection of resort-style amenities, including an 18-hole golf course, fitness and wellness facilities, tennis, pickleball, bocce, a resort pool, spa services and an operating poolside Bahama Bar. The community also promotes its Culinary Center as part of its completed and planned lifestyle amenities.

Because Azario continues to develop, buyers should distinguish between amenities that are currently operating and anything shown as part of future plans. An older golf-course review complaining that Azario had no clubhouse bar should not be treated as a description of the community today—the Bahama Bar is open and operating.

Home Choices and Resale Competition

Esplanade Golf & Country Club offers an established mix of single-family homes, villas and condominiums. Its condominium and smaller attached-home inventory may appeal to seasonal residents or buyers seeking a lock-and-leave lifestyle.

Azario offers newer single-family homes and villas, along with newer cottage-style products. Buyers may find more contemporary layouts, finishes and energy-efficiency features, but resale sellers can face direct competition from the builder while new homes remain available.

That competition deserves attention. A builder may offer financing incentives, closing-cost assistance or design packages that an individual resale seller cannot duplicate. On the other hand, a resale home may already include a pool, window treatments, lighting, landscaping and other improvements that substantially reduce the buyer’s true move-in cost.

The list price is only the beginning of the comparison.

What About Rentals?

Rental restrictions, lease terms and the transfer of membership privileges should be confirmed through the current governing documents for the specific property.

Buyers should not rely on a general statement that a home can be rented four times per year, that every lease has a one-month minimum or that all golf privileges automatically transfer to a tenant. Rules may depend on the association, property type, membership designation and current club policies.

The Questions Buyers Should Ask

Before comparing two listings, ask:

• Which Esplanade community is the property actually in?
• Is the home golf-deeded or non-golf-deeded?
• What HOA, club, golf and CDD charges apply to that specific property?
• Is the home competing with new construction?
• Which amenities are operating today?
• What fees are due at closing?
• What are the current rental restrictions?
• Does the location fit the places the buyer will visit regularly?

Those answers will tell you far more than price per square foot.

Which Esplanade Is Better?

There is no universal answer.

Esplanade Golf & Country Club may be the better fit for someone who wants a completed community, mature landscaping, two amenity campuses, established social programming and easier access to I-75 and UTC.

Esplanade at Azario may appeal to someone who wants newer construction, newer floor plans and the energy of a community that is still developing on the eastern side of Lakewood Ranch.

The right choice depends on how you want to live, whether golf is important, how much construction you are comfortable with and what you want your total financial commitment to look like.

If you are trying to determine which Esplanade fits the life you are planning to live, Theresa DiNapoli can help you compare current inventory, golf-deed status, HOA and CDD obligations, builder incentives and the lifestyle differences you will not see in a portal search.

Because the prettiest house is not always the right house—and the same community name does not mean the same experience.