citrus Farms, Florida – Cabot Citrus Farms has unveiled Karoo, a new golf course designed by Ran Morrissett that is already being hailed as the boldest statement in Florida golf. The course, opening alongside The Roost and short courses The Squeeze and The Wedge, deliberately departs from the minimalist trends prevalent in modern golf design, opting rather for a maximalist approach emphasizing scale, movement, and strategic choices.
Franz, the course’s designer, aimed to create something distinct from his mentors’ work, telling GOLF.com, “I wanted to build something really fun.” This intention is immediately apparent with Karoo’s opening hole – a 475-yard par-4 featuring a fairway dissected by bunkers and demanding precise angle play.
Karoo’s design philosophy centers around ”optionality,” offering players multiple routes to the green. The par-3 3rd, for example, can play from 125 to 292 yards, while the par-5 4th presents a risk-reward shortcut over sand. The par-5 6th tumbles over undulating ground to a shared double green, challenging golfers with dramatic contours.
despite its challenging layout, Karoo is designed to be forgiving, minimizing penalty strokes and focusing rather on strategic decision-making.”it’s hard to lose a golf ball,” the course description notes, “The challenge lies in finding the best route forward.”
Karoo’s bold design serves as a counterpoint to the more tranquil Roost course at Citrus Farms, which weaves through creeks, lakes, and mature trees. together with The squeeze and The Wedge,the four courses create a diverse golfing experience,establishing cabot Citrus Farms as a thorough destination. the course is described as a “maximalist design in a minimalist age,” echoing the spirit of the Karoo bird for which it is indeed named.
