The Forest Country Club in Fort Myers is one of Lee County's most established private golf communities — two championship courses, a genuine private club culture, and real estate that offers exceptional value relative to comparable Naples communities. It is not the most well-known community in SWFL, which is part of why the buyers who know it love it so much.
The Community That Fort Myers' Best-Kept Real Estate Secret
In the SWFL luxury real estate landscape, the communities that attract the most marketing attention are generally in Naples and Collier County — Port Royal, Pelican Bay, Grey Oaks, and the other names that appear in the glossy publications and the national luxury real estate media. The Forest Country Club, tucked into the established residential corridor of south Fort Myers, operates with virtually none of that visibility — and has been doing so, very successfully, since the late 1970s.
The buyers who end up at The Forest are almost always referred there — by current residents, by agents who know the Lee County luxury market well, or by buyers who have done serious research into private club living in Fort Myers and discovered what the community actually offers relative to its price point. Once people see it, they understand immediately why the residents who live there tend to stay.
The Golf: Two Courses, One of the Best Private Club Experiences in Lee County
The Bear Course and The Bobcat Course
The Forest Country Club is built around two championship golf courses — The Bear Course and The Bobcat Course — each with its own character and strategic demands. The Bear Course is the more challenging of the two, with a layout that incorporates the community's natural features — the lakes, the mature trees, and the elevation changes that are relatively unusual in flat Southwest Florida — into a course that rewards both shot-making and course management.
The Bobcat Course offers a somewhat more accessible experience while maintaining the conditioning standards and strategic interest that private club members expect. Having two courses within the community means genuine variety in the daily golf experience and flexibility in scheduling — tee time availability at The Forest is consistently better than at many comparable communities with a single course.
The Club Culture
The Forest has a club culture that is genuinely private in character — serious about golf, active in its social programming, and built around a membership that has been accumulating over four decades of community life. The long tenure of many members creates social bonds and community traditions that newer communities simply cannot replicate. Events like the annual member-guest tournament, the couples golf programs, and the social calendar built around the two courses are the fabric of community life for members who take full advantage of them.
The Amenity Package Beyond Golf
While golf is the defining feature of The Forest, the broader amenity package reflects the community's commitment to lifestyle quality:
- The clubhouse: a well-appointed facility with formal and casual dining, bar facilities, and event spaces that serve as the community's social hub during season
- Tennis and pickleball: courts with professional instruction and an active competitive program among members
- Fitness center: well-equipped and well-maintained, with group fitness programming during season
- The pool complex: a comfortable outdoor gathering space that sees significant use during season's cooler months and during the summer for the year-round resident community
- Social programming: a full season calendar of member events — themed dinners, holiday celebrations, charity events — that give The Forest its community character
The Real Estate: What Ownership at The Forest Looks Like
Product Types and Price Ranges
The Forest offers a range of product types across its established neighborhoods:
- Attached villas and coach homes: the entry point into the community, offering a low-maintenance lifestyle with full club access at prices typically ranging from $350,000 to $550,000
- Single-family homes on interior lots: homes on non-water lots throughout the community, ranging from approximately $500,000 to $900,000 depending on size, condition, and view
- Single-family homes on lake and golf course lots: the premium product in the community, with homes overlooking The Bear or Bobcat courses or the community's lakes, ranging from approximately $700,000 to $1.5M for the most significant properties
The Value Proposition
The Forest Country Club's most compelling attribute from a real estate perspective is value. A private club community in Fort Myers with two championship courses, a full country club amenity package, and the established character of a community that has been developing for 45 years — at price points that are 30 to 50 percent below comparable-quality communities in Naples — is a genuinely difficult combination to find anywhere in SWFL.
For buyers who care about the golf, the club experience, and the community character — and who are not specifically committed to the Naples address — The Forest consistently delivers more per dollar than its Collier County counterparts. Fort Myers' own quality of life, its airport proximity, and its improving dining and cultural infrastructure make the location trade-off easier than it might have been a decade ago.
The Location
The Forest sits in south Fort Myers near the intersection of Daniels Parkway and Six Mile Cypress Parkway — a location that provides excellent access to RSW Airport (approximately 15 minutes), the beaches of Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel (approximately 20 to 25 minutes), the Gulf Harbour area, and the growing dining and retail corridor of the Daniels Parkway community. The location is convenient without being urban — the community's tree-lined streets and mature landscaping create a genuinely park-like setting that is distinct from the more exposed feel of newer communities on the suburban perimeter.
And here is something worth knowing before you buy: my Buyer Protection Guarantee means that if you purchase with me and decide within 24 months that the home is not the right fit, I will list and sell it for just 1% commission — no reason required. Real protection for a real commitment. Learn more at theabreugroup.com/buyer.
Ready to make your move in Southwest Florida? Let's talk.
Whether you're buying, selling, managing an estate, navigating a divorce, or just want a straight read on the market — I'm here.
Call or text: 727.638.1704
Email: [email protected]
Or reach out at theabreugroup.com
— Daniel
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is The Forest Country Club a bundled or equity golf community?
The Forest Country Club operates on an equity membership model — the golf membership is a separate purchase from the real estate and represents a distinct asset with its own value. Membership fees, the equity deposit, and ongoing dues are separate from the community HOA fees. The equity structure means members have a financial stake in the club's governance and long-term quality — a different relationship than bundled communities where the golf is simply included in the monthly fee.
Q: How does The Forest compare to Verandah or Colonial Country Club in Fort Myers?
All three are established private golf communities in Fort Myers at similar price points. The Forest's two-course structure gives it a practical golf variety advantage. Verandah offers a more natural, nature-oriented setting along the Orange River with kayaking and outdoor amenity focus alongside its two courses. Colonial Country Club has a strong traditional club culture and a single championship course with an active competitive golf program. The right community depends on whether the buyer prioritizes course variety, natural setting, or a specific club culture.
Q: What are the total monthly costs at The Forest?
Total monthly carrying costs at The Forest include the community HOA fee, club membership dues, and any applicable food and beverage minimums. For an active member, total fees typically run $1,200 to $2,000 per month depending on membership category — meaningfully more accessible than comparable Naples communities where total fees can run $3,000 to $5,000 per month. This affordability is one of the community's most underappreciated attributes.
Q: Is The Forest Country Club accepting new members?
Membership availability varies with current demand and member attrition. Unlike some of SWFL's most exclusive communities where waitlists are significant, The Forest has generally maintained accessible membership availability for qualified buyers. Verifying current membership status as part of the purchase process is always the right step, and I include this verification for every buyer considering a golf community purchase.
