Bonita Bay is an absolutely gorgeous planned community of about 2400 acres. Bonita Bay Group is the Master Developer and they are, in my book, the Best. Bonita Bay is made up of many different community types … from older style condos of maybe 15 years old with entry prices of $150,000 to major estate homes with ‘no upper cap’ … meaning the sky is the limit.

Bonita Bay is a very mature landscaped area which everyone loves when they drive in. The landscape is so full that one is really not aware there is a residential association behind the vegetation. The community is security gate controlled and has about 12 - 15 miles of exercise trails and bicycle pathways, not including the golf cart paths. It is really unusual when you see someone riding a bike or jogging in the streets. Most everyone uses the trail system.

Bonita Bay as an Equity type country club requiring Application and Initiation Fee, regardless of the membership level. Not everyone is a member and it is not required. Bonita Bay is only master planned community in the US to have five (5) golf courses all being Audubon approved. Three courses are within the gates. Several years ago, the developer, sensing membership interest in additional courses, purchased 1400 acres about 20 minutes away … 4 miles east of I-75 on Immakolee Road … and developed the 2 additional courses. There will be no residential development on the eastern site. It will be only for the 2 courses and pristine preserves.

The cost of golf memberships in the Naples / Bonita market can be expensive by anyone’s standards. The key to understanding how the system works in our market is to understand that (1) there will be a refund upon resignation … and further (2) knowing what to expect as to the time required at the back side to getting your initiation refund back. This is critical. Currently (May 2004), Bonita Bay’s initiation for a full golf membership is $130,000 (for 5 golf courses). Refund is 100% of what you paid in … and within 30 days of resignation. The key points here are … 100% and within 30 days.

Aside from the golf club, which includes swimming, tennis and dining memberships, there is also a Yacht Club with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, a really nice casual restaurant open to all Bonita Bay Residents called Backwater Jacks. There is also a beach access area which is deeded to Bonita Bay. There are costs associated with all these which are most reasonable. The beach access is an automatic for all owners as the annual fees are included in the master association expense. To more fully explain, ‘club’ membership is not a prerequisite to beach access; all owners have equal access to the beach. The community provides a bus-tram system to ferry people to and from the beach so that you are not having to cart people back and forth on your own, which of course would take you away from doing your own thing.

Other Bonita Bay Group master planned communities would be The Brooks, Mediterra, Twin Eagles and Verandah. Each is different from the others.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 14th, 2005 at 11:39 am and is filed under Naples Real Estate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You may also create a track back from your own site.