Wildcat Run

When Wildcat Run Golf & Country Club made its debut in 1984, some in Southwest Florida though it was way off the beaten path. The time was before Interstate 75 and years before Estero found itself at the epicenter of growth in the region.

Today as when it opened, Wildcat Run has room for 450 residences. With no further development possible, Wildcat Run offers itself as a truly close-knit community. Carol Jones, a local real estate agent and resident, points out how it is easy to get to know your neighbors.

Wildcat Run has always promoted its Arnold Palmer designed golf course as the crown jewel of its property. The neighborhood has seen the expansion of its clubhouse and other amenities — including an expansive fitness center — in recent years. The community offers golf and tennis, plus the fitness center.

A recent weekday afternoon brought the annual ladies invitational to Wildcat Run (the theme: Las Vegas, complete with a "wedding chapel"). The gentlemen were up later in the week with their own tournament.

As part of its history, Wildcat Run was purchased in 1986 by Vern Landey. By Jan. 1, 2003, the neighborhood was completely member-owned.

While considered a remote location in the 1980s, Wildcat Run today finds itself in a prime location: close to Southwest Florida International Airport, I-75 and Florida Gulf Coast University.

A drive-through of the community reveals homes on spacious lots (a few homes are under construction and a handful of privately-owned lots remain undeveloped) with golf course and lake views.

Wildcat Run is a gated community.

Community details: Here are details about Wildcat Run in Estero:

• Residences: 450 on 518 acres.

• Units: 292 single-family homes, 50 detached villas, 20 attached villas, 44 coach homes, 44 multi-family units, including single-family homes and condominums.

• Golf: An 18-hole Arnold Palmer-designed course. The 26,000-square-foot Clubhouse offers casual and formal dining, bar and grille, pro shop and private locker rooms. The tennis center features five Har-Tru lighted courts and USPTA tennis pro and pro shop.

There also is a fully equipped fitness center. The signature hole on this course is #18, a 526-yard, par 5, requiring a shot over water. The greens on the course are small and somewhat undulating. Additionally, the well-bunkered fairways are wide open. Water hazards come into play on sixteen holes.

• Current listings: According to real estate agent and Wildcat Run resident Carol Jones, prices range beginning at $375,000 for a condo and up to $1.4 million for a single-family home.

• How to find it: Wildcat Run is east of Interstate 75 off Corkscrew Road.