Current Status

As of May 2026

In 1999, Sarasota County duly recorded into the public record that:

1. ALL development rights upon the Tatum Ridge Golf Links land (206 acres) had been swept off the land, sold and clustered onto the 130 acre parcel that would become The Legends neighborhood. This left the golf land with no development possibilities.

2. A Special Exception was granted into perpetuity allowing any owner of the golf land the right to conduct a golf business. No other business may be operated on the land; the only other possible use is as Open Space.

In 2000, the golf land was sold to a developer group which has since submitted three different applications to build upon the property despite the significant encumbrances listed above.

In 2025, stayTRU was founded, in part, to protect the golf land from any development.

As of May 2026: two applications have been denied by the County and the third is pending County review. It's possible that the developer group may sue the County to overturn one of the denied applications. stayTRU has several active initiatives intended to prevent any development of the golf land including:

• Outreach and Membership Growth: with numbers comes strength. Representing more than 1,000 registered voters, stayTRU has quickly become a recognized voice and is working to attract more area voters through education, legacy and social media, direct mailings, workshops, etc.

• Political Activism: stayTRU will support political candidates that support a) Return to Home Rule; b) Smart Growth; c) Natural Resource Preservation; d) Budgetary Conservatism.

• Land Use: a stayTRU Committee led by Racimo Ranches resident Jack Meyers (johnp1702@yahoo.com) is working to protect the western side of the golf land from unfair development.

• Legal: in partnership with Tampa law firm Johnson-Pope, stayTRU has developed a sound legal argument against any development and will continue to hone that argument as the situation evolves. Should the developer sue the County, stayTRU will be an interested party.

• End Game Visioning: stayTRU is constantly asking: What's the best use of the land that a) ensures no development; b) preserves the natural beauty of the land; c) is permanent.  And how do we manifest that vision? There are several viable options.

A group of StayTRU members rallied on April 16, 2026, to discuss their concerns about development of the Tatum Ridge Golf Links. The county commission blocked the owner from developing the property under Live Local Act, but organizers still fear plans could progress. | Photo by Derek Gilliam, Suncoast Searchlight

In 2025, the golf land owner submitted an application under Florida's Live Local Act to build 2,250 apartments on the golf land. This rendering shows the massive concept on land that has no development rights.

The Stay Tatum Ridge United group packed the Sarasota County Commission chambers on May 20, 2025, as elected leaders shot down a growth plan amendment that could have allowed a golf course in their neighborhood to be turned into 400 single-family homes. | Courtesy StayTRU