How WCI Built Pelican Sound Around a Bundled Club

WCI Communities planned Pelican Sound so that every one of its 1,299 homes would carry a golf and river club membership. Builder magazine’s case study on the project reports that the membership was bundled into the purchase price and paid through the mortgage, with no initiation fee at the time, and that the last home in the 547-acre community sold at the beginning of 2003, three years ahead of schedule (Builder magazine, “Sound Strategies”). Original prices ran from the low $120,000s to about $450,000, and the first amenity package was an 18,000-square-foot clubhouse and a 6,000-square-foot River Club with a riverfront fitness center, pool and canoe launch (Builder magazine, “Sound Strategies”). That sell-out date lines up with the club’s own timeline, which shows members electing a new board and taking over management in January 2003 (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club, Oct 2026).

Pelican Sound Neighborhoods and Their Associations

The club’s 2026 fact sheet lists the neighborhood associations by management company, which is the clearest map of how the community is divided: Torrey Pines; Edgewater I through IV; Seaside I through III; Hammock Greens I through IV; Pinehurst; Gleneagles; Island Sound I and II; Masters; Oak Run; Palmetto Dunes; Southern Hills; and Turnberry I and II (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club 2026 Fact Sheet). Those associations are handled by several different firms, including Cambridge Management, Compass Rose, KPG Accounting, Sandcastle PMB and Frankly Coastal, while Pinehurst is run by its own board (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club 2026 Fact Sheet). Before closing, a buyer must submit an Application for Approval to Purchase to the neighborhood association at least 20 business days ahead (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club Real Estate Q&A, Oct 2026).

On the single-family side, Pinehurst is described as 81 estate-sized homes of about 2,100 to 3,100 square feet, some with two-and-a-half or three-car garages, and Torrey Pines homes run about 1,700 to 2,000 square feet (Naples Condo Boutique, 2026). The condo neighborhoods, such as Turnberry, Hammock Greens and Island Sound, are in two-story and four-story buildings, and the four-story buildings have elevators (Naples Condo Boutique, Aug 2026). Island Sound units on the market have run about 1,207 to 1,670 square feet, with a June 2026 median list price of $398,000 across eight active listings (Naples Condo Boutique, Jun 2026).

What It Costs to Own: Two Current Examples

The master assessment is only part of the bill, because each home also pays its own association. Two October 2026 listings show how the totals stack up:

Both totals include the $11,495 master assessment (SWFLA MLS listings 226023115 and 226011161, Oct 2026). Plugging a figure like $18,000 a year (about $1,500 a month) into the SWFL mortgage calculator gives a more realistic monthly payment than principal and interest alone. The River Ridge CDD assessment is billed separately on the property tax bill as a non-ad valorem assessment (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club Q&A, Oct 2026).

Club Fees Paid at Closing

Buyers pay the club either the $20,300 initiation fee (first-time Pelican Sound owners) or the $11,495 resale capital fee (people who own or have owned in Pelican Sound), not both, plus a $299 estoppel fee and any unpaid portion of the annual assessment (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club 2026 Fact Sheet and Real Estate Q&A). The resale payment goes into a Capital Resale Reserve that pays for new projects, and the club says new capital projects move forward only when that reserve has enough money (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club Q&A, Oct 2026). Sellers settle any open charges on their member account at closing, which is worth building into your plan; our guide on how to sell a house in Estero covers the rest of the closing costs.

How the Club Is Governed

A general manager and COO runs daily operations and reports to a nine-member board whose directors serve three-year terms, with three seats filled each year through Neighborhood Voting Representatives (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club Q&A, Oct 2026). The budget is built each spring, reviewed by the Finance Committee and board in the fall, and approved or rejected by the NVRs; if it is rejected, the prior year’s budget stays in place (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club Q&A, Oct 2026). The annual assessment covers amenities, property management (including cable and fiber internet, security and common-area landscaping) and a replacement reserve funded from an independent annual reserve study. The club reports roughly 450 of its 1,299 homes are occupied year-round, and there is currently no food and beverage minimum (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club Q&A, Oct 2026).

Golf Costs Beyond the Assessment

Golf is included in the assessment, unlike Grandezza, where golf is a separate membership level, but carts are not included. For 2026, member cart fees are $29.35 for 18 holes and $19.30 for nine, an annual private cart trail fee is $2,272, and an annual cart lease is $2,880 (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club 2026 Fact Sheet). The three nines rotate daily into 18-hole pairings, with tees ranging from 3,909 to 6,893 yards, and members and lessees can book tee times 10 days ahead (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club, Oct 2026).

Leasing Rules at Pelican Sound

Pelican Sound allows leasing, but the minimum term is 30 days and a few associations require at least 60 days (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club Q&A, Oct 2026). Lessees must be at least 25, the lease application is due 20 business days before the start date, and the 2026 fees are $260 for the lease application ($310 in Island Sound 2) and $465 to transfer amenities (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club 2026 Fact Sheet). While a home is leased, the owner gives up amenity privileges except dining and stays responsible for the tenant’s club charges. The 30-day floor rules out nightly rentals of the kind covered in our Estero short-term rental guide, so owners who rent here usually aim for seasonal tenants or use long-term rental management. In season, lessees pay $79 for 18 holes from January 1 to April 15 (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club 2026 Fact Sheet).

Houseguests, Family and Boat Storage Fees

Membership covers the owner, spouse and unmarried dependent children 24 or under. Owners may register up to six unaccompanied houseguest stays per year, each up to two weeks, but Island Sound 1, Island Sound 2 and Turnberry 1 are limited to two per year (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club 2026 Fact Sheet). Each registration costs $100. Boat storage is $625 a year or $80 a month, kayak or canoe storage is $155 a year, and the boatyard has 11 parking spots for trailers and tow vehicles (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club, Oct 2026). The club describes its shuttle boat as a two-hour round trip toward Lovers Key State Park “without disembarking” (Pelican Sound Golf & River Club Boating, Oct 2026).