Preserve Golf Club ups its game with new greens, restaurant, fitness studio

Liz Gabrick has lived and played golf in the Tara community for six years.

Between the two par 72 golf courses, The Preserve resident said she believes the layout of the course at The Preserve Golf Club is more challenging than the course at the Tara Golf & Country Club, but the latter is in far better shape.

There’s a good reason for that — the Tara Golf & Country Club is a private course with membership dues flowing in each month. The Preserve Golf Club is a public course that's been family-owned since 2020.

However, owner and operator Krishna Persaud has taken some major steps over the past year to upgrade the facilities. The club hosted a soft re-opening on Nov. 22 to show Preserve residents and the public the progress that's been made. 

The golf cart fleet was replaced in March. Napar Restaurant opened in the clubhouse in May. Over $500,000 has been put into course renovations since June. And AsFit, a fitness studio, opened in the clubhouse in September. 

“This is the first time the greens have been completely redone since the course was first built (in 2000),” Persaud said. “The Preserve is a community that takes pride in its presentation, so I want residents to know that I have the same pride, and I’m trying to get the golf course up to that level.”

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

The greens were completely ripped up and sprigged (planting shredded pieces of grass with roots and stems), which Persaud said results in a better product than sod. Sprigs of grass are planted and then heavily watered and fertilized to spread across the entire area.

The bridges on the cart paths were falling apart so the wooden planks were replaced with steel plates, and overgrown vegetation was cut down to improve visibility on the course.

Gabrick played at The Preserve Nov. 4 with her ladies league in its season opener. She noted “significant maintenance improvements” that made the play much more enjoyable over last year. 

Gabrick only plays country club courses over the summer when they open up to leagues and the prices drop. She loves the affordability of the Preserve, but the poor condition of the course was starting to outweigh the rates. 

“My game doesn’t warrant me to spend $120 a round,” she said. “This is the biggest step (Persaud) has taken to improve the course in the past five years.” 

Currently, rates range from $23.36 for a tee time after 3 p.m. to $54.99 for a tee time before noon. Persaud said the improvements will force the price to rise, but he’s holding back on pricing adjustments until he sees the final results of the sprigging. 

Persaud estimated that a morning round could cost anywhere between $60 and $80 once the greens are fully established. 

“We try to keep the price balanced to where the condition of the course is,” Persaud said. “Golf has become a sport where people think it only caters to the wealthy. We have to make it affordable to attract younger people, as well.”

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

The new restaurant, Napar, is attracting more people to the clubhouse. While the cuisine is Thai, a golfer’s menu is offered up until 4 p.m., which includes basic menu items like a cheeseburger and fries.

Gabrick already has become a regular. 

“It’s the real deal,” she said. “The service is impeccable, and the food is good.” 

The restaurant is independently operated by Chef Tony Supharat, and like the golf course, is open to the public. Supharat also owns Star Thai and Sushi on Siesta Key. 

The menu offers sushi, sashimi, soups and salads. And if golfers want to forgo the burger or grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, they can order a bento box of Thai goodies to go. 

Another new addition to the club is AsFit, a fitness studio that offers group and individual fitness classes, along with red light and salt therapy sessions. 

Owner Jennifer Ritter also runs a four-week golf fitness program that was designed to improve any golfer’s strength, agility, swing and putting skills.

Joe DiBartolomeo, chairman of The Preserve at Tara Community Development District, is pleased with the progress being made at the club. 

“It’s headed in the right direction, which is going to sustain or increase our property values and offer another good course for play,” he said.