Forest Lakes is an established community in central Sarasota, a short drive from downtown and Siesta Key, sitting east and west of Beneva Road north of Bee Ridge Road. Construction started in the mid 1950s in what is known today as Old Forest Lakes and continued through the 1980s, growing around the golf course that operates today as The Palms Golf Club at Forest Lakes (FLCCE HOA and SarasotaOne community guides, 2026).
The Forest Lakes name covers several distinct sections. Old Forest Lakes is an intimate enclave of oversized lots with canopied streets and mature oaks. Forest Lakes Country Club Estates is a larger group of roughly 400 deed-restricted single-family homes, many built between the mid 1960s and the late 1980s, located north of Webber Street and primarily west of Beneva. Forest Lakes Village is an age-restricted condominium community with its own clubhouse and amenities. Each section has its own age, fee, and ownership picture.
Because much of the stock is mid-century to 1980s ranch-style housing, the money here is made or lost on the section, the parcel, and an honest read of an older home's roof, systems, and insurability, not the headline price. The golf course is operated independently as a public daily-fee club, so confirm whether any golf access or membership is tied to a specific home.
The pitch is central location plus established character: Forest Lakes puts downtown Sarasota, Siesta Key, St. Armands Circle, and the University Town Center area within a manageable drive, with the Legacy Trail and Detwiler's Farm Market nearby. The work is sorting the sections, confirming deed restrictions and any association dues, and reading condition and insurance before you fall for a price.
