Sawgrass Grove opened in 2022 in Sumter County in the southern area of The Villages. It is the most modern and least themed of the five town squares — no specific architectural period or regional style, contemporary design throughout. Clifton Cove Putting Course is adjacent to the square, and the Ezell Recreation Center opened nearby around 2024. Surrounding neighborhoods carry High to Very high bond tiers, reflecting newer construction.
Sawgrass Grove opened in 2022 as the fourth town square in The Villages, and the first in the southern area. Unlike the three older squares, it has no specific architectural theme — no Spanish colonial, no Key West waterfront, no Western ranch. The design is contemporary and clean. Clifton Cove Putting Course sits adjacent to the square, walkable from the plaza. The Ezell Recreation Center, a golf-themed regional facility, opened nearby around 2024.
The surrounding southern-area neighborhoods — Fenney, Monarch Grove, Liberty Park, and others being developed nearby — carry High to Very high bond tiers. These villages are among the newest in The Villages, meaning CDD infrastructure bonds are at or near their original balance. For buyers attracted to new construction and modern floor plans, that trade-off is expected. For buyers primarily focused on minimizing annual carrying costs, the northern and central areas carry lower bond tiers. The county tax rate is Sumter for all southern-area neighborhoods — the same as central — so the cost difference between south and central comes entirely from the bond.
Entertainment programming at Sawgrass Grove is still maturing. The square is newer and has fewer years of established acts and dining compared to Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing, and Brownwood Paddock Square. That gap is closing as the southern area develops, but buyers considering homes near Sawgrass Grove today are buying into a square whose full lineup is still taking shape. As with all five squares, homes within roughly a quarter-mile can hear music and see stage lighting on entertainment nights (generally 5–9 PM).
Sawgrass Grove (2022) is the fourth of The Villages' five town squares and the first in the southern area. Spanish Springs (1995) is the oldest, in Lake County in the northern area with the lowest surrounding bond costs. Lake Sumter Landing (2004) and Brownwood Paddock Square (2012) are both in Sumter County in the central area — established squares with full dining and entertainment ecosystems. Sawgrass Grove and Eastport (2025) are the two southern-area squares, both in Sumter County with surrounding neighborhoods that carry High to Very high bond tiers. The main difference between Sawgrass Grove and Eastport is age and scale: Sawgrass Grove has three years of operation and an established putting course; Eastport is newer and significantly larger, built around a 250-acre lake with a recreation center and executive golf course on-site. Sawgrass Grove is the more modern and less themed of the two; Eastport is European-inspired.
Sawgrass Grove is in Sumter County in the southern area of The Villages, south of SR 44. It is the fourth of the five town squares, opened in 2022, and the first town square built in the southern area.
Sawgrass Grove opened in 2022. It is the second-newest of The Villages' five town squares — Eastport, which opened in 2025, is the newest.
The closest villages include Fenney, Monarch Grove, and Liberty Park. These are southern-area neighborhoods in Sumter County with High to Very high bond tiers, reflecting their newer construction. Additional villages are being developed in the surrounding area.
Sawgrass Grove is the most modern and least themed of the five. Spanish Springs has Spanish colonial architecture; Lake Sumter Landing is waterfront Key West-inspired; Brownwood Paddock Square is country and Western horse-themed; Eastport is European-inspired. Sawgrass Grove has a contemporary design with no specific period or regional theme. Clifton Cove Putting Course is adjacent, and the Ezell Recreation Center is nearby.
It depends on what you're optimizing for. Sawgrass Grove is surrounded by some of the newest Villages construction, with modern floor plans and developer-new homes available. The trade-off is that surrounding neighborhoods carry High to Very high bond tiers — among the highest annual bond costs in The Villages. Buyers who want new construction and can absorb that carrying cost will find the southern area near Sawgrass Grove a reasonable fit. Buyers prioritizing lower annual costs should compare against central-area neighborhoods near Brownwood or Lake Sumter Landing.
I can show you which neighborhoods have the best access to this square, and help you understand the full cost picture before you fall in love with a home.