NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE · SOUTH FORT MYERS · UPDATED OCTOBER 2026

What is it like to live in The Forest Country Club?

By AJ & Courtney Ackerman, LPT Realty

The Forest is a gated golf community in south Fort Myers, off US 41 between Gladiolus Drive and Alico Road. It opened in 1979 and has about 780 residences set among roughly 620 acres of nature preserve. Its private, member-owned club has two 18-hole Gordon Lewis courses and a 40,000-square-foot clubhouse renovated in 2018–19. Membership is optional because the community is non-bundled.

What homes sold for here (October 2025 – September 2026)

• 45 homes sold at a median price of $375,000.

• Prices ranged from $145,000 to $1.25 million.

• Median price per square foot: $176. Median days on market: 77.

Closed sales of all home types (single-family, villas, townhomes and condos) in The Forest development, October 2025 – September 2026. Source: Florida Gulf Coast MLS (FGCMLS); data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. A community-wide median mixes very different homes, so use it to get your bearings, not to price a specific home.

Living here

• Off US 41 (Tamiami Trail) between Gladiolus Drive and Alico Road; the clubhouse is at 6100 Club Blvd SW, Fort Myers 33908.

• Gated, with a staffed gate.

• About 780 residences set among roughly 620 acres of nature preserve.

• One of Lee County’s more established golf communities: the first course opened in 1979 and the second in 1980.

Golf and club

• Bear course: about 7,000 yards, newly reimagined, and a past host of U.S. Open qualifiers and Florida State Golf Association events.

• Bobcat course: about 6,600 yards, par 72, renovated in 2015.

• Membership: private, member-owned and optional (non-bundled), with resident and non-resident memberships.

• Clubhouse: about 40,000 sq ft, renovated in 2018–19, with dining rooms, the Cypress Grill Room and the Gumbo Limbo tiki bar.

• Sports: Har-Tru tennis (some courts lighted), pickleball, lighted bocce and a fitness center with classes.

Home types and fees

• Villas, condos and single-family homes.

• Club initiation and dues are separate from community fees and change often, so we confirm the current figures with the club for you.

• Fees: HOA and other community fees vary by neighborhood and change over time, so we don’t list them here. We pull the current fees, and any club costs, for every home you’re serious about.

Things to know before you buy

• Because membership is optional, you can live here without joining. If you plan to golf, ask about initiation, dues, food minimums and capital assessments up front.

• Much of the housing dates to the 1980s and 1990s, so roofs, windows, air conditioning and insurance all matter. Ask for the 4-point and wind-mitigation reports.