By Scout Eveleth,
Licensed Florida Realtor (FL License # BK3491000)
The Village of Winifred is named for Winifred Palmer — Arnold Palmer's first wife — and Arnold Palmer Legends Country Club, which Palmer himself designed, is directly adjacent to the village. No other village in The Villages has this kind of direct famous-name connection to an immediately neighboring course. Built in 2004 in Sumter County (ZIP 32162), Winifred is gated with 24-hour security — one of the few gated villages in The Villages, where most neighborhoods are open golf-cart communities. Lake Sumter Landing Market Square is approximately 4 minutes by cart, making Winifred one of the closest residential positions in The Villages to that square. Home types range from Patio Villas through Premier Homes. Bond assessments are in the Low tier — roughly $426 to $708 per year depending on unit under District 5's Series 2013A schedules, with balances scheduled to reach zero in 2033. Verify the exact balance by address for any specific home.
Individually verified. The county, ZIP, and tax figures on this page are checked against county records, and the bond status is checked against district bond records at districtgov.org. See the lookup tools Scout uses →
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Arnold Palmer Legends Country Club sits directly adjacent to Winifred — a 27-hole championship course that Palmer designed himself, stretching 7,180 yards with panoramic views across Lake Sumter and the Miona Prairie Preserve. The course's restaurant has outdoor seating and wall-to-wall windows overlooking the fairways. The village's name is not incidental: Winifred Palmer, Arnold Palmer's first wife, is the namesake, and the adjacency is deliberate. Buyers who care about provenance — and there are plenty in a 55+ golf community — will find that this story does not exist anywhere else in The Villages. The gated status adds a second layer of distinction: Winifred has 24-hour security at its entrance, which is uncommon in a community where most villages are open to through golf cart traffic. The Winifred Pool is within walking distance — an adult-only (30+) facility with bocce, shuffleboard, and horseshoes, which provides the village-level social dimension without requiring a cart.
Lake Sumter Landing Market Square is approximately 4 minutes by golf cart — multiple sources describe Winifred as the second closest neighborhood in The Villages to the square. Lake Sumter Landing's waterfront dining, boat dock on Lake Sumter, Coastal/Key West character, and free nightly entertainment are accessible on any evening without planning ahead. Spanish Springs Town Square is approximately 7 minutes; Brownwood Paddock Square is approximately 10 minutes — three different town square experiences within a short cart ride from the same neighborhood. Bridgeport Recreation Center is about 1 mile away with tennis, a family pool, and billiards. Lake Miona Regional Recreation Center adds pickleball, shuffleboard, and bocce to the corridor's recreation options. Laurel Manor Regional Recreation Center is also nearby. The cost picture: bond assessments are in the Low tier under District 5's Series 2013A schedules — about $671 per year in Unit 70 and $708 in Unit 71, with the Latrobe Villas section lower at about $426 — and balances are scheduled to reach zero in 2033. Always verify the exact remaining balance and annual assessment in writing for any specific home before making an offer.
Winifred is in the Central Area of The Villages, in Sumter County, ZIP 32162. It sits in the Lake Sumter corridor adjacent to Arnold Palmer Legends Country Club, approximately 4 minutes by golf cart from Lake Sumter Landing Market Square — one of the closest residential positions to that square in The Villages. Spanish Springs Town Square is approximately 7 minutes and Brownwood Paddock Square approximately 10 minutes by cart.
Homes in Winifred were built in 2004. Bond assessments are in the Low tier — roughly $426 to $708 per year depending on unit, scheduled to reach zero in 2033. Verify the exact remaining balance in writing for any specific home before making an offer.
Winifred has Patio Villas, Cottage Homes, Designer Homes, and Premier Homes — a full range from smaller Patio Villas through larger Premier Home floor plans in the same village.
Lake Sumter Landing is the closest — approximately 4 minutes by golf cart. Multiple sources describe Winifred as the second closest neighborhood in The Villages to Lake Sumter Landing. Spanish Springs Town Square is approximately 7 minutes by cart; Brownwood Paddock Square is approximately 10 minutes. All three offer free nightly live entertainment.
Arnold Palmer Legends Country Club is directly adjacent — a 27-hole championship course designed by Arnold Palmer, stretching 7,180 yards with panoramic views of Lake Sumter and the Miona Prairie Preserve. The course has an on-site restaurant with outdoor seating and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the fairways. This is the defining golf asset for Winifred.
The village is named for Winifred Palmer — Arnold Palmer's first wife. Arnold Palmer Legends Country Club, which Palmer himself designed, is directly adjacent to the village. The naming is not a coincidence: the village and the course share the Palmer name because of this direct relationship. No other village in The Villages has this kind of provenance — a famous name tied to both the neighborhood's name and an immediately adjacent course that person is connected to.
Yes. Winifred is a gated neighborhood with 24-hour security at its entrance — one of the few gated villages in The Villages, where most neighborhoods are open golf-cart communities. Buyers who want a greater degree of perimeter control and privacy will find Winifred among the few villages that offer it. Confirm the gate access protocol (staffed guardhouse vs. keypad/card access, guest registration process) with Scout before making an offer.
I can pull the current bond balance on any home here, show you what's active, and give you a real read on whether this village fits your priorities.
