By Scout Eveleth,
Licensed Florida Realtor (FL License # BK3491000)
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. Nearby neighborhoods such as Fenney and Monarch Grove carry Average bond tiers, verified against district bond schedules. Bond amounts are set per village — verify the balance for any specific home.
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 neighborhoods — Fenney, Monarch Grove, and others still being developed — mostly carry Average bond tiers, verified against districtgov bond schedules. Bond amounts are set per village and per unit, so verify the balance and annual payment for any specific home. Buyers focused on the lowest annual carrying costs will find more No bond and Low tier options in the northern and central areas.
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. Bond tiers around them are set per village — mostly Average in the established neighborhoods, with the highest tiers limited to the newest 2025 sections. Verify per home. 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. Fenney and Monarch Grove carry Average bond tiers; Liberty Park carries a Low tier. Bond amounts are set per village — verify for any specific home. 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 bond cost: a brand-new home carries its full original bond, and the newest 2025 sections verified Average to High (roughly $2,700–$3,600 per year) when the district published their schedules. Established neighborhoods near the square, such as Fenney and Monarch Grove, carry verified Average tiers. Compare against central-area neighborhoods near Brownwood or Lake Sumter Landing, where verified tiers run mostly Low.
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.